From the Executive Director

We are thrilled to be sharing some PHMC news with you: We are embarking on a major renovation of The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Our Midcentury Modern masterpiece is a wonderful home for telling Pennsylvania’s story, but after serving Pennsylvanians for 60 years, it has some elements that no longer meet the needs of the modern visitor or, to be honest, the needs of our collections.

This $55 million project — the single largest investment in the museum since its original construction in 1964 — will be focused on improving visitor amenities and circulation throughout the building, with additional large passenger elevators, refurbished restrooms, and new student spaces. We also will be opening up private areas of the museum for public use. The fifth floor will feature a large event space, capable of seating 200 for catered events, conferences and lectures. Visitors will be able to enjoy sweeping views of South Mountain, the Susquehanna River, the Capitol and downtown Harrisburg from the adjacent roof terrace.

The PHMC tower (previously known as the State Archives) will be updated with new systems, including temperature and humidity control and fire suppression, and the building envelope will be improved to create state-of-the-art collections space for our most sensitive objects, including textiles and paper-based artifacts. We will be adding a storage area for large collections, including historic vehicles, on the ground floor near the freight elevator.

Another exciting change to the tower will be the introduction of a double-height public observation level on the 16th floor, with windows facing in all directions. This will allow us to talk to students and visitors about state government and urban development, the importance of the commonwealth’s waterways, and how geography has shaped — and continues to influence — Pennsylvania’s unique social and economic patterns.

Of course, as all these improvements are really for sharing Pennsylvania history with our visitors, the project will set the stage for the reimagination of many of our standing exhibits. New offerings will include a free introductory exhibition and a hands-on area that serves our youngest visitors (6 and under). Over the next 10 years, we will be reconceptualizing about half of the standing galleries, or 50,000 square feet, to explore the rich history of Pennsylvania.

We will begin construction at The State Museum in August 2026, following our exhibition for the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. We will be using all kinds of platforms to share this transformation with you — social media, virtual tours, discussions and a few hard-hat tours — so we hope you will follow along with us as we begin this exciting project.

Andrea Lowery
Executive Director