State Museum of Pennsylvania Announces June Highlights

Read Time:4 Minute, 17 Second

Harrisburg, PA – The State Museum of Pennsylvania today announced its program schedule for June 2018:

Pay as You Wish Summer Fridays

The State Museum is inviting visitors to pay what they wish for general admission on Fridays beginning on Friday, June 22, and continuing through Friday, August 24, 2018. Fees for the Planetarium and other special programs will still apply. Curiosity Connection will distribute free timed tickets for entry throughout the day.

StoryTime: Jo MacDonald Hiked in the Woods by Mary Quattlebaum, Friday, June 1, 10:00 AM

The book to be read and explored in Curiosity Connection will be Jo MacDonald Hiked in The Woods by Mary Quattlebaum. StoryTime is the museum’s popular reading series for children aged 3 to 5. Each reading is held in one of our galleries and is followed by a related play activity or exploration of related hands-on artifacts. StoryTime is included with general admission.

Learn at Lunchtime

Learn at Lunchtime is a program featuring a variety of captivating lectures and presentations. This summer Learn at Lunchtime will be presented every Friday at 12:15 PM, June 22 through August 24. Learn at Lunchtime is included with general admission.

World War I, Friday, June 22

As we approach the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, Robert Hill, curator of military and industrial history, will explore the Pennsylvania at War exhibit.

Black Bears, Friday, June 29

Wildlife Education Specialist Dan Lynch from the Pennsylvania Game Commission will discuss black bear biology and populations and Pennsylvania Game Commission research on them.

Exhibit Opening: Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2018, Sunday, June 24

The annual Art of the State is recognized as the official, statewide juried competition for Pennsylvania artists. Jurors selected artwork from five categories: Craft, Painting, Photography, Sculpture and Work on Paper. The opening ceremony starts at 1:30 PM, followed immediately by the gallery opening and reception. All events are open to the public. General admission to the museum is free for Art of the State opening events. The exhibit runs from June 24 through September 9, 2018.

Art of the State is copresented by The State Museum and Jump Street. Art of the State media sponsor is WITF Public Media.

Meet the Experts

The State Museum of Pennsylvania will offer visitors the opportunity to engage with museum curators and representatives of various Pennsylvania state agencies through its Summer 2018 Meet the Experts in Nature Lab series. This program will be presented every Wednesday and Thursday at 11:30 AM, June 27 through August 16, and is included with general admission.

Pennsylvania Wildlife, Wednesday, June 27

Dr. Walter Meshaka, senior curator of zoology and botany, will discuss various topics relating to Pennsylvania’s wildlife.

Which One Doesn’t Belong? Flint Knapping, Thursday, June 28

Kurt Carr and Janet Johnson, curators of archaeology, explain what materials Native Americans used for flint knapping of projectile points and making of stone tools.

The Planetarium at The State Museum of Pennsylvania: The planetarium is offering three shows from June 9 through September 2:

Earth, Moon and Sun (Grades 1 through 5), Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 11:00 AM; Saturday, 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM; Sunday, 1:00 PM

Coyote has razor-sharp wit, but he’s a little confused about what he’s seeing in the sky. This production tackles many concepts associated with the Earth-Moon-Sun system, including eclipses, lunar phases, seasonal changes, and the physical nature of the Sun and the Moon.

Compass, Calendar and Clock (Grade 6 and up), Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 1:00 PM; Saturday, 12:00 Noon and 2:00 PM; Sunday, 2:00 PM

Understanding how the planet is aligned with the distant stars allows anyone to use the sky as a compass, a calendar, and a clock. This traditional show asks How can you use the Moon tell time? and How does the Sun help us find directions? See how mankind has used the sky to tell time, track yearly cycles, and find direction.

Planetarium shows are $3 per person in addition to general admission. Planetarium admission is free to members of the State Museum Affiliate and the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation.

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 & 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).

For more information about the museum, visit www.statemuseumpa.org.