Events

From Blacksmith To Inventor: The William Chester Ruth Legacy

  • September 18, 2025
  • LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, PA
  • 5pm Reception | 5:30pm Lecture
  • FREE | Registration Required
Two headshot photos. The left photo is of an older woman with dark skin, short dark brown or black hair, wearing a black shirt and glasses. The image on the right is of an older man with light skin with short gray hair and wearing glasses and a plaid button up shirt.
Gwendolyn Dickinson (left) and Bruce Bomberger (right).

Blessed with inherent mechanical genius and a family environment conducive to success, African American metalsmith William Chester Ruth evolved his forge in Gap, Pennsylvania from farm machinery repair into a workshop of mechanical creation. Gwendolyn Dickenson, Ruth’s granddaughter, and Bruce Bomberger of the William Chester Ruth Legacy Project join LancasterHistory to tell Ruth’s story.

Gwen Ruth Dickinson, raised in Gap, Pennsylvania is the granddaughter of William Chester Ruth, and she carries his legacy as an inventor and entrepreneur close to her heart. Graduating from Hahnemann University’s College of Allied Sciences, she dedicated over 30 years to healthcare as a Primary Care Physician Assistant. In 2021, after her retirement, she founded the William Chester Ruth Project to honor her grandfather’s memory and his accomplishments as an inventor.

Bruce D. Bomberger has degrees in history from Lebanon Valley College, Penn State University, and Lehigh University as well as graduate credits in museum studies from the University of Delaware. He has worked for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for 35 years and is currently an archivist with Lebanon County Historical Society.

EVENT DETAILS & HOW TO REGISTER

This event will take place in person at LancasterHistory on Thursday, September 18, 2025. Doors open and a reception begins at 5pm. The lecture will begin at 5:30pm. The lecture will also be livestreamed to Zoom at 5:30pm for those who wish to join us virtually.

This program is free and open to the public. In-person attendance requires advance registration in order to guarantee a seat. Due to capacity restrictions, tickets may not be available at the door. Virtual attendance requires advance registration in order to receive the Zoom link. The Zoom link will be emailed to registrants before the event. Register online by clicking the appropriate link below or by calling (717) 392-4633. The online version of this program will also be recorded and uploaded to LancasterHistory’s YouTube channel after the event.

REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON

REGISTER TO ATTEND ONLINE

By purchasing a ticket to our facility and/or program, you are agreeing to our Admissions & Programs Terms and Conditions.

Membership Makes History Happen! Your membership enables us to bring dynamic speakers to LancasterHistory and gives you other exciting benefits! Learn more about becoming a member of LancasterHistory or renewing your membership today.

Featured Event In-Person Event Lecture Reception

History Happy Hour: A Capital Day Celebration

Celebrate and learn about the one day in 1777 that Lancaster was the capital of the United States! Join LancasterHistory for a special History Happy Hour focused on Capital Day. There will be cozy firepits, a signature Capital Day cocktail, 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.
  • Special performance of “Capital Day” song by Alexander Gawn, guitarist and vocalist for Big Fat Meanies, voted “Best Rock Band” in Central Pennsylvania!
  • 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)
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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 History Happy Hour: A Capital Day Celebration!)

 

Thank You to Our Capital Day Celebration Sponsors!

Logos for America 250 PA Semiquin Grants and Walz Group.And Our Pet Parade Partner!

Family-Friendly In-Person Event Outdoor

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

LancasterHistory Volunteers & Staff portray domestic workers who were employed at Wheatland in a reenactment in 2019.

Step back in time to Wheatland in 1867 and meet the retired president and his housekeeper, Miss Hetty Parker, as they hire new staff to manage daily life around the mansion. Rosanna and Thomas Gordon resigned in April, leaving Wheatland short-staffed. Miss Hetty is looking for help maintaining a home along with managing her personal responsibilities.

Domestic Help Wanted, a living history tour of Wheatland, will be held on Saturday, October 4. Tours will be available on the hour, beginning at 10am and continuing until the last tour at 3pm. Please Note: These tours are not our regular General Admission tours and will not be Buchanan-focused. Living History Tours are an immersive and interactive experience that can incorporate historical tools, activities, and dress to give observers or participants a sense of stepping back in time. 

Tickets are available for purchase online or over the phone by calling (717) 392-4633. When booking online, be sure to first select the date of October 4, followed by the time of your choice. Advance reservations are highly recommended as tours may sell out and walk-in tickets may not be available. Members receive complimentary admission, but must reserve their tickets in advance.

In-Person Event Living History Performance Tour

October 4, 2025 LancasterHistory, 230 North President Avenue, Lancaster, PA Tours 10am - 3pm FREE/Members | $17/Adults (18+) | $15/Seniors (65+) | $10 (11-College ID)
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Samurai At The White House: Harriet Lane & The 1860 Japanese Embassy

A photograph of a young woman with light skin and dark, wavy hair in a blue blazer standing in front of a Japanese style building.
Dr. Natalia Doan

In May 1860, Harriet Lane welcomed a delegation of samurai to the White House. These samurai were members of the first official Japanese delegation to the United States. During the embassy’s two month visit to America, crowds of people gathered across the East Coast in the hopes of meeting (or at least glimpsing) the mysterious travelers from across the seas. The Japanese embassy members recorded in their journals their different experiences of this historic encounter, and perhaps no American woman left as much of an impression on the samurai as Harriet Lane during her hosting and entertaining of the Japanese at the White House. In this October lecture, Dr. Natalia Doan of the University of Tennessee will explore the exciting history of Harriet Lane’s connection with the Japanese embassy and the impact of the samurai on antebellum America.

Dr. Natalia Doan is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville where she teaches the history of modern and early modern Japan. She completed her doctorate in Asian Studies at the University of Oxford and recently co-edited the academic volume Black Transnationalism and Japan (Leiden University Press, 2024) which discloses over a century of cultural and intellectual exchange between Japanese and African American people. Her work on Japanese history has appeared in, among other publications, Reopening the Opening of Japan: Transnational Approaches to Modern Japan and the Wider World (Brill, 2023) and the Historical Journal and the Journal of Social History, in which her work on the 1860 embassy was shortlisted for the Royal Historical Society Alexander Prize.

EVENT DETAILS & HOW TO REGISTER

This event will take place in person at LancasterHistory on Thursday, October 9, 2025. Doors open and a reception begins at 5pm. The lecture will begin at 5:30pm. The lecture will also be livestreamed to Zoom at 5:30pm for those who wish to join us virtually.

This program is free and open to the public. In-person attendance requires advance registration in order to guarantee a seat. Due to capacity restrictions, tickets may not be available at the door. Virtual attendance requires advance registration in order to receive the Zoom link. The Zoom link will be emailed to registrants before the event. Register online by clicking the appropriate link below or by calling (717) 392-4633. The online version of this program will also be recorded and uploaded to LancasterHistory’s YouTube channel after the event.

REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON

REGISTER TO ATTEND ONLINE

By purchasing a ticket to our facility and/or program, you are agreeing to our Admissions & Programs Terms and Conditions.

Membership Makes History Happen! Your membership enables us to bring dynamic speakers to LancasterHistory and gives you other exciting benefits! Learn more about becoming a member of LancasterHistory or renewing your membership today.

 

In-Person Event Lecture Reception

October 9, 2025 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, PA 5pm Reception | 5:30pm Lecture FREE | Registration Required

Past, Present, Pumpkins!

A table with a bright yellow table cloth, covered in crafting supplies and pumpkins in various stages of being decorated with eyes, stickers, and puff balls.
Pumpkins in the midst of decoration!

Learn about the autumnal icon, the pumpkin, at this fun, family-friendly event on Saturday, October 11 at 10am! Discover the historical origins of the pumpkin and why we decorate our front porches each year with a vegetable we probably won’t eat. Plus, embark on an exciting pumpkin hunt across the grounds before creating your very own decorated gourd masterpiece to take home!

Perfect for families and children 12 and under. Tickets are $5/Child and free for Adults. (Ticket price goes towards the purchase of supplies.) Advance registration is required to guarantee supplies for everyone. LancasterHistory requests the presence of one (1) adult per household. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling (717) 392-4633.

Children's Program Family-Friendly In-Person Event Outdoor

October 11, 2025 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, PA 10-11am $5/Child for Supplies
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Pitcher Plants: Carnivores of the Bog

A man with light skin leans on a railing outdoors. He wears a life-vest, a hat, and sunglasses.
Jeff Lapp

Join the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum for the ‘spooky’ Nature Series program, “Pitcher Plants: Carnivores of the Bog.” Pitcher plants are silent but deadly hunters, utilizing pitfall traps to secure their prey. Learn about pitcher plant habitats, the types of pitcher plants, and how you can grow your own ‘carnivorous crew’ in your garden!

