OCTOBER 2023

(CT) Thru November 2023, DESTINATION WESTPORT WALKING TOURS, Ages 7+. Westport Museum for History and Culture, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT, 06880. (203)222-1424, programs@westporthistory.org. Explore Westport on foot! Walk through cemeteries, public parks, and well-known streets to hear stories from our communities past. Members $10, Non-Members $15. Visit www.westporthistory.org for information on all the different tours offered.

(PA) Sundays, FREE FAMILY SUNDAYS, 10am-5pm, all ages. National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015, 610-694-6644, info@nmih.org. Visit the National Museum of Industrial History on Sundays when youth 12 and under receive free admission when accompanied by an adult. Cost included with admission. www.nmih.org.

(OH) October 4, 2024, ZOAR AND THE PRESIDENTS DAY, 9:00 AM-2:00 PM, All ages. Historic Zoar Village, 198 Main St. Zoar, OH 44697, 330-874-3011 or 1-800-262-6195, zoarinfo@historiczoarvillage.com. Students will have the opportunity to meet some US Presidents from various eras from 1817-1898 covering Zoar’s history. Other characters from Zoar’s history will also be found throughout the village. Presidential activities and games will be held along with museum tours and demonstrations. Stations include Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, World War I, Civil War and Revolutionary War soldiers. Cost for this event is $7 a student and children under 4 are free. One adult per group is free, each additional adult is $7. All proceeds go toward the preservation and educational efforts of Historic Zoar Village. Reservations are requested for the event. We ask that co-op groups call 330-874-3011 or via email tshrum@zca.org to register for the event. www.historiczoarvillage.com.

(OH) October 6, 2023, NORTHWEST OHIO RAILROAD PRESERVATION TRACKS TO THE PAST ANTIQUE MACHINERY SHOW EDUCATION DAY, 10am-2pm. Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation,12505 County Road 99, Findlay Ohio 45840, (419) 788-6100. Tracks to the Past Education Day – This year’s program will include five focus areas.  The program is designed for elementary school students in grades 4 and 5, or for middle school students in grades 6, 7, and 8.  Learn how a steam locomotive works, the history of tractors used in our area, learn how a steam traction engine works, learn about hit and miss engines, and the history of antique cars and trucks.  If you are interested registering an individual student or a school aged group to learn about and experience antique machinery, please contact Jim Gabriel at (419) 788-6100 or nworrp.98@gmail.com. $2.00 per student. Teachers and Chaperons free. Registrations need to be received by Monday, October 3, 2023. http://nworrp.org/education-day.html

(MD) October 7. 2023, DRAYDEN AFRICAN AMERICAN SCHOOLHOUSE OPEN HOUSE, 11:00 am-2:00 pm. Drayden African American Schoolhouse, 18287 Cherryfield Road, Drayden, Maryland 20630, 301-994-1471.  The St. Mary’s County Museum Division, in partnership with the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions (UCAC), will be offering free Open Houses for visitors and the community at the Drayden African American Schoolhouse in Drayden. The Drayden African American Schoolhouse is one of the nation’s best-preserved one-room African American schoolhouses, and its story represents a significant part of St. Mary’s County’s African American history. The St. Mary’s County Museum Division also offers special programs for school, bus, and other tour groups who would like to schedule a visit to the Drayden site. Individual visitors who would like to see the schoolhouse during times outside open house hours can contact the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum at (301) 994-1471 to arrange a visit. For more information about the Drayden African American Schoolhouse Open Houses, programs, admission prices, and more, visit the Drayden African American Schoolhouse Facebook page at Facebook.com/DraydenSchool or call (301) 994-1471.

(MD) October 14, 2023, ST. MARY’S COUNTY MUSEUMS TO HOST FREE OUTDOOR SERIES AT THE U.S. COLORED TROOPS INTERPRETIVE CENTER: GHOST LEAF SKELETON RUBBINGS, 12-2 pm. Lexington Manor Passive Park, 21675 S. Coral Drive in Lexington Park. Families, kids, and adults of all ages can enjoy free outdoor activities while visiting the U.S. Colored Troops Interpretive Center in Lexington Park. These activities encourage visitors to explore nature and the outdoors through curiosity and play. Modeled loosely after “Forest School” learning styles in Denmark and Sweden, the Nature & Forest Play for All Ages Series encourages discovering nature through hands-on, tactile, “no right or wrong way to play” experiences. Age is not a factor; adults need to connect with nature in relaxing, simple ways, just as much as children do!  Registration is not required but encouraged so that we can ensure enough materials for participants. Please call ahead of time and let our staff know which session(s) you would like to attend. Admission is free. Play is rain or shine if there are no safety concerns (heat advisory, heavy winds, lightning, etc.). For more information, please visit: museums.stmarysmd.com.

(PA) October 14, 2023, ROCKET WORKSHOP,1-3 pm, Ages: 8-13. American Helicopter Museum & Education Center. 1220 American Boulevard, West Chester, PA 19380, (610) 436-9600, info@americanhelicopter.com. We are clear for lift-off! This 2-hour interactive workshop will use videos and hands-on activities to explore rockets. We’ll discuss current space projects, the physics of getting to space, and even build a rocket! The pace will be fast and your learner is guaranteed to have an out-of-this-world experience. Cost: $40. Register here:  https://www.jotform.com/build/230334500532138.

(PA) October 22, 2023, S.T.E.A.M. ADVENTURES, 11am-3pm. National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015, 610-694-6644, info@nmih.org. Join us on the third Sunday of each month between 11 and free for a drop-in style family program to engage in S.T.E.A.M. concepts like building, engineering, and strategic thinking. Each month has a new theme! As part of our Free Family Sunday program, all youth 12 and under receive free admission when accompanied by an adult. Free. www.nmih.org.

(VA) October 28, 2023, CANDY CORN EXPRESS, 10:00 am-4:00 pm. All Ages. Virginia Museum of Transportation, 303 Norfolk Avenue SW, Roanoke, VA  24016, 540-342-5670 ext. 104, events@vmt.org  Halloween-themed event for the kids; Train Rides (add’l cost), Trick-or-Treating; Costume Contest; Face Painting; Caricatures; Crafts & Games; Ken & Jayne’s Burgers & Dogs; Vendors for Shopping; Museum Open for Touring.  Cost: ages 18-59: $12; ages 60 & up: $10; ages 13-16: $10; ages 3-12: $8. www.vmt.org.