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Thaddeus Stevens’ 234th Birthday Party

April 1, 2026
Southern Market, 100 S. Queen St., Lancaster
5-7pm
FREE | Registration Not Required

An image of Thaddeus Stevens wearing a birthday hat with confetti flying in the background. You only turn 234 once, right? Join LancasterHistory to celebrate Thaddeus Stevens’ 234th birthday with a celebration at Southern Market! On Wednesday, April 1, from 5-7pm, gather at Southern Market for good cheer, birthday cupcakes, and a round of trivia. Southern Market’s Bar 1888 will also be whipping up a special cocktail for the month of April (and available on April 1) called “The Teetotaler,” inspired by Stevens’ drinking preferences.

“Thaddeus Stevens’ 234th Birthday Celebration” will take place on Wednesday, April 1 from 5-7pm at Southern Market, 100 S. Queen Street in Lancaster. The event is free and open to the public, and does not require registration. Southern Market will also be open for regular food and drink purchases.

Thank You to Willow Valley Communities and Mosaic For Their Support of LancasterHistory and the Stevens & Smith Center!

Featured Event Family-Friendly In-Person Event Off-Site Event

The 2026 Annual Dinner of the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum

Celebrate and gather with friends for the Annual Dinner of the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum! Join us on Wednesday, April 8 from 6-9pm at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Lancaster for an evening of fellowship and fun, benefitting the care and conservation of the Louise Arnold Tanger Arboretum at LancasterHistory.

The Annual Dinner begins at 6pm with cocktails, followed by a plated dinner at 6:30pm and a program and raffle drawings around 7:30pm. We’re excited to welcome Andrew Conboy (@andrew_the_arborist), a passionate urban forester and native plant enthusiast from Philadelphia, PA, whose creative, educational videos have earned him a devoted following on social media.

RSVP INFORMATION & DINING OPTIONS

Tickets to attend the Annual Dinner for the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum are $70 per person. Ticket purchase includes access to the event, a plated dinner (salad, sides, main entree, and dessert), and the main presentation by Andrew Conboy. Raffle tickets may be purchased during the cocktail reception at 6pm with cash. Proceeds from the dinner and raffle benefit the care and conservation of the Tanger Arboretum.

Dinner includes: Salad with sun-dried cranberries, garden vegetables, & balsamic vinaigrette, sides of wild rice and seasonal roasted vegetables, a main entree (choose one: Caprese chicken with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil; New England style baked haddock with blistered tomatoes and sauteed spinach, or grilled vegetables and pecorino cheese ravioli), and cheesecake with fresh berries for dessert. There will be a cash bar.

The RSVP deadline has passed. Thank you for your interest!

If you are unable to attend the Annual Dinner and would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum, please click here.

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION:

A young man with light skin and a reddish beard wearing a baseball cap and a olive colored sweatshirt. — *Andrew Conboy*

“Exploring the Remarkable Trees of Tanger Arboretum”

The Tanger Arboretum is a living library of remarkable trees, each with a story to tell and a history of times gone by. For the 2026 Annual Dinner of the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum, we are thrilled to welcome Andrew Conboy, urban forester, arborist, and social media content creator, who will speak on and explore the fascinating variety of trees, from the lesser-known to Champion Trees, that call the Tanger Arboretum home. From maples to magnolias, silverbells to sweetgums, discover which trees support the most wildlife, how trees from across the globe found their way to Lancaster, and the challenges faced by our native species.

Andrew Conboy is an urban forester and ISA-certified arborist in the Philadelphia area who believes everyone needs more trees, native plants, and nature in their lives! His user-friendly content on social media platforms (@andrew_the_arborist) aims to educate and inspire people to reconnect with the living world. He founded an ecological restoration non-profit called Community Canopy Project, which empowers his community to participate in land stewardship. Through his work, he hopes to encourage a deeper integration of nature into the spaces where we all live, work, and play. Get to know Andrew by checking out two of his videos on restoration work and risk assessment.

Thank You to Our Annual Dinner Sponsor, Bartlett Tree Experts!

