LancasterHistory is growing–and so is our membership program!
Our new membership levels, benefits, and rates are effective as of Monday, April 13, 2026. Read below to learn more!
Become A Member
Preserve the Past. Inspire the Future.
Your membership to LancasterHistory demonstrates your passion for and commitment to Lancaster County’s history and your support of LancasterHistory. As LancasterHistory grows with the latest addition of the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy, we realized our membership program needed to grow as well to accommodate all the many changes the last few years have brought!
History Lives Here — Be Part of It!
LancasterHistory Members have exceptional access to all of LancasterHistory’s sites:
- The LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center | Journey through three centuries off powerful stories from the 1700s to today. Art, artifacts, and rare archival treasures bring our rotating exhibitions to life, highlighting community voices and fresh perspectives. Trace your family’s story in our Research Center, or discover unique, locally made items in the Museum Store.
- President James Buchanan’s Wheatland | Tour a preserved 1828 mansion and explore the life and legacy of America’s only bachelor president, along with the stories of the many people who lived and worked within Wheatland’s walls. Stand in the very rooms where a president once stood and consider the decisions he faced while leading a nation on the brink of Civil War.
- The Louise Arnold Tanger Arboretum | Step outside the Museum & Research Center and recharge in the 11-acre Louise Arnold Tanger Arboretum, where breathtaking trees and global plant collections create a living landscape of discovery. The Tanger Arboretum includes over 150 species of trees from all over the world and features two Pennsylvania State Champion trees, native plant pollinator gardens, and an American Conifer Society Reference Garden.
- The Stevens & Smith Center for History and Democracy | The Stevens & Smith Center brings together historic buildings and powerful stories in a new, state-of-the-art museum. Be inspired by the courage and resilience of Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith and their networks of abolitionists. Through compelling exhibitions, the Center examines the struggle against slavery, the pursuit of freedom, and the continuing fight for equality in the United States.
Standard Membership Benefits
Members are the heart of LancasterHistory! All memberships contain the following benefits:
- Unlimited free general admission to all LancasterHistory museums and sites, including the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, President James Buchanan’s Wheatland, and the Stevens & Smith Center
- Unlimited access to the Research Center, LancasterHistory’s repository of thousands of books, manuscripts, records, and more chronicling the history of Lancaster County
- Discounts on specific events, classes, workshops, and various Research Center services
- Special invitations to LancasterHistory programs and events
- Print subscription to The Journal of Lancaster County’s Historical Society, LancasterHistory’s scholarly history publication
- Digital subscription to The Historian, our bi-weekly e-newsletter, and Bookmarks, our monthly Members’ exclusive e-newsletter
- 10% shopping discount at our Museum Stores
- Discount parking voucher for any Lancaster County Parking Authority (LCPA) garage when visiting the Stevens & Smith Center
- Digital membership card access, with your membership card, renewal notices, guest passes, and coupons all at your fingertips!
Take A Look at Our New Membership Brochure
Membership Levels
Each level enjoys standard membership benefits. Each subsequent level enjoys the benefits of all previous levels.
Membership for one (1) adult age 18 years or older.
Purchase Individual Membership
Membership for one (1) student with valid student ID (named on card.) Does not include paper subscription to The Journal.
Purchase Student Membership
Membership for one (1) adult with valid school ID (named on card). Plus invitations to educator-exclusive events and workshops with LancasterHistory staff and partners.
Purchase Educator Membership
Bring your family or friends! Membership for two (2) adults age 18 years or older and up to four (4) children 17 and under.
Family AND friends?
Our previous Family membership was geared for those who all live under the same roof. Now this new "Family & Friends" membership level fits families (or found families) of all shapes and sizes!
Purchase Family & Friends Membership
- Reciprocal admission benefits and free admission to more than 1,500 museums and cultural institutions across North America as part of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association! Learn more about NARM and view participating member museums at narmassociation.org.
- Complimentary admission to Yuletide at Wheatland.
Purchase Benefactor Membership
Four (4) complimentary General Admission tickets for any LancasterHistory site to share with family and friends!
Purchase Sustainer Membership
- Six (6) complimentary General Admission tickets for any LancasterHistory site to share with family and friends!
