Seasonal Sites Re-open
2026-04-04 | PA
The Fire Museum and Colonial Complex will re-open for the 2026 season on Saturday, April 4.
Days of the week to keep in mind when visiting our seasonal sites: Tuesday through Saturday we offer tours of the Colonial Complex, and Saturdays the Fire Museum is open. You can explore the Gates House, Plough Tavern and the Colonial Courthouse by taking our staff-led tour, which is timed and can be added to your visit experience. To purchase your admission ticket, visit our ticket sales page or purchase your tickets upon arrival.

A Date With History
2026-04-11 18:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | PA
This event is sold out! Please join the waitlist at the link above or make a donation here.
When York Continental Congress delegate and future signer of the Declaration of Independence James Smith gave York’s first public reading of the Declaration, he realized that many people didn’t yet understand why it mattered or what independence would truly mean for them. So, he did something remarkable: He explained it, connecting bold ideals to real lives and real communities.
Today, that spirit continues.
We invite you to join us for “Independence: More Than A Moment” and celebrate 250 years of promise, progress, and possibility at a special evening that brings American independence to life through many voices and perspectives.
Dazzling Cocktails
Sumptuous Dinner
(Choice of):
Liberty Reserve Beef – Red wine-braised beef tips
Heritage Chicken Lorelle – Grilled chicken with veg in a delicate herb cream
Penne in a Blush of Independence – Penne with vodka cream sauce (v) (GF upon request)
Exciting live auction
Celebrations and surprises
Enjoy a sneak peek at some of the artifacts from our “Revolutionary York” exhibit opening this summer!
Attire:Formal cocktail.
Red, white, & blue optional
Your support helps illuminate the past, spark meaningful conversation, and ensure York’s stories continue to inspire generations to come. Be part of the legacy at this unforgettable celebration of independence and York’s revolutionary history.
For sponsorship information for companies and individuals, click here.
Ready to be a sponsor? Complete the pledge form here to make it official.
If you want to volunteer at the event, sign up here.
Questions? Contact Amy Serafino, CFRE, Vice President, Advancement, at:
aserafino@yorkhistorycenter.org

First Friday: Pizza & Pajamas
2026-05-01 17:00 - 19:00 | York County History Center Museum, 121 North Pershing Ave., York, PA, 17401, United States
During First Friday on Give Local York we are offering a fun experience for all ages! Pizza & Pajamas is an opportunity for people to come to the museum in lounge wear/pajamas, enjoy some pizza and activities.
Activities for the evening

Showing of Liberty’s Kids- Valley Forge episode which features York’s part in the American Revolution every half hour.
Try your hand at the Lego challenge to build based on inspiration of our historic building.
Specialized highlight tour best suited for adult visitors.

We hope you can join us for a fun evening!

This event is part of Give Local York! Admission is by donation, and you may choose the ticket level that feels right for you. All contributions directly support the York County History Center and help make programs like this possible.

Second Saturday - June
2026-06-13 11:00 - 12:30 | York County History Center Museum, 121 North Pershing Ave., York, PA, 17401, United States
We are excited to welcome author and historian Dr. Emily Sneff to the History Center Museum! She will be presenting about her book “When the Declaration of Independence Was News.” Dr. Sneff is an early American historian and leading expert on the Declaration of Independence. She earned her Ph.D. in history from William & Mary. She is a consulting curator for exhibitions marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration at the Museum of the American Revolution and Historic Trappe.
Blurb of the Book:
Publishing for the 250th anniversary of the United States, When the Declaration of Independence Was News focuses on the nation’s founding document at the moment of its creation in 1776, before anyone knew what the legacy of the Declaration would be or if the United States would win the war against Great Britain. It explores how the Declaration was communicated to people in the new nation and around the Atlantic world and reveals the stories of the many people involved in the process of declaring independence, from printers to soldiers to diplomats to translators.
Purchase a copy of her book here.

