State Museum of Pennsylvania

The State Museum of Pennsylvania is a non-profit museum at 300 North Street in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is run by the state through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and was created to preserve and interpret the region's history and culture.[1] It is a part of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania at 300 North Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

While it is officially named the State Museum of Pennsylvania, its is commonly referred to as the William Penn Memorial Museum. The museum's central hall features a large statue of William Penn. who founded the Province of Pennsylvania in 1681 during the British colonial era.[2]

History

On March 28, 1905, Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker signed legislation creating the State Museum of Pennsylvania. The museum's was established for the "preservation of objects illustrations the flora and fauna of the state and mineralogy, geology, archaeology, arts and history."[3] The State Museum of Pennsylvania mission statement was influenced by the many other state museums that were already established, including those in New York, Illinois, and Indiana.

Later in 1905, then Pennsylvania governor Pennypacker signed Act 481, which gave the State Museum their $20,000 startup funding for the museum's creation. On March 1, 1907, the museum staff and collection moved into the Executive Office Building. It became part of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in 1945, and moved to its present building in 1964. It is located adjacent to the Pennsylvania State Capitol. The building is round and the museum exhibits are located on its ground, first, second, and third floors. The museum staff's offices and Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission are located on the fourth and fifth floors.[1]

In 2014, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[4]

Exhibits

The museum includes a multi-media planetarium, as well as four floors of exhibits and displays covering Pennsylvania history from prehistoric times through current events. Visitation averages 315,000 people annually. Among the features are a large collection of artifacts and displays related to the American Civil War, and an extensive collection of industrial and technological innovations, including artwork, paintings, dioramas, and other audio-visuals aid in the interpretation.

There are over three million objects in the museum's collections.[1] The museum has many exhibits that showcase Pennsylvania history. The state museum divided there exhibits into three different categories; permanent, changing and online exhibits.[5]

References
  1. Silverman, Sharon (2005). The State Museum of Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Trail of History Guide. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-3214-2.
  2. http://pahousearchives.org/?p=digitallibrary/digitalcontent&id=56
  3. "History of State Museum of Pennsylvania" (PDF).
  4. "NRHP list of weekly actions, 7/28/14 through 8/1/14". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  5. "Exhibits".
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