LancasterHistory

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LancasterHistory LancasterHistory is a non-profit history organization in Lancaster, PA. We're also known as LancasterHistory.org though the ".org" was dropped in 2019.
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Also developing the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy, set to open Spring 2026. This is the official page of LancasterHistory, formerly known as Lancaster County's Historical Society.

10/20/2026

If you’ve spent any time around Lancaster, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Bri Nguyen! 📸

Whether they’re capturing familiar faces at Harvest Breakfast at Central Market, documenting the excitement of Lancaster’s festivals, or many a LancasterHistory event, Bri seems to be everywhere, camera in hand, celebrating the people and places that make our community special.

For Bri, Lancaster’s history is more than a collection of stories from the past. It’s a living, evolving story shaped by generations of people, including the immigrant communities whose contributions have helped make Lancaster what it is today. Bri was also astonished to learn more about Lydia Hamilton Smith, whose incredible legacy is now being celebrated at LancasterHistory’s new Stevens & Smith Center The Stevens & Smith Center for History and Democracy

We’re grateful to have Bri as a friend and supporter of LancasterHistory, and even more grateful that they’re sharing why preserving and telling these stories matters to them.

This November 20, join Bri in supporting LancasterHistory during the 2026 ExtraGive! Your generosity helps us preserve, share, and celebrate the many stories that make Lancaster, Lancaster.

Support your local history - support LancasterHistory during this year’s ExtraGive!

10/14/2026

Just how much history can one building hold? You might be surprised! 📚🔎

Our behind-the-scenes celebration of continues with Archives Assistant Marianne Heckles, who takes us into Archives North, home to a truly staggering collection of Lancaster County history!

Row after row, shelf after shelf, this remarkable space holds an extraordinary assortment of historical records, family Bibles, newspapers, manuscripts, and countless other materials documenting the people, places, and events that shaped our community.

Marianne also gives us a look at one of the fascinating projects she’s working on: digitally scanning a collection of historic glass plate negatives, an early photographic technology that captured moments in time more than a century ago.

It’s painstaking work, but an essential part of preserving these fragile windows into the past and making Lancaster’s history more accessible to future generations.

There’s so much more to LancasterHistory than what you see in our galleries. Behind the scenes, our dedicated archives team is hard at work caring for the stories of our community, one document, photograph, and discovery at a time!

10/14/2026

Ever wonder what treasures are tucked away in the archives at LancasterHistory? 📜🔎

In celebration of “Ask An Archivist Day,” we’re taking you behind the scenes for a glimpse into the incredible collections that help preserve and tell the stories of Lancaster County!

First up, Heather Tennies, our Director of Archives and Manuscript Collections, takes us into Archives South, where thousands upon thousands of historical documents, manuscripts, and records are carefully preserved.

Heather also shares a fascinating project currently underway, supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, to digitize materials from our women’s history collections.

Among the treasures? The personal papers and correspondence of Blanche Nevin, a celebrated Lancaster artist, poet, and sculptor whose work includes the iconic lion fountain at Lancaster’s Reservoir Park! 🦁

From handwritten letters to centuries-old records, every document has a story to tell. And thanks to the work of our archives team, those stories will be preserved for generations to come.

Ever wonder who kept the White House running behind the scenes?🏛️ Since 1800, thousands of workers have helped the White...
10/14/2026

Ever wonder who kept the White House running behind the scenes?🏛️

Since 1800, thousands of workers have helped the White House serve as a seat of government, family home, and historic landmark. Join LancasterHistory and historian Sarah Fling of the White House Historical Association as she uncovers the stories of the often-overlooked men and women who worked behind the scenes, including those who served President James Buchanan.

📅 October 29, 2026
🕔 Reception at 5 PM | Lecture begins at 5:30 PM
📍 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center
💻 Online attendance available via Zoom

This program is FREE and open to the public, but advance registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendance. To register, please click the link in our bio.

