Blair County Historical Society

06/18/2026

Join our executive director over at the Altoona Area Public Library TONIGHT at 6:00 PM for his splendid presentation on Blair County's Civil War history! From prominent individuals and little-known events to local industry and weapons of war, Dustin's lecture aims to uncover many of our area's connections to the conflict! This presentation is free and open to the public, so stop by and pay him a visit this evening!

06/16/2026

We have a busy week ahead of us here at the Blair County Historical Society and Baker Mansion!

➡️ Coming up first tomorrow, June 17 at 2:00 PM is our Baker Mansion Bunko Tea! This fun-filled tea will combine our beloved afternoon tea experience with rounds of Bunko for guests of all ages! Tickets are $20.00 per guest and available now on our website!

➡️ Later on tomorrow, June 17 at 7:00 PM is our History Speaks Lecture: "What's in a Name? Exploring the History Behind Blair County Locations" with Author Kevin J. Stiver! This free lecture at the Railroaders Memorial Museum will explore the hidden history behind the names of towns, neighborhoods, and other sites throughout Blair County. Ever wonder why so many things/places are named "Logan" or how we ended up with a site called "Pickle Hill" here in our area? Then this is the lecture for you!

➡️ Then, on Thursday, June 18 at 6:00 PM, our executive director will be giving a presentation at the Altoona Area Public Library on Blair County's role in the Civil War! Admission is free and open to the public for this lecture event!

➡️ Lastly, on Friday, June 19 starting at 8:45 PM, we will be hosting our first Mansion Movie Night ft. Finding Dory alongside our co-hosts from the Blair Drug and Alcohol Partnerships Prevention! As always , this outdoor movie event is free and open to all, and our Visitor Center will be open for snacks throughout the evening!

06/14/2026

Join our friends from the Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation for their annual Flag Day ceremony today at 1:00 PM! Find more details in the post below! 👇

🇺🇸 Join us this Sunday for our annual Flag Day Ceremony! 🇺🇸

Gather with us in Downtown Altoona at Heritage Plaza as we honor our nation's flag and celebrate this special tradition.

📍 Heritage Plaza, Downtown Altoona
🕐 Sunday at 1:00 PM

We hope to see you there!

06/14/2026

🚨 ATTENTION: THE CONCERT IS ON! 🚨

It looks like we have lucked out with the weather today, as the storms have moved back later into in the day. As such, our Sunday on the Lawn Concert with the 814-5 Brass Quintet is set to go for 2:00 PM! Join us then for a FREE outdoor performance featuring the talents of local brass musicians!

06/13/2026

Heading out to Fort Roberdeau's Legacy Weekend today? Well so are we! Come check out our booth and enjoy all of the splendid history that is brought to life by our friends from the fort!

06/11/2026

CITIZENS OF BLAIR COUNTY, PA AND BEYOND! CIVIL WAR LIVING HISTORY IS RETURNING TO THE Baker Mansion THIS YEAR! MAKE PREPARATIONS IMMEDIATELY!

After a great showing last year, we are thrilled to announce that our A Mansion Divided: The Baker Family and Blair County in the Civil War living history event is coming back for the 2026 season! And for this year, we are going bigger and better all around!

Like last year, this Civil War living history event will feature a variety of dedicated reenactors and living historians who will bring the Civil War era to life. Guests will be able to interact with local soldiers, members of the Baker family, and others who lived during this tumultuous time in our nation's history. Firing demonstrations and pop-up exhibits featuring rare Civil War artifacts will also be on display across the event as well.

We have some new additions this season as well! For this year's event, we are pleased to welcome the talents of Keystone Tintype, a traveling tintype photography studio that will be onsite for demonstrations and photo opportunities for guests! Additionally, visitors may just encounter some new pieces of artillery here at the mansion this year... 💥

Couple all of this with a Civil War-era musical performance by the 46th PA Regiment Band and some food/drinks from The Dirty Soda Shack and Royer Barbecue Company, and we have a great experience lined up for later this season!

This Civil War living history event will take place on Saturday, August 29 and Sunday, August 30 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and admission to all of the outdoor experiences is FREE and open to the public. However, tours of the mansion and the indoor exhibits will still require payment (standard tour rates apply). A complete schedule of events for the day will be released closer to the event.

06/09/2026

We are just over ONE WEEK AWAY away from our next History Speaks lecture on the origins of Blair County location names!

Coming up next Wednesday, June 17 at 7:00 PM is our History Speaks Lecture "What's in a Name! Exploring the History Behind Blair County Locations" with Author Kevin J. Stiver (Altoona Pennsylvania History)! As hinted at above, Kevin will take audiences on a journey through the hidden history behind site and location names across Blair County. If you have ever thought about questions like why so many local places and things are named "Logan" or how Frankstown got its name, then this lecture will be right up your alley!

This presentation will take place over at the Railroaders Memorial Museum's theater room, and admission is FREE and open to the public. However, donations to the Blair County Historical Society are welcome.

For our complete schedule of lectures and other events for this season, please visit our website at www.blairhistory.org/events! We hope to see you then!

06/03/2026

Coming up at the end of this month on June 27 and 28 is a special America250PA Blair County event called "Let Freedom Ring!" This musical tribute by P&J Productions will celebrate our nation's 250th birthday with dynamic performances led by a variety of local talent, and we will be onsite with historical pop-up exhibits and a number of living historians!

Get your tickets now for this truly EPIC celebration of our nation's Semiquincentennial over at Penn State Altoona's Wolf-Kuhn Theatre!

06/03/2026

🎲🫖 It's time to get your tickets for the Baker Mansion's Bunko Tea, because this afternoon tea experience is coming up in just TWO WEEKS! 🎲🫖

Coming up later this month on Wednesday, June 17 at 2:00 PM is our Baker Mansion Bunko Tea! In addition to the delicious hors d'oeuvres, homemade desserts, and selected teas you know and love, this afternoon tea will feature rounds of the popular game of Bunko! If you have not played before, we highly suggest joining us for a fun and light-hearted introduction to the game!

Tickets for our Baker Mansion Bunko Tea are $20.00 per guest and can be purchased now on our website at www.blairhistory.org/events. If you would rather not pay online, you can give us a call at 814-942-3916 to purchase your tickets via cash, check, or card!