- One (1) complimentary curator tour per membership period for up to six (6) persons of any LancasterHistory site.
Purchase Historian Membership
- Twelve (12) complimentary General Admission tickets for any LancasterHistory site to share with family and friends!
- Invitations to special 1729 Society events and programs
- 20% discount one (1) rental of LancasterHistory facilities per membership period (excludes Stevens & Smith Center)
Purchase 1729 Society Membership
Did you know? Membership to the 1729 Society is included when donating over $1,000 a year to LancasterHistory!
Purchase A LancasterHistory Membership Online
You can also complete and mail a fillable membership form to us!
Membership FAQ
LancasterHistory memberships are valid for 12 months from the date of renewal or join. For example, if you join April 13, 2026, your membership is valid until April 13, 2027.
As of April 21, LancasterHistory is no longer automatically offering paper membership cards. We've moved to a digital card program to provide easier access to our members and to reduce costs to produce physical cards.
Did you know that you don't need to show your membership card at LancasterHistory facilities? We can look you up by name in our system! In most instances, the only time a member may need to have or present card is to take advantage of NARM (North American Reciprocal Museum admissions program) benefits at another museum or institution.
If you would still prefer to receive a paper card rather than a digital card (the new default), please complete the form online or call 717.392.4633, ext. 141.
You can renew your membership a multitude of ways!
- Visit us in person and a Visitor Services Associate can renew your membership for you! (Cash, credit card, and check accepted.)
- Call us at 717.392.4633 to renew over the phone. (Credit card only.)
- Mail us a check (made out to LancasterHistory) to 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603. Please include any updates to your record, such as addresses or contact information.
- Go online and purchase a membership. As long as your information has not changed, it will automatically apply your membership to your existing record.
If you've decided you want to upgrade to a higher membership level, that's no problem! You can upgrade either when your membership is up for renewal OR upgrade mid-term by paying the difference in membership fee. For example, if you are an Individual level ($60) and want to upgrade to Family & Friends ($100), you'd pay the mid-term difference of $40.
You can upgrade a multitude of ways:
- Visit us in person and a Visitor Services Associate can upgrade your membership for you! (Cash, credit card, and check accepted.)
- Call us at 717.392.4633 to upgrade over the phone. (Credit card only.)
- Mail us a check (made out to LancasterHistory) for the difference to 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603. Please include a note describing your request.
- If you are already up for renewal, go online and purchase a membership. As long as your information has not changed, it will automatically apply your membership to your existing record.
Unfortunately we don't have an online portal where you can update your information yourself. Please contact us at 717.392.4633 or email info@lancasterhistory.org to update information on your membership record.
When buying or renewing your membership online, you can choose to have your membership set up to auto-renew each year.
If you need to make changes to your auto-renewal, including updating credit card information, adjusting amount, or cancelling your auto-renewal, please contact Erin Sell, Director of Development, at 717.392.4633, ext. 141.
You can purchase a gift membership a multitude of ways!
- Visit us in person and a Visitor Services Associate can help you purchase a gift membership. (Cash, credit card, and check accepted.)
- Call us at 717.392.4633 to purchase a gift membership over the phone. (Credit card only.)
- Go online and purchase a membership. Under "Registration," there will be a box to check that says "This membership is a gift." Follow the remaining prompts.
We're hoping to introduce additional membership levels and benefits for our non-profit and corporate partners in the near future! Please check back at a later date or make your interest known to our staff to keep in mind as we're building these programs. Please contact Erin Sell, Director of Development, at 717.392.4633, ext. 141.
One of our new membership benefits is a discounted parking voucher for any Lancaster City Parking Authority Garage (LCPA) when visiting the Stevens & Smith Center.
If you are parked in a LCPA garage and are finished visiting the Stevens & Smith Center, please come to our front desk and request a parking voucher. We may have to look you up in our system to verify your membership. A staff member will then give you a discount voucher that can be scanned when leaving the garage to reduce the amount owed on your parking fee.
More information and tutorials are forthcoming about the digital membership card program!
If you are looking for information on the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum and their membership program, please click the button below.
TANGER ARBORETUM MEMBERSHIP
