Immerse Yourself in the History of Penn’s Woods at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum

Guided Tours

Bring your students to the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum for an immersive educational experience. Our knowledgeable staff will lead your students through the museum, offering a deep dive into the history of Pennsylvania’s forests. The tour includes:

• Challenges and Choices Exhibit: Students explore interactive elements, historic tools, and life-size photographs that tell the story of Pennsylvania’s forests over time.
• Outdoor Exhibits: Visit the recreated 20th-century logging camp, the Shay locomotive, and a circular sawmill.

Depending on your group’s interests and schedule, guided tours can include:

• Demonstrations of the Shingle Mill, Blacksmith, and Mess Hall kitchen
• “Wood You Believe” Game
• Hands-on activities and crafts

We also coordinate with PA DCNR Susquehannock State Forest to schedule an educational forester to lead your group on a guided hike along our Sustainable Forestry Trail.

Admission:

• K-12th grade: $3 per student. Teachers, chaperones, and bus drivers are free (as long as they don’t outnumber the students).
• College & Graduate Students: $5 per student. Professors and chaperones are free (as long as they don’t outnumber the students).
• Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts/etc.: $5 per scout. Leaders and chaperones are free (as long as they don’t outnumber the scouts).

Outreach Programs

Can’t visit the museum? Let us bring the museum to you! Our hands-on lessons are perfect for schools, libraries, and community groups. Choose from three programs:

• What Trees Do for Me (grades Pre-K to 4th): Explore the benefits trees provide with the reading of “Why Would Anyone Cut a Tree Down” and the “Wood You Believe” game.
• So You Want to be a Woodhick? (grades 4th-12th): Learn about the lives of lumbermen through discussions, tool examinations, and using a cross-cut saw.
• Raftsmen & Log Drivers (grades 2nd-8th): Discover the role of water transportation in the PA logging industry and build a model raft.

Woodhick Day School Program

Join us to explore the courageous yet reckless spirit of Pennsylvania’s lumbering past at our Woodhick Day Education Program. Learning stations across the museum provide students the opportunity to:

• Watch demonstrations by our Blacksmith
• Use woodhick tools like a cross-cut saw and auger
• Observe the Shingle Mill in action
• Talk to the Camp Cook

Hiking to History

Get out and explore the real locations associated with Pennsylvania’s lumbering past with our self-guided lumber history hiking brochures. Highlights include:

• Susquehannock State Forest: Dyer Camping Area, Cross Fork History Tour Trail, Cherry Springs Fire Tower, Austin Dam Ruins, and more.
• Tioga & Tiadaghton State Forests: Darling Run CCC Camp, Leonard Harrison Overlook, Colton Point State Park Rim Trail, Leetonia-Ghost Town, and more.

Remember to wear appropriate clothing, bring enough water and food, and always hike with a friend. Safety first!

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum website or contact Museum Educator Jennifer Haines at (814) 435-2652 or jenhaines@pa.gov.