Fundraiser In-Person Event Off-Site Event Program Reception

April 8, 2026 DoubleTree Resort, 2400 Willow Street Pike, Lancaster, PA 6-9pm $70/person

Leaf & Learn: A Celebration of Arbor Day

Join the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum on Saturday, April 18 from 10am – 2pm for a special April Nature Series extravaganza, “Leaf & Learn: A Celebration of Arbor Day!” This new, four-hour event features programs for all ages, ranging from an Arbor Day Storytime and craft for kids, a tree dedication commemorating America250, and tree walks of the Tanger Arboretum! All programs are free and open to the public, but advance registration is greatly appreciated to help us plan. Check out our complete schedule below and register for events.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

10AM – TREE WALK: Join Lancaster County Senior Naturalist Lisa Sanchez on a tree walk about the Tanger Arboretum! Discover the different varieties and gain a deeper appreciation for our leafy friends. All ages welcome. Limited to 30 people.
Register for the 10am Tree Walk

10AM – ARBOR DAY STORYTIME & CRAFT: Bring the little ones and enjoy a storytime featuring “Tell Me, Tree” by Gail Gibbons. We’ll then create leaf and tree bark finders to help you discover nature in your backyard, plus take a peek at some tree specimens up close and personal. Suggested for ages 3-7. Registering in advance helps us gather enough support and supplies.
Register for Nature Storytime

11:15AM – AMERICA250 TREE DEDICATION: Let’s all gather to celebrate America’s 250th birthday by planting a tree in the nation’s honor! We’ll get together for brief remarks before each attendee gets to shovel a small scoop of dirt to help plant our new Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis). No registration necessary. Dedication is rain or shine.

12PM – “TANGER’S AMERICA250 TREE & THE PATRIOT OAK”: Join us in Ryder Hall for a short lecture by Len Eiserer on the Tanger Arboretum’s newest addition, the Bitternut Hickory, and learn more about Lancaster’s “Patriot Oak,” the oak that has been alive since the signing of the U.S. Constitution.
Register for Lecture

12PM – NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT FOR KIDS: Want to go on an adventure? Are you good at riddles? You’ll need to exercise your brain to decipher nature-themed hints and clues around the Tanger Arboretum! Suggested for ages 6-12. Registering in advance helps us gather enough support and supplies.
Register for the Nature Scavenger Hunt

1PM – TREE WALK: Didn’t get to attend our 10am tree walk? Join Lisa for an encore walk about the Tanger Arboretum to discover the different varieties of tree species that call it home. All ages welcome. Limited to 30 people.
Register for the 1pm Tree Walk

PLUS THERE’S EVEN MORE TO DO!

We’re excited to welcome the Nodding Onion Band from 10am – 12pm, who will jam out to ambient, post-rock music led by electrical frequencies from plants!

Light refreshments and vendors will also be available from 10am-2pm. Vendors include:

Hickorytown Gardens, featuring a pop-up plant fundraiser with native plants, every dollar of each plant sold goes to the Tanger Arboretum! (cash and card accepted)
The American Chestnut
Earthbound Artisan
Lancaster County Parks & Recreation Environmental Education Center
Lancaster/York County Penn State Master Gardeners

The event is rain or shine. In pleasant weather, most programs will be between the Museum and Carriage House at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Avenue, Lancaster. In the event of rain, all programs will be pulled inside either the Carriage House or Museum.

HOW TO REGISTER
The event, “Leaf & Learn: A Celebration of Arbor Day” will take place on Saturday, April 18 from 10am-2pm at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center. The event is free and open to the public. We appreciate registrations in advance so we can be prepared to accommodate visitors as best as possible. All the links to individual activities are above.

If you have questions about “Leaf & Learn,” please contact Emily Miller, Director of Operations, at emily.miller@lancasterhistory.org. Thank you!

This event is hosted by the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum. The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum, a subsidiary organization of LancasterHistory, helps foster public interest in, and support for, the maintenance and development of the Tanger Arboretum as a community asset. To learn more about the Arboretum or to become a member, please visit the Arboretum’s webpage.

“Leaf & Learn:” A Celebration of Arbor Day is sponsored by Pine Brook Farm, Inc. and Ever Green Tree & Lawn Care.
Their support enables us to offer this new program to the community for free! Thank you for your generosity!

Children's Program Dedication/Memorial Family-Friendly In-Person Event Nature Series Outdoor Program Tour

April 18, 2026 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 10am-2pm FREE | Registration Requested

There Is No Candidate Named James Buchanan

An illustration of a crowd gathered around James Buchanan on the front porch of Wheatland. Men are tipping their hats and shaking Buchanan's hand. — *An illustration of Buchanan accepting the presidential nomination. From Frank Leslie’s Illustrated News, March 14, 1857*

In 1856, James Buchanan became the Democratic Party’s candidate for president, running his campaign from his Lancaster home. In response to the nomination, Buchanan’s colleague and fellow Lancastrian, Thaddeus Stevens, said, “There is no candidate named James Buchanan… Nothing remains but a platform and a bloated mass of political putridity.”

On April 25, join us at President James Buchanan’s Wheatland for a Special Subject Tour on these two famous Lancastrians. During your guided tour, you’ll learn how James Buchanan used Wheatland as his campaign headquarters to promote his candidacy in an age before modern media. The campaign not only secured Buchanan’s election, but secured local support of Buchanan as Lancaster’s president.

There Is No Candidate Named James Buchanan, a special guided tour of Wheatland, will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026. This special tour will be available at 1:30pm and 2:30pm. Please Note: These tours are not our regular General Admission tours and may be more focused on a particular topic than a general history of Buchanan and the home.

Tickets are available for purchase online or over the phone by calling 717.392.4633. Advance reservations are highly recommended as tours may sell out and walk-in tickets may not be available. Members receive complimentary admission, but should reserve their tickets in advance to secure the tour time of their choice.

In-Person Event Tour

April 25, 2026 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster Tours at 1:30pm & 2:30pm FREE for LancasterHistory Members | $17 Adult (18+) | $15 Seniors (65+) | $10 Students (11-17 or College ID) | FREE for Children Under 10

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2026 Annual Presidential Wreath-Laying Ceremony

Join LancasterHistory at Woodward Hill Cemetery for the Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony for President James Buchanan, the United States’ 15th President. Taking place two days after Buchanan’s birthday, the ceremony features the laying of fresh flowers at the gravesite of the former president and remarks by the presiding officer of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as well as local dignitaries.

Command Sergeant Major Albert Singleton, Army National Guard
The Red Rose Veterans Honor Guard with Mr. Skip Walls as bugler
Masonic Lodge 43 with John Phillips, Senior Warden of Lodge 43, as a speaker
Lancaster Fencibles with a 21-gun salute
Scout Troop 58
Rev. Joel Petruschke, senior pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, offering an Invocation and a Benediction.

This event is free and open to the public. No reservations are required. For directions to the Cemetery, please click here.

Dedication/Memorial In-Person Event Off-Site Event Outdoor

April 25, 2026 Woodward Hill Cemetery, 508 S. Queen St., Lancaster, PA 10am FREE | Registration NOT Required

Grand Opening Weekend of the Stevens & Smith Center

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the Grand Opening of the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy!

Join LancasterHistory for a weekend celebration, including a ribbon cutting, Grand Opening Gala, and a family-friendly community block party!

Check out each event and register today!

Dedication/Memorial Family-Friendly In-Person Event Opening Reception

May 1, 2026 The Stevens & Smith Center, 13-15 E. Vine Str., Lancaster

Harriet Lane: America’s Fair First Lady of the Land

Harriet Lane was the first hostess of the White House to be publicly referred to as the “First Lady.” Although she was not the wife of the president, she flourished in the role and helped to define it for future First Ladies. On Harriet Lane’s 196th birthday, visitors to Wheatland will explore Harriet Lane’s life–from her childhood with Uncle Buchanan and her role in the White House, to the personal losses she endured and the legacy she left behind.

