Fall Fest—Supporting STEM Education and Wildlife Restoration
North Museum’s Fall Fest at Millport Conservancy
benefits STEM Ed and Lititz Run Restoration
Family event Saturday, November 8, 10am–4pm
Families are invited to explore Millport Conservancy’s natural wonders on Saturday, November 8, from 10am to 3pm, as North Museum of Nature and Science and Millport Conservancy present Fall Fest. This 6th annual collaboration between two local non-profits is a fundraising event to support Millport Conservancy’s efforts to restore the Lititz Run stream through soil erosion control, wetlands restoration, and stream management and North Museum’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education programming. The Conservancy’s 75-acre refuge for native wildlife and plant species includes Lititz Run, where preservation efforts have resulted in healthy, wild reproduction of both rainbow and brown trout, which can be found year-round in its waters.
NEW THIS YEAR—LIVE RAFFLE!
Grab a chance to win one of these spectacular experiences.
- Morning Fly Fishing lesson with Tom Herr, valued at $350
- North Museum Birthday Party Rental, valued at $275
- North Museum Family Membership w/gift basket, valued at $200
- Lancaster Bounce House Birthday Rental, valued at $250
- YMCA 3-month Family Membership, including join fee, valued at $279
- Universal Athletic Club 3-month Family Membership, valued at $950
Located at 737 E. Millport Road, the family-friendly event is filled with activities for children of all ages:
- Astronomy Experiments
- Archeological Treasure Dig Pit
- Atomic Selfie Station
- Environmental Science and Sustainability Activities
- Face and Pumpkin Painting
- Lancaster Bird Club Activities
- Live Reptile Petting Zoo
- Bird watching and forest foraging
- Solar Observing
- Veterans’ Recognition
- Food Truck by Gourmet Julie's Way
- Beer & Wine Tasting Room for 21+ with Bierhall Brewing Co. and Fetish Brewing Co.
“Millport Conservancy relies on the generosity of donors to help us protect and preserve the land, the water resources and our heritage.” said Lynn Wohlsen Myers, Executive Director of Millport Conservancy and the daughter of the Conservancy’s founding couple. “Through the success of fundraising efforts like Fall Fest, the Conservancy will continue to be a treasured resource of educational and recreational experiences for students and the public.”
“We're thrilled to hold Fall Fest at Millport again and to continue this successful partnership for a sixth year in our joint effort to raise funds for the restoration of Lititz Run." said Andrea Rush, North Museum CEO. "Our enduring alliance fortifies the missions of both organizations and accelerates our collective impact on the community."
In honor of Veteran’s Day, all Veterans, Active Service Members and First Responders will be admitted free of charge.
BUY TICKETS
Tickets may be purchased in advance or onsite, $20 for adults; $15 for children ages 4–17, free for children under 4.
Fall Fest 2025 sponsors include: Flyway Excavating, Inc., The Sheaffer Family, Marysia & Salvatore Dina, National Novelty Brush Co., Univest Financial, American Crane & Equipment Corp., Cargas, Richard Clark, Ph.D. & Sepi Yalda, Ph.D., First National Bank, Gibbel Kraybill & Hess, LLP, Land Studies, Landis Homes, Sauder’s Eggs, Dr. & Mrs. Charles J. DiComo, and Walters Services
Nov 5, Lititz Record
World Premiere Exhibition: Imagining Insects Opens September, 2025
IMAGINING INSECTS
BUY TICKETS HERE
Sept 2025–Summer 2026
Interactive exhibition includes live enclosures, rare pinned specimens, and 13-foot mantis
(LANCASTER)—From the North Museum of Nature and Science’s 360,000+ objects in its collections, a new exhibition brings forward its cache of Entomology treasures for Imagining Insects, opening on Saturday, September 27. Highlighting Apterygota (wingless insects) and Pterygota (winged insects) species, this show, presented in both English and Spanish languages, includes multiple live insect enclosures and rare and unique pinned specimens from the museum’s Entomology collections.
North Museum’s one-of-a-kind exhibition enables visitors to look closer at insects and marvel at the feats they can achieve and the wondrous ways they have evolved. Imagining Insects, fully curated and designed by North Museum, will explore what it means to be an insect and how we can take inspiration from their lives, bodies, and roles in the environment.
Imagining Insects examines animals from a global level, then scales down to the anatomical structures that make them insects. Visitors will start by learning how and why scientists study insects before viewing insects in a broader human cultural context, then look at insects’ roles in the environment, from what they eat to how they reshape their landscape, to how some have evolved with complex social structures. A wall-mounted 24' long mantis replica reveals even more about insect anatomy and how their bodies are built.
North Museum’s Exhibits and Collections Manager Molly Wolanski explains,
“Visitors to the exhibition will learn answers to curious questions, like why do bumblebees buzz? Why are some bugs shiny? How do beetles climb walls and stick to surfaces? How can insects inspire you to create a better future? This is an opportunity to see unique specimens from the depths of the museum’s collections.”
The show will fascinate both adults and children of all ages, with interactive bug goggles, microscope, and art activities. Imagining Insects continues through Summer 2026.
Exhibition sponsors are Dr. Richard M. Fantazier, in memory of Robert J. Fantazier, and Oaktree Development Group.
Content Contributors: Jonathan Fantazier; Josh Kulak; Peter Licona
Welcome our new Live Animal Room Resident...
Welcome Hisstopher, the Plains hognose snake!
Our heartfelt thanks to Jason at @hog_alchemy for generously donating our new hognose snake—the newest Live Animal Room resident! This baby western hognose snake made his public debut on August 4 after we asked you, our visitors, to vote for his new name.
Species info:
Plains hognose snakes (Heterodon nasicus) are native to North America, especially around the Great Plains region, in areas with loose, sandy soil. Toads are their preferred prey, but they have also been documented eating other things such as amphibians, small rodents, and eggs. When hognose snakes feel threatened, they flatten their head and neck, hiss, and bluff strike. If that doesn’t give a predator pause, they may play dead! This performance includes writhing around, musking, and finally freezing belly-up until the threat passes.
What makes Hissstopher special:
Hissstopher was donated to the North Museum by Jason at Hog Alchemy in July 2025. He hatched on May 29th, 2025, so he’s just a baby! He is a little nervous around people still, but is quickly adjusting to museum life.
LEARN MORE about Hisstopher and all of the 20+ Live Animal Room residents!
The Art Gallery is Open Through May 2025
“Further and Again: Sustainability in Visual Culture” and “The Millport Artists Project”
Millport Conservancy and North Museum ask, how do sustainability practices shape visual communications?
The Art Gallery on the third floor is open! Works of art from 11 Lancaster county and regional artists will be on display and available for purchase through the end of May.
Art and science come together in simultaneous exhibits “Further and Again: Sustainability in Visual Culture” and “The Millport Artists Project,” both on display in The Art Gallery at North Museum from March 13—May, 2025. All members of the public are invited to the exhibit opening March 13 at 6:30pm, followed by a conversation with the artists at 7pm. Enjoy fellowship and light fare as we discuss how sustainability practices shape visual communications.
- Take the steps or elevator to the third floor
- Sign the guest book
- Reach out to our Art Gallery and Visual Arts Program Coordinator, Sheri Hansen, to purchase
“Further and Again” asks artists, when we create with repurposed materials or ideas, how do those materials or ideas carry forward their prior purpose into these new works? Does literal and figurative reuse have the potential to reveal a rich depth of meaning and connection that would otherwise remain undiscovered? Seven artists explore their relationship to the lifecycle of materials, process, and meaning in their works. Participating artists include: Bonnie Mae Carrow, Paula Cahill, Kirstin Fisher, Sheri Hansen, Katherine Hess, Mimi Shapiro, and Dganit Zauberman.
“The Millport Artists Project” began with a visit by participating artists to the Millport Conservancy in Lititz, PA, in Autumn, 2024. They were asked to make artwork about what they discovered there. This experience produced a combination of works made in response to their time spent at Millport working indirectly through sketches, or en plein air. Shown alongside each artist’s existing studio works to provide context, some pieces are still in production. Come back often to uncover what the Conservancy has unleashed in these artists’ everyday practice—from the studio to the open air! Participating artists include: Doug Anderson, Stacy Caldwell, Sheri Hansen, Marisa Smith Alberts, and Jason Ward.
The Art Gallery is always open to the public when the museum is operating, Wednesday-Sunday at 400 College Ave. Part of North Museum’s A.L.E. (Adult Learning and Engagement) program, works of art from 11 Lancaster county and regional artists will be on display and available for purchase through the end of May.
Interested in participating in our gallery events, or purchasing art? Contact Sheri Hansen, Art Gallery and Visual Arts Program Coordinator at SHansen@NorthMuseum.org.
Two Exhibits Open in The Art Gallery
The Art Gallery Hosts Two Simultaneous Exhibitions in March
Millport Conservancy and North Museum ask how sustainability practices shape visual communications.
(LANCASTER)—March 13, 2025
Art and science come together in simultaneous exhibits “Further and Again: Sustainability in Visual Culture” and “The Millport Artists Project,” both on display in The Art Gallery at North Museum from March 13—May, 2025. All members of the public are invited to the exhibit opening March 13 at 6:30pm, followed by a conversation with the artists at 7pm. Enjoy fellowship and light fare as we discuss how sustainability practices shape visual communications.
