Military historian Daniel Foster will discuss the major events in the European Theater of Operations before June 1944, explore some of the facets of the preparations for the cross-channel assault, and relate select stories from across the landing zone - from the River Orne to the base of the Cotentin peninsula.

Event is free and open to the public, taking place in the site’s theater. No reservation needed, donation apprecaited.

Daniel Foster served 28 years in the US Army on active duty, in the US Army Reserve, and in the Pennsylvania National Guard. He began his career as a Chemical officer, later reclassified as an Infantry then a Quartermaster officer. His assignments included Third Armored Division in Germany and Operation Desert Storm, company commander, Army ROTC instructor, an Inspector General, and Division Chemical Officer. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He holds a Master of Arts in Military History from Norwich University. He lives in State College.

Take a private history tour of armored vehicles. The tour begins in the Museum theater. Space is limited; Reservations required. 1:00 p.m. The tour typically lasts two hours Admission to Event: $15.00 ($5.00 with Museum membership).

Regional Antique Automobile Club of America Chapter’s annual summer season kickoff event featuring many pre-war through modern classics on display throughout the grounds of the 28th Division Shrine Complex/PA Military Museum.

$Fee for on-site parking.

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The United States 4th Infantry Division’s 22nd Infantry Regiment loads at Plymouth, England, June 5, 1944, in preparation for landing on D-Day. They will be transported across the English Channel in this and other similar naval landing craft to Utah Beach, Normandy, France the morning of June 6, 1944.

To honor the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landing, Karen Marshall will discuss her new book, Finding My Father’s Footsteps.  Part memoir, part historic chronicle of the 4th Infantry Division’s 22nd Infantry Regiment in World War II, the book was inspired by her efforts to solve a mystery involving her father’s actions in Heinrich Himmler’s home in 1945. Armed with a war journal her father never shared with his family and her training in historical research, the author returned to the battlefields of Europe and the men her father, John Sisson, served with to find the answers.

Event is free and open to the public, and will take place in the site’s theater. Registration is not required, donations are appreciated.

Karen Marshall lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she worked in historic preservation planning for more than twenty years. Her work included extensive documentation of the Battle of Brandywine (1777) for the American Battlefield Protection Program. She holds a master’s degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy with a certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Delaware.

Join members of A Soldiers Hands & Carry The Load, and community members for a walk, roll, or ruck event providing an opporunity to pause, and remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. Event will take place rain or shine, on the Walking Path of the Pennsylvania Military Museum.

Registration Required:

https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Boalsburg/ASoldiersHands

A born daredevil, John Homan joined the Army Air Forces after the Pearl Harbor attack. By 1944, he was co-piloting a B-24 Liberator over Nazi Germany, raining death and destruction on the enemy. He miraculously survived thirty-four combat missions over four months. Nearly eighty years later, he teamed up with historian Jared Frederick to author a powerfully revealing memoir of the air war in Europe. Join Homan and Frederick on Memorial Day weekend for an engaging conversation on the camaraderie, heroism, and horror experienced by Homan and his fellow aviators. Audience Q&A will follow. Personalized, signed copies of Homan's and Frederick's book, Into the Cold Blue, will be available for purchase after the authors' presentation.

This exclusive evening engagement kicks off the museum's WWII weekend, Life at the Front. The conversation begins at 6:30pm on Friday May 24 at the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg, Centre County, PA. Admission is free and open to the general public. Donations to the museum are welcome.

Chris Mackowski will speak on "Hell Itself – The Battle of the Wilderness.”  May 5 -7 is the 160th Anniversary of the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia.  Mr. Mackowski is a historian for the National Park Service at Fredericksburg where he gives tours of the Battle of the Wilderness. Lecture is free and open to the public, event takes place in the site's theater.

Come explore hands on activities pertaining to all aspects of Pennsylvania’s Military History! Enjoy play based learning for all ages. Regular Admission Rates Apply, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Eighty-two years ago on December 7th, 1941 the US Pacific Fleet at Hawaii was attacked by aircraft by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The tribute is held beneath the guns of the USS Pennsylvania, which was a witness to that attack. Guided tours and light refreshments will be available in the Museum theater.

Open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., free admission for veterans and their family members.

Take a private history tour of the outside tracked vehicles and discuss the history of armored vehicles with a preeminent local historian. Tour begins at the museum but appropriate footwear is required. Limited space, reservations are required. $15.00 or $5.00 with annual Museum membership. Please note that we will not be accessing the inside of the tracked vehicles.

Pre-registration to attend the event is required for each individual attendee, registration is free. Registrants will be emailed a ticket ahead of event. Event attendance is limited to 60 participants. Registration links below.

A protest of the taxation of distilled spirts, with the goal of raising revenue to pay down the war-debt from the Revolutionary War, resulted in the calling-up of troops to suppress a violent uprising. Join American Whiskey Convention founder and industry professional Laura Fields, for a presentation titled, Restoring the Historic Foundations of Rye Whiskey in Pennsylvania, at the Pennsylvania Military Museum at 1:00pm, followed by a spirit tasting session hosted by Big Spring Spirits, and close out the afternoon with a lecture presented by Museum Director, Mr. Tyler O. Gum titled, Stand To - The Whiskey Rebellion at 3:00 p.m. Each lecture is 45mins, tasting session is one hour. Both lectures are free, as is the tasting session.

Upon arrival guests can enjoy a “Welcome Cocktail” provided free of charge, by Big Spring Spirits of Bellefonte, PA.

• Rye Old Fashioned… a Rye aged six years, Orange, Lemon, Cherry, and Sugar.

Between the lectures, Big Spring Spirits will host a spirit tasting session for event attendees featuring (6yr) Rye, Wheat, Corn, and American (bourbon) whiskies. This will be an educational experience unlike any other - tasting each grain separately, and then finally, blended in the bourbon style (American Whiskey). All and more will be available for purchase.

A commemorative, specially labeled bottle of Rye Whiskey will be available for purchase to benefit the Friends of Pennsylvania Military Museum - Big Spring Spirits will donate $10.00 per bottle - check back about presale orders!

Presentation Details:

Laura Fields, founder of the Delaware Valley Fields Foundation (DVFF), the SeedSpark Project, and the American Whiskey Convention in Philadelphia, invites you to return to the 19th century and rediscover Pennsylvania’s internationally recognized dominance within the American whiskey industry. Pennsylvania enjoyed an elite status as the home of rye whiskey since the late 18th century, but that position of authority has been undercut by competition and eroded by misinformation over the last 100 years. Join us as we dispel the misconceptions about rye and reconstruct the past to present a clearer picture of what made Pennsylvania the universally acknowledged heart of pure rye whiskey production in the United States from the late 18th through the 20th century.

Tyler Gum, Director of the Pennsylvania Military Museum will give a presentation on the military operation that transpired in Western Pennsylvania, and the evolution of using military units for civilian matters. Such mobilization continues to have lasting impacts on how and when a governor, or president, is permitted to deploy state and national troops. Join us as we explore the various state and federal powers that govern the National Guard, and their Federalization, and the use of federal troops within the continental United States, 1795 to today.

Take a private history tour of the outside tracked vehicles and discuss the history of armored vehicles with a preeminent local historian. Tour begins at the museum but appropriate footwear is required. Limited space, reservations are required. $15.00 or $5.00 with annual Museum membership. Please note that we will not be accessing the inside of the tracked vehicles.

The Regional Antique Automobile Club of America’s Allegheny Mountain Region Chapter hosts their annual summer season kickoff event on the grounds of the 28th Division Shrine at the Pennsylvania Military Museum. This event features many pre-war through modern classic cars on display through the grounds. $5 of on-site parking, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Join Centre County non-profit, A Soldiers Hands, on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Military Museum for a morning of remembrance and reflection. Event registration is open to all individuals, families, and groups. Event will take place rain or shine.

A “Walk to Remember” is an opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to gather to pay respect to those loved ones lost in service of the Nation, including all time periods, branches, regardless of deployment status. Beginning at 8AM, attendees will be welcomed with opening remarks and Posting of the Colors, immediately followed by attendees beginning their respective laps of the walking path on the Museum’s grounds in honor of their loved one(s), friends, or “Those Known Only to God.”

To learn more about the event, and about the event sponsor, A Soldiers Hands, please visit their website - HOME (asoldiershands.org)

Event Registration Details:

• Adult Early Bird Registration: $20

• Adults - $25 after 04/30/23

• Veterans - $20

• Children (17-13) - $15

• Children 12 and under FREE

Click below for event registration:

U.S. Army Reunion and memorial service sponsored by the Pennsylvania National Guard commemorating Pennsylvania’s Citizen Soldiers with a military band and ceremony. The ceremony will begin at 12:30, heavy equipment will be on the Museum lawn before the ceremony weather permitting. The public is welcome to visit and join in the commemoration honoring the 28th Infantry Division.