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In Honor Of March's Charter Day, Many Pa. Museums And Historic Sites Offering Free Admission

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) – The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is inviting residents and visitors alike to celebrate the commonwealth's 333rd birthday on Charter Day with free admission to many historical sites and museums.

Charter Day, or March 9th, is held annually to celebrate the founding of Pennsylvania. Visitors are able to see the original Charter of Pennsylvania, which was written back in 1861 and used to grant the land that's now Pa. to founder William Penn.

According to the PHMC, the Penn Charter will be on display this year at William Penn's Bucks County home, Pennsbury Manor, in Morrisville – the first time since 1960 that the document has been up for display outside of Harrisburg.

In addition to special programming slated for Charter Day at Pennsbury Manor, many state museums and sites along the PHMC "Trails of History" are offering free admission:

• Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum, Scranton
• Brandywine Battlefield Park, Chadds Ford
• Conrad Weiser Homestead, Womelsdorf
• Cornwall Iron Furnace, Cornwall
• Daniel Boone Homestead, Birdsboro
• Drake Well Museum, Titusville
• Eckley Miners' Village, Weatherly
• Ephrata Cloister, Ephrata
• Erie Maritime Museum & Flagship Niagara, Erie
• Fort Pitt Museum, Pittsburgh
• Graeme Park, Horsham
• Hope Lodge, Ft. Washington
• Joseph Priestley House, Northumberland
• Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, Lancaster
• Old Economy Village, Ambridge
• Pennsylvania Military Museum, Boalsburg
• Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Strasburg
• Washington Crossing Historic Park, Washington Crossing

For more info, visit: www.patrailsofhistory.com.

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