The State Museum of Pennsylvania Announces March Highlights

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The State Museum of Pennsylvania today announced its program schedule for March:

National Geographic Giant Traveling Map of North America Exhibit:  In partnership with the Pennsylvania Alliance for Geographic Education, The State Museum is exhibiting National Geographic's Giant Map of North America for an exclusive Pennsylvania engagement through March 15.  On this 26' x 35' map—half the size of a basketball court—visitors have the opportunity to remove their shoes and traverse the continent from Alaska's Aleutian Islands to the Panama Canal and from Iceland to Baja in their stocking feet. To complement the giant map and bring regional context to its presentation, The State Museum is displaying large-scale reproductions of historic Pennsylvania maps from the Pennsylvania State Archives. The Giant North America Map is part of National Geographic's Giant Traveling Maps program, organized by National Geographic Live, the public programming division of the National Geographic Society.

Special National Geographic Giant Map Educational Programs:  Contact Diane Wynkoop, tour scheduler, at 717-772-6997 or [email protected] for more information about map programs and to schedule group tours (grades 3–7). Programs are offered Wednesdays through Fridays, through March 15. The cost is $6 per student and includes museum general admission and a special guided tour.

Charter Day - Sunday, March 11:  The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) celebrates Charter Day, a commemoration of the granting of the colony's charter to founder William Penn by England's King Charles II in 1681.  This free-admission day will feature the annual display of the original charter and numerous activities, including:

Student Recognition Ceremony, 1 p.m. – Meet the 2011 student winners of National History Day in Pennsylvania as well as students from Harrisburg's SciTech High serving as special docents for the National Geographic Giant Map. National History Day in Pennsylvania is a project of the U.S. Army Heritage Center Foundation, Carlisle.  The State Museum's SciTech Student Docent Program is sponsored by Penn National Insurance, Harrisburg.

Harrisburg's 3rd in the Burg – Friday, March 16, 5:30–7:30 p.m.: Join The State Museum for a free Women's History Month celebration and reception sponsored by Women Connect magazine.  Meet "Hidden Treasures" book author and artist Mikell Worley and contributors to Women Connect's March issue.  The event is held in association with Writers Wordshop of Harrisburg.

Lights, Camera, Take Action!  The City of Harrisburg's Parks and Recreation Department and 3Atrical Productions will host a seminar at The State Museum on Saturday, March 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., to provide insight into finding a career in the entertainment industry.  The event will include panel discussions with industry professionals and informative booths hosted by entertainment-related vendors.  The event, as well as museum general admission, will be free and open to the public.

Making it Better Exhibition, continuing through April 29:  "Making It Better:  Pennsylvania Folk Arts Today" tells the stories of more than 30 master artists whose works represent a wide array of community traditions. The exhibit is on loan from the Erie Art Museum.

DOSHI Gallery Exhibit:  The Doshi Gallery of the Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM) of Harrisburg presents "Art is an Entree, Not a Dessert," a juried group exhibition, on view at The State Museum through July 15, 2012.  SAM members and State Museum Affiliate Members receive free general admission.

Featured Planetarium Shows through April 1, 2012:

"Oasis in Space" (grade 4 and up).  Take an exciting flight through our Solar System in search of water and water worlds like Earth. Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Sundays at 1 p.m.

"BIG" (grade 6 and up).  Travel through space and time to take a look at the relationship between distance and time in the universe.  Narrated by Sir Richard Attenborough.  Saturdays at noon and 2 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.

The State Museum Store: The State Museum Store is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. Purchases support the ongoing educational mission of The State Museum.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 25 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and 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 era, 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 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for children and senior citizens.

For more information about the museum, visit www.statemuseumpa.org.

Media contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639

SOURCE Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission