Harrisburg, PA – The State Museum of Pennsylvania today announced its program schedule for March 2016:
Charter Day 2016: The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) celebrates the commonwealth’s 335th birthday on Charter Day, Sunday, March 13. The special day gives visitors to The State Museum of Pennsylvania a rare opportunity to see the original Charter of Pennsylvania written in 1681. England’s King Charles II used the charter to grant the land that is now Pennsylvania to founder William Penn. It is sometimes referred to as Pennsylvania’s “birth certificate” and was Penn’s personal copy. The Pennsylvania Charter will remain on display through Thursday, March 17 at the museum. For the remainder of the year the Charter is safeguarded in a special vault within the Pennsylvania State Archives.
Admission to The State Museum is free on Charter Day, Sunday, March 13, only and includes visits to the Planetarium, the Curiosity Connection and galleries. Free tickets are required for the Planetarium and the Curiosity Connection on a first come, first serve basis.
The State Museum Celebrates Student Achievement: In March, The State Museum will host two exhibits celebrating the achievements of Pennsylvania students.
2016 South Central Pennsylvania Scholastic Art Awards
Opening Friday March 5, the winning projects from the South Central Pennsylvania Scholastic Art Awards, sponsored by Commonwealth Connections Academy, will be on exhibition at The State Museum. Students from schools in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon, Perry and York counties were eligible to showcase their talents and have their entries judged by area artistic and literary professionals. These projects will be on display March 5-April 28, 2016.
National History Day
Opening on Friday, March 11, the winning student entries from the 2015 National History Day in Pennsylvania competition will be on display at The State Museum. National History Day in Pennsylvania is a year-long classroom-based program that engages students (grades 6-12) in hands-on historical research and exploration. Students select a topic based on the 2016 theme “Exploration, Encounter & Exchange,” research and analyze primary and secondary sources, draw conclusions, and create projects to demonstrate their learning. These projects are then evaluated at local, state, and national competitions. This exhibit will run March 11-May 1, 2016.
This exhibition is presented in cooperation with National History Day in Pennsylvania. NHD in PA is managed by the Army Heritage Center Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation located in Carlisle, PA, and is represented throughout the state by eleven regional affiliates that coordinate activities in 57 counties across Pennsylvania. For more information on NHD in PA go to pa.nhd.org.
Learn At Lunch: Carbo Forest: Come check out the Carboniferous Forest, Friday March 25 at 12:15 PM. After several months of renovation this beloved exhibit has reopened. The exhibit features all new animal specimens, interpretation, and light and sound. The background murals have been finished and provide depth to this dense, tropical environment. Come learn why the Carboniferous Period plays such an important role in Pennsylvania today.
Curiosity Connection Storytime Winter Series: Storytime at Curiosity Connection is a popular reading series for children aged 3-5 that takes place at select times during the year. Held in Curiosity Connection, The State Museum’s engaging early learning space, each reading includes a related play activity with some programs continuing into a museum gallery where the activity highlights an artifact or museum feature.
All Storytime events begin at 10:00 AM and are included with general admission to the museum.
Friday, March 4, featuring Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming
Friday, March 11, featuring Supertruck by Stephen Savage
Friday, March 18, featuring Ten Seeds by Ruth Brown
The Planetarium at The State Museum of Pennsylvania: The planetarium is offering two shows March 5-May 29:
Earth Moon and Sun (1st Grade to 5th Grade):
Coyote has razor-sharp wit, but he’s confused about what he’s seeing in the sky. In his quest for answers, this character adapted from American Indian oral traditions will help audiences discover the truth behind common astronomical misconceptions. This delightful, humorous production tackles many of the most baffling concepts associated with the Earth-Moon-Sun system, including eclipses, lunar phases, the seasonal changing of constellations and the physical nature of the Sun and the Moon.
Saturday 11:00 AM & 1:00 PM
Sunday 1:00 PM
From the Earth to the Universe (6th Grade and up)
This stunning voyage through time and space conveys, through an arresting combination of sights and sounds, the Universe revealed to us by science. From the European Southern Observatory, take a trip from the heart of our Solar System to the first moments of the universe and beyond.
Saturday 12:00 PM & 2:00 PM
Sunday 2:00 PM
Planetarium shows are $3 per person in addition to general admission. Planetarium admission is free to members of the State Museum Affiliates and the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation.
Featured Exhibits:
Pennsylvania Modern: PA Modern honors iconic modern architecture throughout the commonwealth and documents this important architecture which is often “hidden in plain sight.” Photographers focused on both the details and the overall views of residences, schools, commercial structures, religious buildings, among others. Buildings designed by several world-famous architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra and Louis Kahn were captured by photographers for the show. PA Modern runs through April 24.
Pennsylvania Icons: This permanent exhibit tells the story of our commonwealth, its people and the role they played in shaping the nation. Visitors will see artifacts related to Pennsylvania’s founder, William Penn, as well as objects from Pennsylvania’s lumber, iron, steel, coal and oil industries. Pennsylvania Icons includes an array of art work from Pennsylvania artists ranging from Charles Willson Peale to Violet Oakley to Andy Warhol, plus examples of iconic Pennsylvania products from Hershey Kisses to Martin Guitar to Mack Trucks.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike: America’s First Superhighway: The first in a series of modular upgrades to the museum’s popular second floor gallery, this exhibit highlights the Turnpike’s contribution to the ongoing quest to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure. By tunneling through the mountains rather than routing over or around them, and maintaining uniform design and construction standards across its entire length, the original 160-mile section of roadway cut travel time between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh by nearly half.
The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 24 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History. The State Museum offers expansive collections interpreting Pennsylvania’s fascinating heritage. With exhibits examining the dawn of geologic time, the Native American experience, the Colonial and Revolutionary eras, a pivotal Civil War battleground, and the commonwealth's vast industrial age, The State Museum demonstrates that Pennsylvania's story is America’s story.
Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sunday, 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Admission is $7 for adults (ages 12-64), $6 for senior citizens (ages 65 and up), and $5 for children (ages 1-11).
MEDIA CONTACT: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639
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