Ag & Industrial Museum will be closed July 3
2026-07-03 10:00 - 16:00 | Agricultural & Industrial Museum, 217 W. Princess St, York, PA, 17401, United States
The Agricultural & Industrial Museum will be closed July 3, as our team prepares for the opening of Revolutionary York at the History Center Museum. The museum will re-open at its normal time, 10 a.m. Friday, July 10.

Revolutionary York Exhibit Opening
2026-07-03 17:00 - 19:00 | PA
Opening July 3, 2026, Revolutionary York tells the story of York County’s pivotal roll in the American Revolution. As part of the America 250 semiquincentennial celebration, this exhibit highlights the experiences of York County’s people in the 1770s through rarely seen artifacts, documents, artwork and images. This was a time of challenges and triumphs, resulting in a new nation. Join us as we commemorate the founding of our country and consider what American independence means to us today and for the future.
Please join us for our grand opening weekend!
Friday, July 3
5 pm Entry- SOLD OUT
6 pm Entry- SOLD OUT
Saturday, July 4 – open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday, July 5 – open from noon to 4 p.m.
$10 suggested donation includes admission to the History Center museum. Members are free to attend.
The exhibit will run through December 2028.

July 4th at the History Center
2026-07-04 09:00 - 13:00 | York County History Center Museum, 121 North Pershing Ave., York, PA, 17401, United States
What better place to spend your July 4th festivities then immersed in American history at the History Center Museum! View the brand new “Revolutionary York” exhibit in the Brougher Gallery and explore our main gallery space with our American Revolution scavenger hunt.
Admission for the day is $10 for adults and $5 for students, free for members to visit.
9 AM – 1 PM Operating hours will correspond with the Cultural Fair across from the History Center Museum.
Please note the Fire Museum and Agricultural and Industrial Museum are both closed on July 4. Open sites include the History Center Museum and the Colonial Courthouse.
About Revolutionary York:
When British forces seized Philadelphia in 1777, America’s leaders fled to York, and a frontier town of 1,800 became the nation’s capital. Revolutionary York, on view July 2026 through December 2028, brings that extraordinary chapter to life. Explore how Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation and secured French support that turned the tide of war, and how the Revolution was experienced by the full range of people who called York County home. As we mark 250 years of independence, this exhibit asks what those founding ideals mean to us today.
Visit our Revolutionary York page here to learn more about the exhibit.

July 4th at the Colonial Courthouse
2026-07-04 09:00 - 13:00 | Colonial Complex, 157 W. Market St., York, PA, 17401, United States
Stop by the Colonial Courthouse on July 4th for our open house. Ask questions about our reconstructed courthouse, learn about York history, and see 18th Century artifacts on display.
No Colonial Complex tours on July 4th.
Want more Revolutionary War history? Head down the block to the History Center Museum and view the newly opened Revolutionary York exhibit in the Brougher Gallery. View the event details here for pricing.
Please note the Fire Museum and Agricultural and Industrial Museum are both closed on July 4. Open sites include the History Center Museum and the Colonial Courthouse.

History Explorers- Centennial Celebrations
2026-07-11 10:30 - 14:30 | York County History Center Museum, 121 North Pershing Ave., York, PA, 17401, United States
As a part of our focus on America’s 250th anniversary we are excited to welcome children with their adults to experience an array of activities at the History Center Museum on July 11! The newly named History Explorers is an opportunity for guests to engage in hands-on activities tied to the theme of the day, for July’s program we will focus on Centennial Celebrations.

Activities will be:

Lafayette returns (50th)
Tastes of the Centennial (1876)
Inventions of the Centennial (1876)
How did you Celebrate? (2026)
And more

$5 for students, free for members.