Jeff Lapp is a Senior Science Policy Advisor at the National Association of Wetlands Managers (NAWM). Before joining NAWM he spent over 32 years with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), primarily in the wetlands program. An avid botanist and horticulturalist, Jeff designed and constructed the EPA’s Philadelphia Flower Show exhibit for 29 years, earning several awards including Best in Show, gold and silver medals, the Buckley Medal, American Horticultural Society award, and the Chicago Horticultural Society award. At his home in Lancaster, Jeff raises a multitude of plants, including Sarracenia, Rhododendrons, Hosta, and a host of other rare and unusual species in his greenhouse and shade houses. Jeff currently serves on the Boards of the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum and LancasterHistory.

HOW TO REGISTER
The event, “Pitcher Plants: Carnivores of the Bog” will take place on Saturday, October 18 at 10am at LancasterHistory. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $10/Adults and $5/Children (17 & Under). Friends of the Tanger Arboretum members receive complimentary admission, but should still register for the program. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling (717) 392-4633. Advance tickets recommended as walk-in tickets are not guaranteed.

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE

Membership gets you more! Membership to the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum not only supports the care and conservation of this local natural resource, but also gets you great benefits such as complimentary admission to Nature Series programs! Learn more about membership and sign up today here.

The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum is a member of the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admission Program. AHS Reciprocal Admission Program members may register for tickets in advance and must show a valid membership card upon checking in. AHS Members should contact Emily Miller, emily.miller@lancasterhistory.org, with any questions or to register for tickets in advance.

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.

 

The 2025 Friends of the Tanger Arboretum Nature Series is sponsored by Ever Green Tree & Lawn Care! Thank you for your support!

Family-Friendly In-Person Event Nature Series Program

October 18, 2025 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave, Lancaster 10-11am $10/Adults | $5/Children (17 & Under) | FREE for Friends of the Tanger Arboretum Members
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Lancaster County Amish Quilts

Photograph of a colorful quilt with multicolor squares forming a diamond within a square.The Esprit Quilt Collection is an iconic collection of 82 Amish quilts made in Lancaster County between 1880 and 1950. In this special quilt turning and Collections Up Close program, art historian Gloria Mast will draw upon her own heritage to provide a unique understanding of the intersection between the Amish and English worlds as seen in these remarkable works of art.

In Collections Up Close programs, LancasterHistory staff and visiting experts highlight documents, photos, and artifacts from LancasterHistory’s vast collections. In a conversational setting, participants will hear the stories of these objects and what they reveal to us about the history of Lancaster County and its place in American history.

Gloria Mast is an art historian and educator with roots in Lancaster County. She has many years of experience as a public speaker, tour guide, and interpreter. She draws upon her own heritage as a point of reference to provide a unique understanding of the intersection between the Amish and English worlds. She holds a BFA and an MS in art history from Pratt Institute and is currently pursuing a PhD in Administration and Leadership at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

“Lancaster County Amish Quilts,” a Collections Up Close program, takes place on Saturday, October 18 with two presentations, one at 10am and one at 2pm, at LancasterHistory. Tickets are $20/LancasterHistory Members and $25/Non-Members. To register, please click the applicable program hour below or call (717) 392-4633.

Register for the 10am Program

Register for the 2pm Program

In-Person Event Program

October 18, 2025 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, PA Programs at 10am & 2pm $20/LH Members | $25/Non-Members

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

Fall Seasonal Gathering Tour

The Black Maple starting to change colors in October 2022.
The Black Maple starting to change colors in October 2022.

Join the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum for their Fall Seasonal Gathering Tour on Saturday, October 25 at 10am. Tanger Arboretum Board Members will lead attendees on a walking tour through the Arboretum to take in the changing of the seasons through vibrant fall colors, ornamental trees, and the pollinator gardens in the Tanger Arboretum.

HOW TO REGISTER
The event, “Fall Seasonal Gathering Tour,” will take place on Saturday, October 25 at 10am at LancasterHistory. Tickets are $10/Adult (18+) and $5/Child. Friends of the Tanger Arboretum members receive complimentary admission, but should still register for the program. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling (717) 392-4633. Advance tickets recommended as the program has limited capacity. The tour will last approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you would like to attend but have questions or concerns about the accessibility of the walking route, please contact Emily Miller at (717) 392-4633, ext. 133 or emily.miller@lancasterhistory.org for more information.

The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum is a member of the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admission Program. AHS Reciprocal Admission Program members may register for tickets in advance and must show a valid membership card upon checking in. AHS Members should contact Emily Miller, emily.miller@lancasterhistory.org, with any questions or to register for tickets in advance.

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.

In-Person Event Outdoor Tour

October 25, 2025 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 10am $10/Adults (18+) | $5/Children | FREE for Friends of the Tanger Arboretum Members
Get Tickets