Special Exhibitions

About 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 our current special exhibitions below.

How To Visit Special Exhibitions

Admission to special exhibitions is included with the purchase of a General Admission ticket or Gallery-Only ticket. Free admission for LancasterHistory members.

Below are the special exhibitions currently on display at LancasterHistory:

The Store With More: Lancaster’s Watt & Shand, 1878-1995

On Display through December 30, 2024

A black and white image of a storefront display with a female mannequin in a dress, looking at herself in a mirror in a study with a desk and hanging plants.
A historic image of a storefront display at Watt & Shand.

“The Store With More” explores the history of the Watt & Shand Department Store from its founding in 1878 until its closing in 1995 through photographs and artifacts from the collections of LancasterHistory and Nancy Groff. There are good reasons to be critical of the commercialization of holidays like Christmas and Chanukah. However, there is also joy to be found in gift-giving, and there are meaningful memories attached to the presents we receive and the experiences of shopping at landmark institutions like Watt & Shand.

Nancy Groff’s book Watt & Shand: East, West, Hame’s Best inspired this exhibit. We thank her for collecting and documenting such an important part of our community’s history. Artifacts in this special, temporary exhibit include Watt & Shand gift boxes, clothing, and ephemera from throughout the store’s history.

“The Store With More” is on display now through December 30, 2024. Admission to the exhibit is included with the purchase of a Yuletide at Wheatland General Admission ticket or Exhibitions-Only ticket. LancasterHistory Members receive complimentary admission.