Spirits of the Past
2026-07-17 19:00 - 20:00 | York County History Center Museum, 121 North Pershing Ave., York, PA, 17401, United States
Enjoy an unforgettable night at the History Center with our historic mixology program!
July’s session of Spirits of the Past will include cocktails from the 1970s with a focus on America’s Bicentennial celebrations in 1976. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about mixology history, our local community, and more over two cocktails.
Your tickets include two specialty cocktails- one is a batched cocktail, the other is one participants make with instruction from our team.
Program is sold out!

Revolutionary York Walking Tour
2026-07-24 18:00 - 19:30 | York County History Center Museum, 121 North Pershing Ave., York, PA, 17401, United States
When the British captured Philadelphia in the fall of 1777, the Continental Congress made York the capital from which it would conduct the war, and take the first step toward creating the United States as we know it. Guides will share stories of local heroes, as well as national notables such as George Washington, and “Mad” Anthony Wayne. Included in this tour is the site of a duel that was to take place between General Horatio Gates and James Wilkinson.
Tours will kick off from the History Center Museum. We suggest to order your tickets ahead of time as this allows us prepare the group. You can purchase tickets at the button above.
All York walking tours will start and end at the History Center museum and will last 60-90 minutes. Tours are recommended for ages 12 and older.

Revolutionary Thinkers Summer Camp
2026-08-03 09:00 - 12:00 | York County History Center Museum, 121 North Pershing Ave., York, PA, 17401, United States
Calling all 4th – 6th graders who love history! The York County History Center is proud to offer our returning day camp this summer!
In celebration of America’s 250th this year, the History Center’s Revolutionary Thinkers Summer Camp will explore how the core founding documents of the Articles of Confederation, the US Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence helped shape the nation we know today. This summer’s camp will pay special attention to the Declaration of Independence.
This camp is an opportunity to fan emerging sparks of interest with fun activities that include learning about our nation’s founding and being immersed in our local history through hands-on programs. Students will learn about 18th-century life, tour local historic sites, and embark on a journey that will help them understand and appreciate civics education in an experiential and fun setting.
The camp runs daily 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, Aug. 3-7. All students are welcome, but preference will be given to students in York County schools. Need-based scholarships are available.
A link for payment will be sent after your application has been processed.
NO MORE SLOTS AVAILABLE
For more information, please call the History Center at 717-848-1587 or email vlong@yorkhistorycenter.org

Revolutionary Thinkers Summer Camp, Day 2
2026-08-04 09:00 - 12:00 | PA
Calling all 4th – 6th graders who love history! The York County History Center is proud to offer our returning day camp this summer!
In celebration of America’s 250th this year, the History Center’s Revolutionary Thinkers Summer Camp will explore how the core founding documents of the Articles of Confederation, the US Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence helped shape the nation we know today. This summer’s camp will pay special attention to the Declaration of Independence.
This camp is an opportunity to fan emerging sparks of interest with fun activities that include learning about our nation’s founding and being immersed in our local history through hands-on programs. Students will learn about 18th-century life, tour local historic sites, and embark on a journey that will help them understand and appreciate civics education in an experiential and fun setting.
The camp runs daily 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, Aug. 3-7. All students are welcome, but preference will be given to students in York County schools. Need-based scholarships are available.

For more information, please call the History Center at 717-848-1587 or email vlong@yorkhistorycenter.org

Revolutionary Thinkers Summer Camp, Day 3
2026-08-05 09:00 - 12:00 | PA
Calling all 4th – 6th graders who love history! The York County History Center is proud to offer our returning day camp this summer!
In celebration of America’s 250th this year, the History Center’s Revolutionary Thinkers Summer Camp will explore how the core founding documents of the Articles of Confederation, the US Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence helped shape the nation we know today. This summer’s camp will pay special attention to the Declaration of Independence.
This camp is an opportunity to fan emerging sparks of interest with fun activities that include learning about our nation’s founding and being immersed in our local history through hands-on programs. Students will learn about 18th-century life, tour local historic sites, and embark on a journey that will help them understand and appreciate civics education in an experiential and fun setting.
The camp runs daily 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, Aug. 3-7. All students are welcome, but preference will be given to students in York County schools. Need-based scholarships are available.
For more information, please call the History Center at 717-848-1587 or email vlong@yorkhistorycenter.org.

