Now the story comes home
When British forces seized Philadelphia in 1777, America’s leaders fled to York — and a frontier town of 1,800 became the seat of a revolution. This is that story.
The new “Revolutionary York” exhibit opens July 3 in the Brougher Gallery, part of a complete History Center experience that includes our Colonial Complex, with historic buildings dating to the mid-1700s.
Make York, Pennsylvania, your destination for America’s 250th.
The museum was recently voted by readers of the USA Today as one of the 10 best new museums in the US.
Watch a short introduction to the new Revolutionary York exhibit
Visit Us
Tuesday to Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: Noon to 4 p.m.
Mondays: closed
Seasonal Admission (4/1-11/30):
Adults – $20 (Sundays $10)
Students (6-18) – $8
Children 5 and younger – FREE every day
Address:
York County History Center Museum, Library & Archives
121 N. Pershing Ave.
York PA 17401
Phone Number:
717-848-1587
Upcoming 250th Events
Writers' Roundtable
Second Saturday - June
Revolutionary York Exhibit
Explore the 'Revolutionary York' exhibit
This introduction to the 250th anniversary reflects York County’s pride in its history and showcase the imagery and artifacts of past anniversary events, including the bicentennial celebration of 1976. One legacy of the bicentennial was the construction of the Colonial Courthouse, a faithful replica of York County original courthouse that remains central to the storytelling we do about our Revolutionary roots.
The exhibit examines life in York County in the 1770s. This section will consider the challenging war years through the lives of individuals and will feature amazing original documents and artifacts, both personal and military, from the History Center’s collection, including the 1775 York Blues muster roll and a silk brocade coat worn by Col. John Hay of York. This section will also feature the drawings of Lewis Miller, whose folk-art renderings of the people and places of York are among the most prized in our entire collection.
Enter past York’s original courthouse door to explore in rich detail the Second Continental Congress’s time in York and how becoming the capital influenced this small community. The achievements of those nine months in 1777 and 1778 changed the course of the revolution and our country. The original printing of the Articles of Confederation will be on display, along with other documents from the period that were printed on the Hall & Sellers press in York. Discover details about the delegates, the business of war and the VIPs who came here. Dig into the adoption of the Articles and the forging of the French Alliance along with an exhibit on Camp Security, which housed British prisoners of war east of York.
The end of the Revolutionary War was not the end of the fight for freedom and equality for all Americans. The exhibit will ask visitors to consider what the founding ideals of America mean to us today and how the work toward those ideals continues. The exhibit experience will end with a map of York County’s Revolutionary War era sites to visit, as well as 250th commemorations around York County.
More about America's 250th
Revolutionary Thinkers Camp returns in August
Calling all 4th – 6th graders who love history! The York County History Center is proud to offer our returning day camp this summer: Revolutionary Thinkers!
In celebration of America’s 250th celebration this year, the History Center’s Revolutionary Thinkers Summer Camp will explore how the core founding documents of the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence helped shape the nation we know today. This summer our focus will be the Declaration of Independence.
History Center featured on America250PA podcast
Listeners travel to York County to explore its pivotal role in American history through the York County History Center, where exhibits highlight the people, events, and innovations that connect this community to the nation’s broader story. “In the new museum, we have spotlighted dozens of individuals who have shaped York County’s history and how they connect to the events happening nationally.” – Dan Fink, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations
Explore the connections between past and present with a visit to the York County History Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the questions you might have before visiting the History Center. You can find a longer list of Frequently Asked Questions on the Plan Your Visit page.
The History Center Museum, Library and Archives, all housed in our building at 121 N. Pershing Ave. in York, are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information on hours, admission, parking and directions, please visit our Plan Your Visit page.
Plan Your VisitThat depends on how much time you are willing to take exploring the different parts of the exhibit and engaging with the interactive digital displays placed around the museum. If you’re curious, you could spend a half day or more taking it all in. If you want to move through more quickly, plan for up to 2 hours.
Yes. We encourage adult groups, senior centers and other groups to visit our new museum and our other historic sites. Trained docents and education staff lead groups through the History Center’s sites. For details on all of our group tours, please visit our Group & School Tours page.
Group & School ToursIt does. But we also have members and other regular visitors to the library who spend several hours with us doing research. They schedule their visits to the library, so we can be sure we have adequate space and staff available. If you’re interested, it may be possible to accommodate a short visit to see the Library & Archives, but we cannot guarantee it. To learn more, please visit the Library & Archives page.
Library & ArchivesContact Us
Do you have a question about an upcoming visit? Would you like to know more about an ancestor who lived in York County? Do you just have a general inquiry? Whatever your question, our volunteers and staff are always eager to help. Please use the contact form here to submit your question.
Join us in the new History Center. Your History Starts Here.