Harriet Lane: America’s Fair First Lady of the Land, a special guided tour of Wheatland, will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026. This special tour will be available on the hour from 10am until 3pm. Please Note: These tours are not our regular General Admission tours and may be more focused on a particular topic than a general history of Buchanan and the home.

In-Person Event Tour

May 9, 2026 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster Tours from 10am-3pm FREE for LancasterHistory Members | $17 Adult (18+) | $15 Seniors (65+) | $10 Students (11-17 or College ID) | FREE for Children Under 10

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County Founding Day

297 years and Lancaster County is still standing! Come toast the founding of Lancaster County with fun, facts, and a few surprises along the way. At our annual County Founding Day celebration, we’ll feature flash talks from local historians, pop-up exhibits, and the return of Lancaster County Cake Wars!

More information to come!

Family-Friendly Holiday In-Person Event

May 14, 2026 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 5:30pm To Be Determined

Make Sense of Your DNA Matches: A Genealogy Workshop

Carte de visites displayed in the Lorentz family photo album c. 1864 - 1877 — *Carte de vistes displayed in the Lorentz family photo album c. 1864 – 1877*

If you’ve taken a DNA test and want to use it to grow your family tree, this workshop will help you do it! Donna Backus, a genealogist with decades of experience, will teach participants how to identify unknown matches and matches already in their family tree, add matches to their tree, and sort and group DNA matches.

“Make Sense of Your DNA Matches: A Genealogy Workshop” will be held on Saturday, May 23 from 10am-12pm at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center. Tickets are $20 for LancasterHistory Members and $25 for non-members. To register, click the button below to order online or call 717.392.4633 to register over the phone. Participants in this workshop should have already taken a DNA test, preferably through Ancestry.com.

Class In-Person Event Workshop

May 23, 2026 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 10am-12pm $20 LancasterHistory Members | $25 Non-Members

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Thrill Ride: Hersheypark & Its Transformation in the 1970s

Image of an older man with light skin. He had a bad head, wears glasses, and is wearing a gray suit with a red striped tie. — *Dr. John Haddad*

Today, Hersheypark is famous for coasters and candy-themed fun, but it wasn’t always. When it was founded in 1906, it was central to Milton Hershey’s larger vision of paternalistic capitalism. It was only in the 1970s that it transformed from an old-fashioned amusement park into a modern entertainment complex that followed the model of Disneyland. When and how did the park discover its magic formula of thrill rides and chocolate theming? The answer is sure to surprise you, so join LancasterHistory and Dr. John Haddad of Penn State University to find out!

Dr. John R. Haddad is Professor of American Studies and Popular Culture at Penn State University in Harrisburg. He is the author of Thrill Ride: The Transformation of Hershey Park (2025) as well as three books that explore America’s historical relationship with China. He lives in Lancaster with his family.

Information & Registration

The lecture, “Thrill Ride: Hersheypark & Its Transformation in the 1970s,” will take place on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster. A reception will precede the lecture at 5pm, followed by the main event at 5:30pm. The lecture will be available via livestream, but will not be available publicly after the event concludes.

This event is free and open to the public, but requires registration to guarantee a seat. Select your registration option below, or call 717.392.4633 to register over the phone. An email is required to receive the link to the livestream on Zoom.

ATTEND IN PERSON

ATTEND ONLINE

Online/Virtual Event In-Person Event Lecture Reception

May 28, 2026 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 5pm Reception | 5:30pm Lecture FREE | Registration Required

Thaddeus Stevens’ 234th Birthday Party

The 2026 Annual Dinner of the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum

Leaf & Learn: A Celebration of Arbor Day

There Is No Candidate Named James Buchanan

2026 Annual Presidential Wreath-Laying Ceremony

Grand Opening Weekend of the Stevens & Smith Center

Harriet Lane: America’s Fair First Lady of the Land

County Founding Day

Make Sense of Your DNA Matches: A Genealogy Workshop

Thrill Ride: Hersheypark & Its Transformation in the 1970s

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