State Museum of Pennsylvania

The State Museum of Pennsylvania
	The State Museum of Pennsylvania at 300 North Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Former name	William Penn Memorial Museum
Established	March 28, 1905
Location	300 North St, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, US
Coordinates	40°15′56″N 76°53′09″W / 40.265672°N 76.885812°W
Type	History museum
Collections	Pennsylvania cultural and natural history
Collection size	3 million
Public transit access	N 3rd St & North St, CAT
Nearest parking	Metered parking
Website	statemuseumpa.org
Association of Science-Technology Centers
	astc.org;

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

History

On March 28, 1905, Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker signed legislation establishing the museum for "the preservation of objects illustrating the flora and fauna of the state, and its mineralogy, geology, archeology, arts and history."^[2] 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, Pennypacker signed Act 481, giving the museum $20,000 in startup funding for its 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 on its ground, first, second, and third floors. The museum staff's offices and Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission are on the fourth and fifth floors.^[1]

In 2014, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[3]

Exhibits

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.^[4]

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 an extensive collection of artifacts and exhibitions 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 its exhibits into three categories; permanent, changing, and online.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Silverman, Sharon (2005). The State Museum of Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Trail of History Guide. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-3214-2.
^ Smith, Eric (2005). "The State Museum of Pennsylvania: A Centennial History, 1905–2005" (PDF). Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
^ "NRHP list of weekly actions, 7/28/14 through 8/1/14". National Park Service. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
^ ^a ^b "Exhibits". The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 20 July 2023.

External links

Official website

[book-1] Silverman, Sharon (2005). The State Museum of Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Trail of History Guide. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-3214-2.

[centennial-2] Smith, Eric (2005). "The State Museum of Pennsylvania: A Centennial History, 1905–2005" (PDF). Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2023.

[nps-3] "NRHP list of weekly actions, 7/28/14 through 8/1/14". National Park Service. Retrieved 26 August 2014.

[exhibits-4] "Exhibits". The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 20 July 2023.

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v t e Museums in Pennsylvania
Art	Allentown Art Museum Andy Warhol Museum Athenaeum of Philadelphia Barnes Foundation Brandywine River Museum Carnegie Museum of Art The Clemente Museum Demuth Museum Deshong Art Museum Erie Art Museum The Frick Pittsburgh Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia La Salle University Art Museum Mattress Factory Michener Art Museum Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon Palmer Museum of Art Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Philadelphia Museum of Art Pittsburgh Glass Center Randyland Reading Public Museum Rodin Museum Susquehanna Art Museum Wayne Art Center Westmoreland Museum of American Art Woodmere Art Museum
History, culture, and religion	African American Museum in Philadelphia American Jewish Museum American Swedish Historical Museum Bicycle Heaven Civil War Museum of Philadelphia Erie Maritime Museum Gettysburg Museum Heinz History Center Independence National Historical Park Independence Hall Independence Seaport Museum Johnstown Flood Museum Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania Meadowcroft Rockshelter Mercer Museum Museum of the American Revolution Museum of Indian Culture National Civil War Museum National Constitution Center Nationality Rooms Philadelphia History Museum Rosenbach Museum and Library State Museum of Pennsylvania U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
Science, technology, and industry	Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University America on Wheels Carnegie Museum of Natural History Carnegie Science Center Center for PostNatural History Choo Choo Barn Da Vinci Science Center Delaware County Institute of Science Drake Well Museum Everhart Museum Franklin Institute Miniature Railroad & Village Mütter Museum National Toy Train Museum North Museum of Nature and Science Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Railroaders Memorial Museum Reading Railroad Heritage Museum Roadside America Science History Institute Steamtown National Historic Site Wagner Free Institute of Science
Children's	Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Please Touch Museum

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF
National	United States
Other	IdRef