For more than 100 years, The State Museum of Pennsylvania has continued to be responsive to changing demographics and the needs of students and visitors. The museum continues to develop innovative learning programs and partnerships that have long-lasting impact on the educational system. Parents and children visit the museum for fun and educational family experiences. Teachers use the museum as part of their instruction, providing students with opportunities to use primary sources, learn thinking skills, and acquire the historical literacy and analytic skills they will need to be successful in life. The museum provides visitors with a comprehensive understanding about what it means to be a Pennsylvanian in relation to the natural history, the artistic heritage and the history of the state.
innovation
Work was begun to extract and conserve The State Museum’s mastodon skeleton. Completion of this project is planned for late 2010.
The State Museum goes "green." Lighting upgrades are applied to the Brockerhoff House and Archaeology Gallery using LED technology that reduced power consumption and eliminated UV radiation.
An energy conservation project with the Department of General Services entered the planning stages with the goal of replacing HVAC system components and to upgrade lighting to reduce power consumption and energy costs.
A special "Energy Tour" was developed for the Industry and Technology Gallery in conjunction with PHMC’s "Energy: Innovation and Impact" theme.
The museum hosted an Environmental Summit in cooperation with Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Professionals and Pennsylvania Heritage Society®.
The "Falcon Cam" exhibit provides live video camera coverage from atop the Rachel Carson Building (Harrisburg) of young Peregrine Falcons and their beautifully sculpted nest.
An extensive exhibits schedule included
A Common Canvas: Pennsylvania’s New Deal Post Office Murals,
The Fine Art of Giving, and the 42nd annual
Art of the State® exhibit. View the online
Art of the State Flickr photo gallery.
impact
The State Museum of Pennsylvania served a total of 129,543 visitors in person and another 178,895 virtual visitors through its Web site (www.statemuseumpa.org). From the total museum visitation, 58,264 school children across the commonwealth were served. Also part of the total, 5,000 visited the Idea Zone, 12,752 visited the Curiosity Connection, 27,145 explored the universe at the Planetarium, and 8,500 visitors interacted with "Stop and Learn" and Archaeology Month docents and staff.
Staff accessioned 250,000 artifacts into the museum’s permanent collection.
Voices: African American and Latina Women Share Their Stories of Success was premiered. This exhibit features the voices of 50 extraordinary women from Pennsylvania who persevered and succeeded in spite of the challenges they faced.
The museum displayed the Lincoln Flag Exhibit featuring the flag that hung behind Abraham Lincoln as he delivered the Gettysburg Address.
