Virtual Quests

I hope that all of my readers are staying safe and healthy during this incredibly weird period of history.

As you may have seen, I recently curated a post in which I tried to keep track of which historical attractions in Pennsylvania were changing their operations due to the COVID-19 situation. This became obsolete after a few days because, well, pretty much everything closed. With most of the people I know (including myself) out of work for a little while, and with the schools closed and kids at home, I thought maybe it would help if I offered some diversion.

Diversion in keeping with the theme of the blog, of course. Turns out that a lot of places offer virtual programming and online activities to keep people interested even when they can't be there in person. So I'm putting together a list, and if you have any suggestions for additions, please comment here or on Facebook to give me the link so I can check it out. Please feel free to share this post with anyone who loves history, or who has kids home from school (or are homeschooling) and want something educational to entertain them. Everything on this list is free for everyone to enjoy.

Under the cut you'll find links to online offerings both in Pennsylvania and outside of it, so even if you don't live here I hope you'll take a look at what we have. In the meantime, please do keep yourselves well, and look for my regularly scheduled quest update next Wednesday.

Last updated: March 20th, 11:30 a.m.

Anywhere and Everywhere

These are more 'general' attractions, relevant to the historical nature of the blog but of a broader spectrum of interest than just Pennsylvania.

• My Modern Met has free coloring pages from more than 100 museums from around the world. Download and print free copies of these adult coloring books (though you can certainly share them with the kids) and break out the crayons and colored pencils to learn while you color.
• The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History offers a virtual tour on their website.
• In fact, you can take multiple virtual tours of the historical offerings in Washington, D.C.! Options include the East Wing of the White House, the Supreme Court, and the Capitol building.
• Pennsylvania news outlet WNEP has compiled a list of several museums around the world offering virtual tours as well, including the Guggenheim and the British Museum.
• As I mentioned in my post called "The Markerless Quest," our own William Penn was baptized in London's oldest enduring church, All Hallows by the Tower. The church also offers a virtual tour of its various floors, including many of its historical treasures.
• The Moravian Archives has digitized several of their collections. Read and research about the Moravian settlements and history around the world. 
• I don't know if I'd necessarily recommend this for the kids, but FindAGrave.com is always looking for volunteers to photograph and transcribe tombstones. This includes responding to requests from people who are researching their family trees and trying to find loved ones.
• The Historical Marker Database, a longtime friend of MarkerQuest, is also always in need of volunteers to photograph historical markers around the world. Upload your images, share links, and help them keep their website current and accurate. They also have links (at the bottom of the main page) to historical projects and activities maintained by other sites.

Here in Pennsylvania

Statewide

• The State Museum of Pennsylvania invites you to visit their virtual exhibits highlighting history and art in the commonwealth.
• Pennsylvania Trails of History is the official Facebook of the PHMC. They update frequently with historical tidbits and treasures, and currently their hashtag #MuseumFromHome will lead you to longer-than-usual stories about historic preservation in the commonwealth. They're doing it specifically for the same reason I'm making this post. 
• The Senator John Heinz History Center offers virtual tours of many of their past exhibits. (The center is in Pittsburgh, but the content of the exhibits varies widely.)
• MarkerQuest is always here for revisiting old friends! ;)

Berks County

• The Berks History Center is using the hashtag #museummoment on their social media pages as they share videos and insights from inside their museum. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or YouTube to connect with their engaging content.
• Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association has a collection of free-to-download-and-print coloring books, posters, and activity books for kids, found here. Additionally, their Facebook periodically updates with videos of their kestrel nesting boxes. (Their trails are not open at this time, because the lack of staff means that no one is available to maintain the composting toilets or respond to emergencies. Please do not attempt to visit.)

Bucks County

• Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle have a variety of online exhibits to tour. There are so many, they actually have two separate pages - one for the castle, and one for the museum. They have lots to teach us about the history of Bucks County as well as their own facilities.

Lancaster County

• LancasterHistory has an entire page dedicated to their online learning opportunities. This includes homeschooling materials, videos on their YouTube channel, and recorded lectures. (They shared this with me directly - thank you to whoever runs their Facebook!) They also provide internet access to many of their document collections here, which is great if you're doing research projects or just want to read something interesting.
• The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania offers 360-degree views of several of the items in their collection, including narration describing them and their history. (If you're prone to motion sickness, however, be careful about these.)
• Rock Ford Plantation has produced a small series of podcasts about General Hand and the history of the plantation. 

Lehigh County

• Discover Lehigh Valley has created a downloadable activity packet with crosswords, coloring pages, and word searches inspired by the Lehigh Valley. You can view the contents prior to downloading here.
• Lehigh Valley Passport to History will be providing a free daily coloring page to download and print. Each page is an illustration of a historical location in the Lehigh Valley. They will also be providing additional activities and historical facts throughout the social distancing.

Luzerne County

• Eckley Miners' Village Museum offers a comprehensive list of homeschooling materials and activities on their website, including craft projects and puzzles.

Montgomery County

• Valley Forge National Historic Park offers virtual tours of several of the important locations in the park, including Washington's headquarters, as well as many virtual exhibits and education lesson plans. (The park is on the border of Montgomery and Chester Counties and is identified as being in both.)

Northampton County

• The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor has closed all of their indoor facilities; however, the trails remain open to the public for walking, hiking, jogging, and bicycling. If the weather permits, people are encouraged to get out and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, which is vital when we're being forced to isolate ourselves! Please note that the shutdown situation does impact state parks which are connected to the trails; visitors are urged to read their COVID-19 statement before setting out.
• Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites offers virtual tours of some of their facilities, including the 1810 Goundie House and the 1741 Gemeinhaus. You can also enjoy their video tour of historic Bethlehem. Additionally, as with the D&L trails, the grounds at Burnside Plantation remain open to the public from dawn to dusk each day, so feel free to walk around the gardens.

Philadelphia County

• The Betsy Ross House offers a virtual tour of the home of "the First Lady of the Stars and Stripes."
• The Museum of the American Revolution is offering many online options for visitors, including a virtual tour, a virtual field trip, and an archive of book excerpts. Full details and links can be found in their COVID-19 statement.

Potter County

• The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum offers a collection of antique photographs from Pennsylvania's historic lumber industry, as well as a video produced by Penn State University.

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Except where indicated, all writing and photography on this blog is the intellectual property of Laura Klotz. This blog is written with permission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I am not employed by the PHMC. All rights reserved.