September 6, 2008 - November 30, 2008
EXTREME PLANETS
For centuries, humanity was wondered whether we are alone in the Universe. Now, we are finally one step closer to knowing the answer. With the discovery in 1995 of the first planet orbiting another star, we now know that planets are not unique to our own Solar System. In face, these "extrasolar" planets now appear to be quite common. Explore what makes a planet "Earth-like" in the first place, and take an immersive tour of several worlds that just might fit the conditions we're looking for. From water worlds to molten landscapes, inhabitable moons to planets with multiple suns, these exotic worlds aren't just science fiction anymore!
Trailer (QuickTime)
Trailer (Windows Media)

September 6, 2008 - November 30, 2008
ULTIMATE UNIVERSE
From the edge of space and time, through vast fields of wondrous galaxies, to the majesty of our solar system, take a grand tour of the universe and experience its most provocative secrets. Take a journey from the edge of the universe through space and time to reach our home planet. Witness the major components of the cosmos along the way. See the transformation of galaxies in collision. Experience the devastation of a star's death. Feel the immense power of erupting volcanoes on Jupiters moon, Io.
Trailer (QuickTime)
Trailer (Windows Media)

September 6, 2008 - November 30, 2008
BIG
One of the most asked questions about the Universe is:
“How big is it?” – and it’s one of the hardest to answer. With a quirky opening describing our intrigue and wonderment, our triumphs as explorers and the limitations of our present day technology, BIG tackles the question by taking the audience on an imaginary journey across the Solar System, through the Eagle Nebula, out of our galaxy and well beyond into the blackness of space. 
Trailer (QuickTime)
Trailer (Windows Media)

Sunday, October 26, 2008
HALLOWEEN HARVEST:
TREATS, TALES & TRADITIONS
12:00 Noon - 4:00 PM
From the people who brought you Night of the Great Pumpkin, The State Museum of Pennsylvania proudly presents Halloween Harvest: Treats, Tales and Traditions.
New this year is Kit's Interactive Theater: the Sleepy Hollow Halloween Story. Scavenger Hunt in which participants seek clues throughout the Museum. Meet and talk to a Storyteller from Pennsylvania's past. See bats, owls, spiders and dragons in museum galleries. Special preschool activities will be available for children age 5 and under.

Favorite activities include a singing and dancing with the DJ, refreshments, pumpkin decorating, a jack-o-lanterns exhibit, live animals, Planetarium shows and storytelling. Children are encouraged to come in costume.

Click here to download a flyer .pdf

November 23, 2008 - May 17, 2009
A COMMON CANVAS:
PENNSYLVANIA'S NEW DEAL POST OFFICE MURALS
This exhibit features photographs, color studies, archival images and original artworks associated with some of the 88 murals and artworks, commissioned for Pennsylvania post offices through the United States Treasury Department between 1933 and 1942. Although the artworks are widely dispersed across Pennsylvania, they represent a treasure trove of public art and a unique portrait of Pennsylvania society and culture circa the Great Depression. Each artwork, whether a mural or sculpture, aimed to capture something intrinsically important about the Pennsylvania community in which they were to be installed. Given the Commonwealth’s legacy as a manufacturing state, industries such as coal and steel are recurring motifs, but the collection also reflects other traditions as well: agriculture, glass making, lumbering, historical events/individuals, Native Americans and a variety of town and streetscapes.

This exhibition, co-curated by the State Museum's Dr. Curt Miner and, State College native David Lembeck, represents the first public exhibition of Pennsylvania’s collection, and will offer visitors a rare opportunity to glimpse, in one venue, what is likely the Commonwealth’s largest public art collection.

Click here to download a flyer .pdf

December 6, 2008 - March 1, 2009
HEART OF THE SUN
View the Sun as it has never been seen before. “Heart of the Sun” reveals how the development of our whole cosmology has been informed by our struggle with this oldest of mysteries. Experience the story that shows how that process continues today as the sheer strangeness of our nearest star continues to challenge our imagination.