Events: Special Event

Research Center Book Sale

Support LancasterHistory’s Research Center at this once-in-a-generation book sale! A comprehensive review of the library resulted in the removal of many books from the collection. These books include duplicates, outdated editions, or those that are unrelated to the history of Lancaster County. This is your chance to browse and buy them! Books from the personal collections of LancasterHistory’s staff will also be on sale, so expect to find offerings from all genres, for all ages.

The Research Center Book Sale will take place on Saturday, September 13 from 10am – 4pm at LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster. The sale will take place indoors in the Research Center and there is no entry fee to browse the sale. Cash or card is accepted for purchases; card is preferred. Final sale of all items. No returns or exchanges.

Sale Family-Friendly In-Person Event

September 13, 2025 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 10am - 4pm No Entry Fee

Capital Day Celebration

Capital Day Celebration

Celebrate the one day in 1777 that Lancaster was the capital of the United States! Join LancasterHistory around cozy firepits, and enjoy a signature Capital Day cocktail, light bites, and a healthy dose of quirky history!

This family-friendly event encourages all to dress in a “capital way,” whether donning a tricorn hat that’s been collecting dust in the closet, sporting red, white, and blue, or borrowing your neighbor’s powdered wig! Dress up encouraged in a fun and fancy way! Kids can enjoy an activity station and everyone can snack on s’mores around the campfires. Discover the (brief) history of Capital Day with Stephanie Townrow, and test your Lancaster knowledge with Lancaster Quiztory!

Events Schedule

  • 5:30pm: Light bites, featuring a special Capital Day cocktail and apple butterscotch dessert by County Founding Cake contest winner, Jessica Zielinski
  • 6pm: The History (Happy Hour) of Capital Day by LancasterHistory’s Stephanie Townrow and surprise special guests.
  • 6:45pm: Lancaster Quiztory, a Lancaster County-themed game of trivia. (Register for trivia at the event.)

Tickets are $35/Adults (18+) and $10 for Children (17 & Under). Advance tickets are strongly recommended as tickets may not be available at the door. Purchase tickets online or by calling 717.392.4633. Attendees must be 21 and older to consume alcoholic beverages. Non-alcoholic options will be available.

(Looking for something to do earlier in the day, check out our first ever Capital Day Pet Parade!)

We hope to see you on September 27 to celebrate Lancaster’s claim to the nation’s capital fame!

Thank You to Our Capital Day Celebration Sponsors!

Logos for America 250 PA Semiquin Grants and Walz Group.

Open House Family-Friendly In-Person Event

September 27, 2025 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, PA 5:30-7:30pm $35/Adults (18+) | $10/Children (17 & Under)

Capital Day Pet Parade

A graphic featuring a small corgi dog with a tricorn hat on, underneath it says Capital Day Pet Parade along with more event details.
Mochi, our fabulous furry model, can be found at @ibeemochi on Instagram!

On Saturday, September 27, at 10am, join LancasterHistory in honoring Lancaster’s day as the nation’s capital with a parade of pets! Owners and furry friends alike are encouraged to dress up in colonial, revolutionary, or patriotic attire, and get ready to strut their fluff!

Parade participants will gather outside the museum before the parade begins, learning brief, bark-sized facts on the history of Capital Day along the way as we journey through history.

While this event is free and open to the public, there is a suggested donation of $10 for parade participants, which can be made on-site or in the cart during checkout. A pet bandana is included with registration, along with free sniffs and water for all.

To register, please click here to register online or call (717) 392-4633 to register over the phone. Registration is required for both pets and people. Those without pets but wish to partake in the fun are also welcome to register to attend.

We want to make the Pet Parade fun for everyone, including our 4-legged (or more!) friends! All pets and children under 17 must be accompanied by an adult 18 years or older. All pets should also be appropriately leashed and contained at all times and under control of the owner. They also should be up to date on all required veterinary immunizations and be friendly with crowds, children, and other animals. Failure to meet any of these requirements may result in owners being asked to leave the event with their animals.

(Looking for something to do later in the day? Check out our Capital Day Celebration!)

 

Thank You to Our Capital Day Celebration Sponsors!

Logos for America 250 PA Semiquin Grants and Walz Group.

Family-Friendly In-Person Event Outdoor

September 27, 2025 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, PA 10-11am FREE | Registration Required

Dred Scott’s Daughter: Birthright Citizenship & The Meaning of ‘American’

Headshot of an older woman with light skin, short brown hair, and a blue collared shirt.
Amanda Frost

Throughout its history, the United States has grappled with the question of who qualifies as an “American.” Citizenship was contested throughout the antebellum era, culminating in the Supreme Court’s 1857 decision in the case of Dred Scott which denied citizenship to all Black people, whether enslaved or free. After the Civil War, Thaddeus Stevens, together with other members of the Radical Republicans, raced to guarantee citizenship to recently emancipated people and to others born in the United States by introducing a policy of birthright citizenship in the Fourteenth Amendment. Though the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed this policy in landmark decisions, it remains a contentious issue which some Americans wish to reconsider. On Thursday, October 23, Amanda Frost, an immigration attorney and law professor at the University of Virginia, joins LancasterHistory to examine the legal and historical significance of birthright citizenship for the nation, as well as its prospects for the future.

Amanda Frost is a professor of law at the University of Virginia, where she specializes in immigration and citizenship law, as well as U.S. Constitutional law. Her scholarship has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as dozens federal and state courts, and she has been invited to testify on the topics of her articles before both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. Her non-academic writing has been published in The Atlantic, The New Republic, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Slate, USA Today, and The American Prospect. Her book, You Are Not American: Citizenship Stripping from Dred Scott to the Dreamers (2021), was named as a “New & Noteworthy” book by The New York Times Book Review and was shortlisted for the Mark Lynton History Prize. She is currently at work on a second book on the history of birthright citizenship, which will be published by One Signal (Simon & Schuster) in 2026.

More information, including the confirmed location of the lecture, and tickets coming soon!

Presented in Partnership with Franklin & Marshall College

Franklin & Marshall College logo

In-Person Event Lecture

October 23, 2025 To Be Determined 5:30pm Lecture

The ExtraGive

Lancaster County’s largest day of online giving is back! The ExtraGive kicks off a season of gratitude, and your support is more important than ever for LancasterHistory.

More information coming soon, including any day-of events.

Fundraiser

November 21, 2025 All Day Event

Campus of History Cheer

Get in the holiday spirit with Campus of History Cheer, a festive event filled with fun for the whole family! From tours of Wheatland to live music, kids’ activities, and a cookie station, there’s something merry and bright for everyone.

More information and tickets coming in November!

Family-Friendly Holiday In-Person Event Tour

December 6, 2025 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, PA