South Central Pa. Genealogical Society
2026-08-30 14:30 - 15:30 | PA
Sunday August 30 – Tour the York County History Center’s new Revolutionary York Exhibit, led by Nicole Smith
The first temporary exhibit since the York County History Center’s new museum opened in 2024, this installation is part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence. It explores life in York County during the American Revolution, the achievements of the Continental Congress in York, and what independence means to our community today. And it features such treasures as an original 1777 printing of the Articles of Confederation, a 1775 Committee of Safety letter, a York Blues militia book, and imprints from the Hall and Sellers press. Admission to the exhibit is free to those attending this SCPGS meeting.
This program will be held in person only. Click here to register.

Upcoming Programs
York County Barns, presented by Greg Huber
Sunday, October 4, 2026, 2:30 p.m.
Ever since the first settlers arrived in York County, barns have served to store crops, protect animals, and house farming implements. Presented by a leading expert on Pennsylvania barns, this program will provide a look at various types of barns and representative examples in York County.
Greg Huber of Eastern Barn Consultants, Macungie, PA, has been studying and documenting barns for more than 50 years, with an emphasis on those in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region. In those five decades, he has recorded to varying degrees more than 5,000 barns. He is the author of The Historic Barns of Southeastern Pennsylvania: Architecture & Preservation, Built 1750-1900 (Schiffer, 2017).

The Old Order River Brethren – Still on the Quest for Piety and Obedience!, presented by John S. Dietz.
Sunday, November 1, 2026, 2:30 p.m.
Once nicknamed “Yorkers” owing to their mid-nineteenth-century origin and early concentration in York County, the Old Order River Brethren began as a conservative movement among the River Brethren (now Brethren in Christ). Usually counted among the Plain People of Pennsylvania, the Old Order River Brethren continue the historic practices of plain dress, baptism by immersion, congregational signing without instruments, and worship in homes and barns. A member of this group, John Dietz will discuss their history, beliefs and practices.
John S. Dietz is a member of the Old Order River Brethren, Lancaster District South, and he works to preserve the history of his church. With a background in education, he currently teaches parttime at Sonlight River Brethren School in Lancaster County. On the side, he engaged in organic farming, and his family has a farm stand just off the Lincoln Highway between Hallam and Wrightsville at 141 Stricklers Lane.

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Lunch!: A Culinary Exploration of the Revolutionary War Period, presented by Lydia Stayer.
Sunday, January 3, 2027, 2:30 p.m.
The culinary scene during the Revolutionary War was a time of blending European traditions, native agricultural staples, and improvisation due to supply shortages. “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Lunch!” will provide attendees with the opportunity to explore the ingredients, cooking preparations, as well as dishes and beverages that were common during this period in history. Following the presentation, savory dishes and sweet treats will be available for sampling.
Lydia Stayer is a special education teacher in York County and holds teaching certifications in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Family and Consumer Science Education. When she is not fulfilling her teaching duties, she enjoys expanding her culinary knowledge through reading cookbooks and trying her hand at new recipes.

“We Find No Freedom … in Anything by Which Men’s Lives are Destroyed or Hurt”: Pennsylvania Mennonites and the American Revolution, presented by Steve Nolt.
Sunday, February 7, 2027, 2:30 p.m.
The American Revolution brought ideas and question about liberty to the fore, and many people made sacrifices for what they believed to be the cause of freedom. But not everyone understood liberty and freedom in the same way. Mennonites were among those who appreciated the freedom they had found in Pennsylvania but were unwilling to sacrifice what they believed was Christ’s call to live peaceably with all. Their convictions placed them in a difficult and unpopular position during the Revolution. They sought to explain their beliefs in letters and petitions, but ended up losing many of their political rights when they would neither fight nor swear loyalty to the new state government after 1776. Their experience is an example of the tension between majority rule and minority rights, and of competing notions of loyalty, liberty, and religious conviction. This presentation will focus on Mennonites, but the experience of other Pennsylvania peace churches, from Quakers and Moravians to Brethren and Schwenkfelders, will necessarily surface, as well.
Steve Nolt is the Director of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College. He is the author of numerous books and articles on Mennonite, Amish, and broader Pennsylvania German history and contemporary life. Local and national media frequently call upon him to provide expert insight into the history, life and practices of the Amish.

