The Great Pumpkin Day
By: Jayne Ann Bugda
Updated: October 12, 2012
Harrisburg - The State Museum of Pennsylvania will celebrate the harvest season on Great Pumpkin Day, Saturday, Oct. 20.
Young children and their parents can Trick-or-Treat, explore the museum and enjoy vintage games, seasonal snacks, music, and dancing.
Great Pumpkin Day activities are free with museum general admission from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"Trick-or-Treating for kids really expanded in the 1960s, about the time the State Museum was built," said State Museum Director David Dunn. "So we're having fun with a retro theme, including activities like a pie eating contest and a large group game of Twister."
Visitors can also see a free show in the recently renovated planetarium. The planetarium now has the latest state-of-the-art Spitz SciDome projection technology. Great Pumpkin Day visitors can view the planetarium shows on a first-come, first-served basis, on the half-hour from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 25 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History. The State Museum offers expansive collections interpreting Pennsylvania's fascinating heritage.
With exhibits examining the dawn of geologic time, the Native American experience, the colonial and revolutionary era, a pivotal Civil War battleground, and the Commonwealth's vast industrial age, The State Museum demonstrates that Pennsylvania's story is America's story.
Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for children and senior citizens.
For more information about the museum, visit http://www.statemuseumpa.org.
