HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) plans to celebrate Pennsylvania's 343rd birthday in a big way!
On Sunday, March 10, celebrators will have free admission to many of the historic sites and museums along the Pennsylvania Trails of History and an exhibit of William Penn's 1681 Charter at the Pennsylvania State Archives.
Pennsylvania was created when England’s King Charles II granted a charter to William Penn in March 1681. The 343-year-old Charter, often referred to as Pennsylvania’s birth certificate, is written on parchment using iron gall ink.
The Archives preserve the document in a high-security vault, shielding it from strong light and environmental fluctuations. The charter will be on display on Sunday, March 10 from 12 to 4 p.m. at the new Pennsylvania State Archives facility located at 1681 N. Sixth Street in Harrisburg.
In central Pa., admission to the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, Ephrata Cloister in Ephrata, the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum in Lancaster will be free.
Additional historic sites and museums offering free admission include:
- Brandywine Battlefield Park, Chadds Ford
- Bushy Run Battlefield, Jeannette
- Conrad Weiser Homestead, Womelsdorf
- Cornwall Iron Furnace, Cornwall
- Daniel Boone Homestead, Birdsboro
- Drake Well Museum, Titusville
- Eckley Miners’ Village, Weatherly
- Fort Pitt Museum, Pittsburgh
- Graeme Park, Horsham
- Joseph Priestley House, Northumberland
- Pennsbury Manor, Morrisville
- Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum, Scranton
- Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, Ulysses
- Pennsylvania Military Museum, Boalsburg
- Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Strasburg
- Somerset Historical Center, Somerset
The Pennsylvania Trails of History is made up of museums and historic sites administered by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, organized along four theme-based “trails” crossing the Commonwealth: military history, industrial heritage, historic homes, and rural farm & village.
