Harrisburg, PA – The State Museum of Pennsylvania today announced its December 2018 program schedule, which includes a holiday sale, Noon Years celebration, and two new planetarium shows:
StoryTime: Little Plane Learns to Write by Stephen Savage – Friday, December 7, 10:00 AM
The children’s book Little Plane Learns to Write by award-winning author/illustrator Stephen Savage will be read in the museum’s Transportation Gallery. The reading will be followed with a fun activity in which the children can make their own little plane to take home. StoryTime is the museum’s popular reading series for children aged 3 to 5 and is included with general admission.
Nature Lab: Prehistoric Deer (Cervids) – Thursday, December 13, 11:30 AM
Dr. Steven Jasinski, the museum’s curator of paleontology, will make a presentation in Nature Lab on prehistoric deer and deerlike animals, discussing what the ancestors of modern white-tails and reindeer looked like, how they lived, and what part these creatures played in human migration. This presentation is designed for general audiences and is included with general admission.
Curiosity Kids: Old-Fashioned Christmas – Thursday, December 20, 11:30 AM
In this program held in Village Square, young visitors will learn how children celebrated Christmas in Pennsylvania’s early history. The children will then have the opportunity to make a historic Christmas craft. Curiosity Kids bridges the fun of Curiosity Connection with the wonders of The State Museum. Museum educators guide adults and their children, ages 3 to 6, on fascinating trips through history. Hands-on experiments in science and art offer enlightening views of the world. Curiosity Kids programs, funded in part by a grant from the Joseph T. and Helen M. Simpson Foundation, are included with general admission.
3rd in the Burg Museum Store Holiday Sale – Friday, December 21, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
The Museum Store will be offering a special gift shopping opportunity with 15 to 25 percent savings on select Pennsylvania and other American-made products. Entrance to the Museum Store is free.
Noon Years Celebration – Friday, December 28, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM
At this family-friendly event, children and their families are invited to ring in the new year during Noon Years at the museum. Kids can make a craft, dance and enjoy snacks. The museum’s famous firefly and balloon drop will be held at 12:00 PM in Memorial Hall. The celebration is included with general admission to the museum.
Curiosity Connection will have limited timed tickets and will close at 2:00 PM on Friday, December 28.
In addition, The State Museum will offer special showings of the new Planetarium show Animals of the Night at 10:15 AM, 10:45 AM,11:15 AM and 12:30 PM for $3 per person in addition to general admission.
The Planetarium at The State Museum of Pennsylvania: The planetarium is offering two new shows from November 28 through March 3.
Animals of the Night (Pre-K to Grade 1), Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 11:00 AM; Saturday, 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM; Sunday, 1:00 PM
Designed for children, this traditionally styled show helps viewers use their imaginations to see pictures in the sky, learn about constellations, understand basic movements of the Earth, and discover animals that can be found both in Pennsylvania and in its night sky.
Faster Than Light: The Dream of Interstellar Flight (Grade 6 and up), Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 1:00 PM; Saturday, 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM; Sunday, 2:00 PM
The impulse to strike out into the unknown to see what’s over the horizon is as old as humanity. Today, whole new horizons beckon. Astronomers are racing to find habitable worlds. But if one is found, how will we ever get there? How long will it take? What rocket designs might one day conquer the voids of space? How far can our technology take us? This program narrated by Sean Bean explores these questions.
Planetarium shows are $3 per person in addition to general admission. Members of the State Museum Affiliate and the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation are admitted free.
ABOUT THE STATE MUSEUM OF PENNSYLVANIA
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).
MEDIA CONTACT: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639