Connect with others and learn about our Commonwealth by joining The State Museum of Pennsylvania for our virtual Learn at Lunchtime programs. Virtual Learn at Lunchtime features a variety of captivating presentations and live conversations with educators, curators, colleagues, and friends about various Pennsylvania topics.
Sessions will be presented over Zoom and are free, but registration is required. Follow the link in the program title to sign up. Once registration is complete, attendees will receive an attendance link and password.
Want to watch past programs? Visit PHMC’s YouTube channel to watch all of recorded sessions.
In the late 1800s, a florist named William Swayne began successfully growing mushrooms in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Today, Southeastern Pennsylvania has the largest concentration of mushroom farms and more than 60% of all mushrooms produced in the United States are grown in Pennsylvania.
Join Maria Gorgo-Gourovitch, Penn State Extension Educator, to learn more about the history of mushroom farms in Pennsylvania, the economic impact, current production data, crop production cycle, sustainability and nutrition facts.
November 4 The Secret Life of the Wild Turkey
Native to North America, the eastern wild turkey is found throughout Pennsylvania’s forests. Sometimes wild turkeys even show up in our backyards. Join us as we talk to Mary Jo Casalena, Wild Turkey Biologist from the Pennsylvania Game Commission, to learn more about wild turkeys in Pennsylvania.
December 9 Eastern Hemlock Tree
On June 22, 1931, the Eastern hemlock tree was declared the official state tree of Pennsylvania. Join us as we talk to Forest Entomologist, Dr. Houping Liu, from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, to learn more about the Eastern hemlock tree.
Past Event Recordings – Click the link in the title.
2022
January 14 Adventures in Nature Lab: American eels in the Susquehanna River
January 28 Curator’s Choice An Unusual Discovery from the Delaware River: Chevaux-de-frise
February 11 Adventures in Nature Lab: Wildlife Photography and Filmmaking
February 25 Curator’s Choice Between Two Worlds: The Story of Mary Sharp Ward
March 11 Pennsylvania Charter Pennsylvania’s Birth Certificate: William Penn’s 1681 Charter
March 25 Adventures in Nature Lab: Freshwater Mussels
April 8 Peregrine Falcon Recovery in PA
April 22 Curator’s Choice: Levittown at 70
May 13 Backyard Gardening for Food
May 20 Curator’s Choice: Paper Wasps in a Changing Urban World
June 10 State Museum Perspectives: A Place for All: Three Stories of Integration in Pennsylvania
June 24 Curator’s Choice: Archaeological Discoveries as a result of Tropical Storm Agnes
July 8 Honey Bees The biology and behavior of honey bees
September 9 Pennsylvania Elk: 100 Years of Conservation
2021
February 5 Artists Conversations: Ron Tarver
February 12 Adventures in Nature Lab: How Do Reptiles and Amphibians Survive During Winter in Pennsylvania?
February 19Curator’s Choice A Spirited Republic: Whiskey Distilling in Pennsylvania
February 26 State Museum Perspectives: Exploring Virtual Group Programs
March 5 Artists Conversations: Violet Oakley’s William Penn Murals at the PA Capitol
March 12 Adventures in Nature Lab: Songbirds of Pennsylvania
March 19 Curator’s Choice Deadly Contact: Europeans, Native Americans, and Pandemics
March 26 State Museum Perspectives: Archaeology at Fort Hunter
April 2 Artists Conversations: Tina Williams Brewer
April 9 Adventures in Nature Lab: Vernal Ponds and the animals and plants that need them
April 16 Curator’s Choice Flyover Pennsylvania: T.M. Fowler’s Bird’s-Eye Views of Pennsylvania Cities and Towns, 1885-1905
April 23 State Museum Perspectives: PHMC’s Online Collections
April 30 Treasures from the Vault: Pennsylvania’s Last Mountain Lion
May 7 Artists Conversations: Conservation of Violet Oakley’s Drawings
May 14 Adventures in Nature Lab: Native PA Flowers for Your Garden
May 21 Curator’s Choice Highlights from Game Changers: PA Women who Made History
June 4 Artists Conversations: Marta Sanchez
June 11 Adventures in Nature Lab: Butterflies and Moths of Pennsylvania
June 18 Curator’s Choice: Pennsylvania’s Grand Review
June 25 State Museum Perspectives: Walks with Walter – Nature Outreach in the Community
July 2 Artists Conversations Fashioning a New Nation: Creating Identity through Clothing in Post-Revolutionary Portraits
July 9 Adventures in Nature Lab: Fishes of Susquehanna River
July 16Curator’s Choice: Artifact Legends from the State Museum
July 23 State Museum Perspectives: Volunteering at the State Museum
July 30 Treasures from the Vault: The Phenomenon of the Parachute Wedding Dress in World War II
August 6 Artists Conversations: Lauren Litwa
August 13 Adventures in Nature Lab: PA Turtles
August 20 Curator’s Choice Witness to History: Col. Paul Evanko’s 9/11 Field Notes
August 27 State Museum Perspectives Witness to History: WITF’s Tim Lambert, NPR’s Scott Detrow and 9/11
September 3 Artists Conversations Reflecting on COVID: Featuring Artists from Art of the State 2020
September 10 Adventures in Nature Lab: Black Bears in PA
September 17 Curator’s Choice: Extinct Birds of PA
September 24 State Museum Perspectives: Art of the State 2021
October 1 Artists Conversations Representing Asian American Identities: Featuring Hee Sook Kim and Sanh Tran from Art of the State
October 8 Adventures in Nature Lab: PA Deer Family
October 15 Curator’s Choice: Peopling the Americas
October 22 State Museum Perspectives: Community Archaeology
October 29 Treasures from the Vault: The Leroy Hopkins’ Ike Jacket
November 5 Artists Conversations Overcoming Physical Challenges While Creating: Featuring Passle Helminski, Heidi Hooper and Francine Renée Schneider from Art of the State
November 19 Adventures in Nature Lab PA Wild Dogs – wolves, coyote, and fox
December 3 Artists Conversations A Sense of Place: Featuring Painters Lauren Whearty and Kelly Kautz from Art of the State