Revolutionary Roots – our annual show-and-tell meeting
Sunday, March 7, 2027, 2:30 p.m.
This meeting will be our annual opportunity to share information about ancestors, research or sources and to ask questions for the group to consider. In keeping with the 250th anniversary of our country’s founding, we would like you to focus on the American Revolution. Who is your favorite Revolutionary War ancestor? What unique source of information about that period have you found? Where did your family live in the late eighteenth century and why? While the focus of this meeting will be the Revolutionary period, other topics for consideration are welcome.

Tour of the Hanover Area Historical Society’s Hormel History and Research Center
Sunday, April 4, 2027, 2:30 p.m.
In the fall of 2024, the Hanover Area Historical Society opened the Hormel History and Research Center at the Guthrie Library in Hanover, PA. The Center includes the Society’s Yelland Research Library and Archives and the collections of Guthrie’s Pennsylvania Reading Room. It holds a wealth of historical and genealogical information on families, places and events in Hanover and the surrounding areas in York and Adams Counties. You will hear from Terri Altland, Executive Director of the Historical Society, as well as from a knowledgeable volunteer will provide a survey of the available resources. An optional tour of the Historical Society’s Warehime-Myers Mansion and museum may be offered. We will meet at the Guthrie Library at 2:30 p.m. for this program. More details to come.

Tour of Historic Guinston Presbyterian Church
Sunday, May 2, 2027, 2:30 p.m.
Founded in 1754, Guinston Presbyterian Church near Arville, PA is among the oldest religious congregations in York County. Its historic stone meeting house—whose construction was completed in 1774–still stands, surrounded by its cemetery. Join one of the church’s historians in an exploration of the old church building and the grounds. The meeting time is subject to change; more details to come.

The Women and Children of Camp Security, presented by Benjamin Werkley
Sunday, June 13, 2027, 2:30 p.m.
The Revolutionary War era prisoner of war camp in York County known as Camp Security, its prisoners, and its guards have long been a point of fascination for the residents of York County. The nearly 400 women and children held there are often mentioned in presentations and literature on the site, but they are rarely the focus of that programing. This presentation seeks to further illuminate their history by bringing them to the forefront of the story, arguing that they formed an essential part of Camp Security shaping it in numerous ways. This presentation will explore the history of both the large number of women and children that accompanied the prisoners as well as the few women present among the guards, providing an interesting and thought-provoking new perspective not only on Camp Security itself but also on prisoners of war during the American Revolution as a whole.
Benjamin Werkley is a graduate student at James Madison University where he is pursuing his Master of Arts in History with a concentration in public history. Werkley holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public History from York College of Pennsylvania. Much of his recent work has focused on how women and children interacted with the prisoner of war system during the American Revolution and eighteenth century militaries more broadly. He currently serves as a historical researcher on the board of the Friends of Camp Security.

Articles of Confederation Day
2026-11-14 10:00 - 15:00 | Colonial Complex, 157 W. Market St., York, PA, 17401, United States
This year kicks off 250th anniversary celebrations throughout the United States. Join us in November to continue the year of celebrations as we highlight the Articles of Confederation, one of America’s first founding documents. The event will take place on November 14, 2026 from 10 am until 3 pm. We are welcoming in a range of historic tradespeople, reenactors, musicians, and more. Check back this summer for more details about our event this Fall.
