Museum Hopping in Harrisburg
Although Philadelphia – and the famous bell – attracts the lion’s share of visitors to the Keystone State, Harrisburg also finishes in the top five. Filled with unique local galleries, an impressive state museum, and a nationally acclaimed Smithsonian affiliate, there’s something for just about every cultural maven in the Pennsylvania capital. Even better, since Harrisburg is right off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, it’s a great addition to any road trip. So pencil in a Harrisburg stop on your next trek across Pennsylvania, and spend a few days exploring these excellent cultural attractions.
A Pennsylvania Primer
Located just a short walk from the capitol building, the State Museum of Pennsylvania (statemuseumpa.org) includes a large collection of artifacts that focus on the heritage of the state; from early geologic eras through Native American and colonial times, to the industrial age and the christening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Accessible metered parking is available in front of the museum, and a path with a slight incline leads over to the level entrance. Inside, there’s elevator access to all floors, and plenty of room to maneuver a wheelchair or scooter in the galleries. Accessible restrooms are located on every floor, and the first floor also has an accessible family restroom.
Best bet is to start on the third floor which features installations about native mammals, ecology, forests and paleontology, as well as the planetarium and some rotating exhibits. Down on the second floor the installations begin with archaeology and Native Americans, and continue on through the Civil War, then conclude with the technological achievements of the Keystone State. Finally, the first floor includes exhibits about noteworthy Pennsylvania people and products – from Mrs. Paul’s to Rolling Rock.
It should be noted that the State Museum of Pennsylvania was included in Governor Tom Wolfe’s pandemic closures to state buildings, so consult the museum’s website to see if it has reopened.
A Treat for the Senses
A relatively new addition to the midtown cultural scene, The Susquehanna Art Museum (www.susquehannaartmuseum.org), offers a wide selection of diverse eye-popping rotating exhibitions. And the building is just as unique as its contents. It began life in 1913 as a bank, but also spent time as a department store and even a college dorm. Today the newly revitalized building still sports its traditional bank facade, but it also has a new modern component.
Access is excellent too, with accessible parking in the lot behind the museum (on Calder Street) and ramp access up to the main entrance. Inside there’s plenty of room in the spacious galleries, and elevator access to the second floor.
The museum, which does not own a permanent collection, relies on open calls to creative artists to fill their rotating exhibitions. Currently Picturing the Body, which is the result of a course at Millersville University, runs till October 25, 2020. And Historic Memory, which includes works from painters Joerg Dressler and Shawn Huckins will continue until November 8, 2020. Stay tuned for Sanh Brian’s Tran’s Country Charm, which will explore his experience as a queer Asian man living in rural America; and The Wind Dies The Sun Sets, a contemplative film about energy extraction and use in Pennsylvania. These exhibits will respectively debut in late 2020 and spring 2021. There’s always something new at “The SAM”.
Fire! Fire!
Located in a 100-year old former Harrisburg fire station the Pennsylvania Fire Museum (pnfm.org) makes for a fun stop. There’s accessible parking near the barrier-free front entrance, and plenty of room to maneuver a wheelchair inside. And for slow walkers, a manual wheelchair is available at the front desk.
This museum has everything you can imagine that’s fire-department related – and a few things you’ve probably never seen before. They have a huge collection of parade stock on the first floor, including an 1894 horse wagon, an 1899 steamer and a 1911 International Harvester hose wagon. Interpretive displays are interspersed with the rolling stock to put things in perspective, and the enthusiastic volunteers are full of old fire stories.
There’s elevator access to the hayloft, which was later converted to living quarters when horses were no longer needed to pull the fire engines. It includes a collection of parade hats, and a plethora of fire memorabilia. But perhaps the prize artifact is the Gamewell alarm system which was installed in Johnstown’s city hall in the 1920s. And you even get to pull a fire alarm for a little demonstration of how the system works. It’s just a fun space, and the volunteers make the artifacts come to life.
A Balanced Civil War Presentation
Although the National Civil War Museum (www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org) is at the end of this museum list, that in no way implies its cultural ranking; in fact, quite the opposite. This Smithsonian affiliate presents an excellent – and balanced – interpretation of America’s Civil War.
There’s accessible parking in the upper lot, with barrier-free access to the accessible entrance. Additionally, there’s elevator access to all floors, accessible restrooms, and plenty of room to maneuver even the largest wheelchair through the galleries.
The exhibits begin on the second floor, with installations on American slavery, the first shots of the war, weapons and equipment, encampments, and even Civil War music. Down on the first floor the exhibits continue with the Battle of Gettysburg, the costs of the war, women in the war, the last battles of the war, and the subsequent surrender of the Confederacy at Appomattox. It’s a comprehensive look at a dark time in American history. And don’t miss the excellent video about the end of the war. Even if you’ve been to other Civil War museums, you’ll definitely come away with a different perspective on how things were in real life during the conflict. Indeed, it’s a definite must-see on any Harrisburg museum hopping excursion.
