Exhibitions
Exhibitions at LancasterHistory
From the extraordinary lives of 15th United States President James Buchanan and abolitionist Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, to the struggles and triumphs of generations of ordinary Americans, LancasterHistory’s exhibitions explore the people, places, and events that shaped more than 300 years of Lancaster County history. Whether onsite or online, our exhibitions draw from the more than 2 million artifacts and documents in LancasterHistory’s collections to tell the dynamic stories of our region.
How To Visit
The museum exhibitions are available to view Monday – Saturday from 9:30am – 4pm. Visitors can purchase a General Admission ticket (which includes a Wheatland or Yuletide at Wheatland tour) or a Museum Exhibitions Only ticket (if they just want to do the exhibitions, no Wheatland tour).
Major Exhibition: Thieves & Vagabonds
LancasterHistory’s major exhibition, Thieves & Vagabonds, chronicles key moments in the history of law and justice in Lancaster County from the 18th century to the 20th century. From prisons to prohibition, Thieves & Vagabonds explores the making, breaking, and remaking of laws over 300 years of Lancaster County’s history. Visit LancasterHistory’s newest exhibition for a deep dive into crime and punishment as well as reform and repair in the Lancaster community.
Special Exhibitions
Special exhibitions at LancasterHistory highlight specific, focused topics in the history of the county. These topics range from the physical characteristics of artifacts to wider contexts at the county, state and national level of social and political movements. LancasterHistory staff and guest curators create special exhibitions. Previous guest curators included Lancaster artists, teams from local churches, and area collectors. All of our gallery spaces feature changing special exhibitions, and they rotate on a varied basis.
Browse Current Special Exhibitions
Digital Exhibitions
LancasterHistory’s digital exhibitions capture curated samples of collections. They provide access to the resources at LancasterHistory from anywhere with internet access.