Artsy Stuff at the Harrisburg Museum

This past summer I had buckled the kiddo into the car one afternoon and gone off hunting for a nap. I picked a direction, then drove and drove . . . through a couple of towns . . . through scenic pastures full of sheep . . . for about half an hour, until I decided to turn around before I got lost, and ended up in the parking lot of The Harrisburg Area Museum.

Besides a room full of newer and antique tractors and farm equipment, the museum features several additional outbuildings full of local history and artifacts, as well as a tiny church and a tiny schoolhouse decorated with historical finds.

We didn't have much time to spend there the first time we discovered the museum (we'd arrived a half hour before closing time), but we've been back a handful of times since then and spent a bunch of time exploring. The kid is totally into the museum for the farm equipment; nothing quite like massive tractor wheels and exposed engines for this guy. I'm kinda into the handcrafts, like these huge button samplers . . .








this quirky "Aristocrat Sign Maker" stamp kit . . .




and these nifty scale models of buildings designed and built in a local woodworker's garage as a hobby.






(Please excuse the foggy photos; it was cold out on our most recent trip, and the lens kept fogging up . . . )

We really recommend it. And if you happen to be there during a slow period, museum curator Leethra will treat you to a guided tour upon request. That woman possesses an incredible wealth of knowledge and passion for local history. And she's really sweet to little kids, too.

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