State Museum of Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
at 300 North Street in downtown Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, run by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection, conservation and interpretation of Pennsylvania's historic heritage...
to preserve and interpret the region's history and culture. It is a part of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, located in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the administrative hub of the government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At the center of the complex is the State Capitol with its gilt and marble halls, vast rotunda, murals and sculpture, sparkling...
. While it is officially named the State Museum of Pennsylvania, members of the public, as well as official publications, sometimes refer to the facility as the William Penn Memorial Museum; the museum's central hall features a large statue of Penn.
Exhibits
The museum includes a multi-media planetariumPlanetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
, 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 a large collection of artifacts and displays related to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, as well as an extensive collection of industrial and technological innovations. Artwork, paintings, diorama
Diorama
The word diorama can either refer to a nineteenth century mobile theatre device, or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum...
s, and other audio-visuals (Blaine) aid in the interpretation. There are over three million objects in the museum's collections.
History
On March 28, 1905, Governor Samuel W. PennypackerSamuel W. Pennypacker
Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker was the 23rd Governor of Pennsylvania from 1903 to 1907.-Biography:Gov. Pennypacker was born in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, April 9, 1843; son of Dr. Isaac A. Pennypacker and Anna Maria Whitaker; grandson of Matthias and Sarah Anderson , and of Joseph and Grace Whitaker...
signed legislation creating The State Museum of Pennsylvania. 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 State Capitol Building. The building is round and the museum exhibits are located on the ground, first, second, and third floors, with offices of the museum staff and Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission on the fourth and fifth floors.