This is the perfect little science museum for little kids--I'd say 8 and under. My 3 & 6-year-olds…read morehad a blast playing with all the different areas. I'd say we stayed for about 1.5 hours. If you're in need of an indoor activity for your kids in the State College area, I would recommend this place!

We really enjoyed our visit to the Disconvery Space of Central PA. Our family visits kid-oriented…read morescience and hands-on museums frequently when we travel, so it's nice to see a museum with some new or novel exhibits for kids to explore. This museum works closely with students from PSU who design and implement the exhibits, so it is constantly changing. The kids liked the earthquake building designer, the flood plain, and the geology exhibit. Also, the pressurized tube and ball shooter was a hit. In all, we spent about an hour and 45 minutes exploring and playing. It is well designed, but it is on the small size. Also, it isn't the easiest place to find...look for the State College HS football field, and it is right next door. It does host birthday parties, which would be fun if we lived in the area. Overall, I'm a fan. We'll be back on future rainy visits to State College.

It has been a while since I have visited The Little Museum so a few weeks ago I decided to stop…read moreback down and take a tour. I hear grumbles all the time from people all the time that aren't native to the area that there is nothing to do around the area. No brain food or nothing culturally important. I find it strange that the back bone of our nation, the little industrial towns that helped build this country are so often forgotten. The Little Museum has a wealth of information about Cameron County's little slice of Americana. The Little Museum can be a easy to miss if you are driving down 120, but if you are looking it should be easy enough to find. The museum itself is an old school house painted a stereotypical white. After parking I was greeted by one of the Museum's Guides who was quick to welcome me and offered to guide me through the exhibits. Admission appeared to be free, but I placed a $5 bill in a large glass jar with a donations sign on it anyway. The Museum consists of 3 main rooms all of which are nearly packed with old artifacts of the of the area. The first room on the tour mainly deals with work and industry. Everything from the factory worker to the farmer is covered in the well persevered products and tools of their trades. The second room is mostly about the daily home life of the people from the 1800s up to the mid 1900s. Everything from school desks to a curling iron that would cause half the people working at the under writer laboratories to have a panic attack. You can look at some of the objects for quite a while and have no idea what it is until the tour guide explains what it is and why it was so important. This room also contains posters and a bit of information about the Western movie star Tom Mix, who was born nearby. The last room is a Military room. It was much darker than the rest of the museum and as you step into the room you know this room is different. Pictures, models, medals, and weapons of war fill the walls and display cases. Like most little towns Emporium and its satellite towns they are very proud of those who served. The collection was very well preserved and maintained in a dignified manner. After the tour was over I brought up my phone and tried to check into The Little Museum on yelp and noticed there was no information on it. After talking with the people at the museum they agreed to let me take a few pictures (not normally allowed) so I could let the world know that such an amazing chunk of history existed out in the middle of no where. Staffed and maintained by volunteers and sustained by donations there is no place I have ever visited like The Little Museum. When I walked out of those old school house doors I wanted to world to know that it was here, it has been for a long time, and hopefully always will be to help preserve and protect the history of Pennsylvania.

Absolutely love, I've been here a dozen times and can't wait to visit again! So much to see!read more

The Taber Museum is a hidden gem. Parking is the back of the building with entrances both in the…read moreback and front of the building. Admission was $9.50, but there are discounts available. This area also houses the gift shop and the first few exhibits that include various historical items and paintings. Don't judge the museum based on this part. The museum is spread across two floors and is handicap accessible. The first floor has exhibits about Indian tribes, sawmills, local life including time period recreations of parlors, bed rooms, and school rooms. A lot of effort was put into these exhibits, and include hands on activities for children including one that involves dress up. This museum also stands out as it has many actual artifacts from the period on display. Towards the back of the first floor are exhibits about Lycoming Counties participation in various wars, the area's fire fighters including antique equipment, and a whole room discussing the county in the 20th Century. There is also a full-size general store, information about the area's canals, and the history of various towns names. This floor alone is more than most museums offer. The bottom floor houses two rooms: The Shempp Model Train Collection and the Hall of Farming, Crafts, and Industry. The Industry Hall has various exhibits discussing wood working, milling, blacksmithing, and Lycoming engines to name a few. These are also well presented, with large exhibits including an blacksmiths shop and two Lycoming engines. The Shempp Model Train Collection could be the most impressive display in the whole museum. A HUGE collection spanning all different eras and gauges, including many rare models. Two large train displays can also be started by button, with other buttons controlling features in the scenes such as gates. Coming here for the trains alone is worth it. Overall, I can't recommend a visit to the Taber Museum enough. It's very well executed with interesting exhibits at a reasonable price. This could be one of the best museums that's a hidden gem in Pennsylvania.

After looking at the website and asking other yelpers for info I decided to go on a trip to…read morewilliamsport. Looked on Yelp and then google maps to get basic info, then check the county tourism website for specific info. as it turns out the Lycoming County Historical Society & Taber Museum are in the same building. Admission was 5.00/pp or 4.00 with AAA discount. It was a large building with different exhibits that explained all about life in the area, from prehistory to modern times. There was info from native american times, the revolutionary war, civil war, lumber era and modern times. There were literally hundreds if not thousands of artifacts and objects from the past. It was a self guided tour that was fairly interesting (to me.) We spent about an hour or so there, checking everything out, reading plaques, looking at paintings (both local and national) and taking pictures. There were several other families visiting the same day. There is also a very large train section in the downstairs part. Im not much or a train guy, but it was pretty neat. Children would certainly have a great time there.

Palmer Museum of Art…read more I happened upon the Palmer Museum of Art while on a work trip and, to be honest, I wasn't expecting much more than a small university gallery. Instead, I found a surprisingly thoughtful and well-curated collection that easily rivals many regional museums. The museum itself is beautifully designed, bright, modern, and inviting without feeling overwhelming. The galleries flow naturally, making it easy to wander from room to room and spend more time than you originally planned. What struck me most was the range of the collection. From American paintings to contemporary works, the pieces are presented with care and clear interpretation, making the experience enjoyable whether you're a serious art lover or just a curious visitor with an hour to spare. For a museum located on a university campus, the quality of the collection is impressive. Several pieces made me stop longer than expected, and the curation feels intentional rather than simply academic. It's the kind of place where you go in thinking you'll do a quick walk-through and end up lingering. If you happen to be in the area, even for work, it's absolutely worth a visit. The Palmer Museum of Art is a reminder that sometimes the most rewarding cultural experiences are the ones you discover by accident. Topped the museum with a visit at the Creameryas recommended by the docent.

We've always wanted to walk through the Palmer Museum but finally had an opportunity to do so when…read moreit started raining during our summer visit. Palmer is free although you do have to pay for parking which was still inexpensive. The Palmer has a wide variety of art. It's comprehensive without feeling overwhelming. The docents are also very knowledgeable and told us about the history of the museum. (Thank you, Dottie!) The building is only a few years old, and the architecture takes advantage of the adjacent arboretum which is also free and worth a stroll. Leave yourself 60-90 minutes to enjoy all the exhibits.

What makes a good docent, one who provides a historical interpretation of the facts during the…read moretour. Today I witnessed perhaps the worst docent I have ever had the of being near during a tour. He either misrepresented what he was telling us, implementing his on personal ideas either political or his misunderstanding of what actuality occurred. As a historian, I was appalled by what I heard. He misrepresented facts about WWI, WWII, the Navy, Marines the Coast Guard and the women's role during WWII. His scary representation of where we are in the world today as it relates to nuclear weapons without mentioning where we were during the Cold War was ridiculous. I could go on and on about what he said, but when a docent does not end the tour without asking are their any questions is a strong indicator that he was afraid of questions he might incur. The individual at the main desk told us he was one of the best guides they have. Enough said!

For a 4.00 admission fee you can tour the grounds and museum itself. there is a helicopter landing…read morezone, a tank, all kinds of artillerty, howitzers, tank busters, half-tracks, etc. there is also the 28th infantry shrine right next door. it commemorates all the pennsylvania soldiers who were killed in prior wars, wwi, wwii, korea and vietnam. there is a waterfall, a shrine itself, a very nice garden and some walking paths around the area.

We visited the Lewisburg Children's Museum on a Saturday and had a great experience, especially…read morewith their dinosaur-themed STEAM Saturday activity. The museum was easy to find, and while the parking lot isn't very large, we didn't have any issues. There are both stairs and an elevator to access the museum upstairs. The layout is simple and easy to navigate, with one main entry point into the space. Inside, there are multiple themed rooms including space, farming, mining, a body-focused area, a dress-up theater, and a grocery store modeled after Weis Markets, which was a fun and realistic touch. There are also ride-on cars in the hallway that were a big hit with my kids. We stayed about 2.5 hours and could have stayed longer. Even with other families there, it never felt overcrowded kids seemed to rotate naturally between rooms. Overall, it's a well-designed, hands-on children's museum that keeps kids engaged and moving. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

This is a great place to take younger children for some fun and education. Make sure to call ahead…read moreto schedule an appointment. Due to Covid they are selling tickets for entry for timeslots. You can make a day of it, there are many great places to eat in the surrounding area.

Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) was known for identifying carbon monoxide, but mainly as the…read morediscoverer of oxygen in 1774. He was also a theologian, educator, political activist and writer. He spent the last years of his life in then rural Northumberland, Pennsylvania. He was a strong supported of the political ideas of the french revolution and had supported many religious Dissenters (both no-no's in his homeland of England), for this his house, library & laboratory were burned down, he was accused of treason and then he immigrated to The United States. First settling in Philadelphia, then moving to northumberland, he had hoped that moving to such a rural and secluded area would perhaps give him some breathing-space and time to think. He wasn't welcome as a preacher in Northumberland, but founded the first congregation of Unitarian faith in Philadelphia. His house was equipped with a laboratory, where he conducted experiments. His ideas greatly influenced Thomas Jefferson and the Constitution, and also his education planning is the basis for the liberal arts college. This is basically a tour of his original house, it has been modified since then. takes about a half-hour. 4.00 admission per person.

Dan pretty much hits the nail on the head in his review. I'd heard of the Joseph Priestley House…read morebefore, but I'd never visited it. Not only did Priestley discover oxygen, he also conducted early experiments in electricity and counted Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Watt among his friends. His teachings were so controversial that his house in Birmingham England was burned to the ground. He and his family fled Engand and Priestley spent the last decade of his life in Northumberland. The Joseph Priestley House is a National Historic Landmark and from the outside, it looks like a typically unassuming English gentleman's estate. But it's really easy to spend some time in here. Priestley and his family not only lived here, he had his laboratory here too. And I'm happy to say that the lab has been recently renovated. When the lab was renovated, it was done so without intruding on the elements of the house. The exhibit is set as though Priestley is at work investigating carbon monoxide in his Northumberland laboratory. Reproduction glassware pieces were selected, based on pieces that Joseph Priestley was known to have used here. The original laboratory glassware is now at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. Other renovations include two representative furnaces with chimneys and a fume hood spanning the width of the lab. There's also a lot of family history in the house. His spouse Mary Priestley did a lot of the planning for the new house. She passed away, however, two years after they arrived in Northumberland and she never saw the completion of the house. As a widower, Joseph Priestley lived here with his eldest son, Joesph Priestley Jr and his daughter-in-law and his grandchildren. In 1919 Dr. George Gilbert Pond bought the house at auction. Dr. Pond was dean of the School of Natural Sciences at Pennsylvania State College (now Penn State). After his death in 1926, the college purchased the house and built the Pond House in his honor. It was used as a firepoof museum for Joseph Priestley's artificats. It once served as a visitor center, however plans are afoot to adapt it for public meetings and exhibits. I think that visiting small historical houses such as Priestley's can be just as rewarding as visiting well-known museums. If you visit the Priestley House, do the "Priestley Pilgrimage" by also visitng the Joseph Priestley Memorial Chapel, Riverview Cemetery and Northumberland's Historic District.

I want to give this place a higher rating as the staff are friendly and the pirate ship room is…read morequite fun, but several of the areas had things that were broken or not functional. The xray lightbox didn't turn on, the cash registers in the supermarket didn't open, several of the toys were quite old, run down, and no longer working...the microscope plugged into the computer but the computer was not accessible. I'd say that the libraries in the area are stocked with comparable construction and train equipment, and those are free, so for needing to pay entrance for myself and my 3 year old, I was expecting the displays and equipment to be in better working condition.

My 3 year old son had a great time during the 2.5 hours we spent here. He could have stayed longer…read morebut we did not have the time. I really liked several of their available activities such as the PVC "organ", the topographic sand table, and the laser wall. My son was most impressed with the sandbox room, and we nearly had a meltdown getting him out of it! However, I was disappointed that several items in the creative play areas were broken or missing. For example, the scanner was broken off of the cash register in the grocery store, and some of the wooden trains were in sad condition. The x-ray equipment in the animal hospital was not working either. The woman staffing the museum was also very friendly and helpful.