LancasterHistory is excited to celebrate National Black Poets Day with Evita Colón, Lancaster City’s inaugural Poet Laur...
10/09/2026

LancasterHistory is excited to celebrate National Black Poets Day with Evita Colón, Lancaster City’s inaugural Poet Laureate and founder of Speak to My Soul!🎤

Join us on Saturday, October 17, for a powerful exploration of Evita's "where time folds," the original poem written for the grand opening of the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center. Through poetry, conversation, and community, we'll uncover how Black voices preserve history, challenge narratives, and imagine new futures.

Moderated and co-facilitated by Dr. Danielle Brown and Dr. Amber Sessoms, this inspiring event invites you to reflect on Lancaster’s past, present, and future.

🕰️ Saturday, October 17 | 1pm-3pm
📍 The Stevens & Smith Center, 13-15 East Vine Street
🎟️ Free & Open to the Public

10/08/2026

What an extraordinary evening of history, reflection, and conversation in Lancaster!

Yesterday, LancasterHistory had the honor of welcoming Clint Smith, acclaimed author, poet, and staff writer for The Atlantic, for “Revolution to Reconstruction: Pennsylvania and the Fight for Liberty & Equality,” a special America250PA lecture.

Before taking the stage, he visited the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy, exploring the stories of courage, resistance, and perseverance that are at the heart of the museum.

Later, a packed house at the Ware Center gathered to hear Smith discuss his fascinating experiences while researching for his #1 bestselling New York Times book, “How the Word is Passed,” and explore the long, complicated struggle to realize our nation’s founding ideals of liberty and equality. The evening continued with a thought-provoking conversation and audience Q&A moderated by LancasterHistory President & CEO Robin Sarratt, followed by a book signing featuring copies of Smith’s works, thanks to our friends at Pocket Books bookstore.

We are deeply grateful to Clint Smith for sharing his insights, to our partners who helped make this special America250PA program possible, and to everyone who joined us for an evening that reminded us why engaging with history - and with one another - matters.

Thank you, Lancaster, for showing up for history! ❤️

📣 TOMORROW: LancasterHistory welcomes Clint Smith - acclaimed author, poet, and staff writer for The Atlantic - to Lanca...
10/06/2026

📣 TOMORROW: LancasterHistory welcomes Clint Smith - acclaimed author, poet, and staff writer for The Atlantic - to Lancaster for “Revolution to Reconstruction: Pennsylvania and the Fight for Liberty & Equality,” a special America250PA lecture at the Ware Center.

Smith, author of the bestselling How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, will explore Pennsylvania’s central role in shaping our nation’s evolving ideals of liberty and equality - from the Revolution through Reconstruction - and challenge us to consider a fundamental truth: there is no single American story.

📅 Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 7
📍 The Ware Center, 42 N. Prince Street, Lancaster
🚪 Doors open at 5 PM | Lecture at 5:30 PM
🎟️ Free | Advance registration required

The evening will also include an audience Q&A with Smith, and signed copies of How the Word Is Passed will be available for purchase on-site thanks to our friends at Pocket Books Shop on Prince. Cash and card are accepted.

Capacity is limited, so if you’ve been planning to join us, now is the time to reserve your seat!

Register at the link in our bio or by calling 717-392-4633.

In 1856, James Buchanan ran his presidential campaign from his Lancaster home, using Wheatland as his campaign headquart...
09/29/2026

In 1856, James Buchanan ran his presidential campaign from his Lancaster home, using Wheatland as his campaign headquarters in an era before television, radio, social media, or even the modern campaign trail.

On Saturday, October 10, step inside that history with “Wheatland to Washington: The 1856 Presidential Campaign of James Buchanan” - a special guided tour exploring how Buchanan used Wheatland to promote his candidacy for the presidency.

The experience begins with a curator’s talk where visitors can explore a display of campaign artifacts in Groff Gallery before continuing to Wheatland itself.

📅 Saturday, October 10
🕥 Tours at 10:30am & 11:30am
📍 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center
🎟️ $20 adults | Free for LancasterHistory members

Advance reservations are highly recommended, as tours may sell out. Members receive complimentary admission but should reserve their preferred tour time in advance. Register now on our website!

Please note this is a special topic-focused tour and differs from our regular General Admission tours of Wheatland.

Address

230 N President Avenue
Lancaster, PA
17603

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+17173924633

Website

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