“Further and Again” asks artists, when we create with repurposed materials or ideas, how do those materials or ideas carry forward their prior purpose into these new works? Does literal and figurative reuse have the potential to reveal a rich depth of meaning and connection that would otherwise remain undiscovered? Seven artists explore their relationship to the lifecycle of materials, process, and meaning in their works.
Participating artists include: Bonnie Mae Carrow, Paula Cahill, Kirstin Fisher, Sheri Hansen, Katherine Hess, Mimi Shapiro, and Dganit Zauberman.
Art Gallery and Visual Arts Program Coordinator Sheri Hansen says,
“Artists are resourceful thinkers, constantly recontextualizing what they know with something new to evolve their ideas forward. Reuse and sustainability have been present in conversation in the arts for decades now, making artists natural leaders on experimenting around this topic. Imagining something discarded with fresh eyes is an endlessly fun and hopeful lens through which to view our everyday world. To transform something with only your action and intention is a very primal way to express oneself to others.”
“The Millport Artists Project” began with a visit by participating artists to the Millport Conservancy in Lititz, PA, in Autumn, 2024. They were asked to make artwork about what they discovered there. This experience produced a combination of works made in response to their time spent at Millport working indirectly through sketches, or en plein air. Shown alongside each artist’s existing studio works to provide context, some pieces are still in production. Come back often to uncover what the Conservancy has unleashed in these artists’ everyday practice—from the studio to the open air!
Participating artists include: Doug Anderson, Stacy Caldwell, Sheri Hansen, Marisa Smith Alberts, and Jason Ward.
Hansen continues,
“This [Millport] show allows the viewer to discover the differences in ways of thinking from one artist to the next. All started with the same intention to make work inspired by this beautiful and wild place, but the variety of the works collected here foreground the creativity and individuality of each maker’s studio conversation.”
The Art Gallery is always open to the public when the museum is operating, Wednesday-Sunday at 400 College Ave. Part of North Museum’s A.L.E. (Adult Learning and Engagement) program, works of art from 11 Lancaster county and regional artists will be on display and available for purchase through the end of May, 2025.
North Museum’s Shallow Seas Available for Traveling Exhibit
North Museum’s Shallow Seas Available for Traveling Exhibit
First exhibit fully curated from North Museum’s collections
(LANCASTER) SEPT 29, 2024—From the North Museum’s 250,000+ objects in its collections, a new main exhibit brings forward its cache of marine-based treasures as Shallow Seas, now through May 31, 2025. Highlighting animal and plant life found in the sunlit waters around the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, the 1,500 square-foot exhibit includes informational panels, collections’ objects, and opportunities to repurpose existing exhibit fixtures that combine to be an exhibit that the North Museum is offering as a traveling exhibition.
Through the exploration of three marine habitats—the Caribbean Sea, Coastal Atlantic, and Arctic Ocean—specimens of sea life, shells, and plants depict life that is present in each ecosystem, and how each has evolved traits to survive and sometimes thrive in their environments.
“There are over 100 different marine species represented in this exhibit across a wide span of the animal kingdom, making Shallow Seas a great entry point to the interconnected nature of our marine habitats, appealing to all students who have an interest in our oceans,” said Molly Wolanski, North Museum’s exhibits and collections manager. “While visitors will be more familiar with species like hermit crabs, sharks, and corals, they will also encounter lesser-known species like the arrow crab or blood olive (related to a cowrie).”
The self-directed exhibit features signage and bold graphics presented in both English and Spanish. Dozens of items such as the jaws of a Great White Shark, a Narwhal tusk and walrus skull add the three-dimensional experience to the dynamic panels.
"Designing these panels has allowed us to share North Museum’s treasured collection in a fun, engaging way,” said creative director Jon Derk. “By embracing bilingual storytelling, we’re excited to connect with every visitor and invite them to experience the rich stories of our oceans and how we are connected to them. The way this exhibit is designed to travel will allow other museums the ability to customize the panels to fit their own unique collections and floor space.”
Inquiries regarding the traveling exhibition should be directed to Jon Derk at jderk@northmuseum.org or 717.358.4149.
“Shallow Seas marks a new milestone in exhibition development as North Museum’s first exhibit that is curated entirely from its collections,” said CEO Andrea Rush. “We are excited to share this experience with other museums’ visitors, as they will be immersed in the fascinating ecosystems of sunlit waters from the Caribbean to the Arctic and learn how we can work together to limit further damage to these resources.”
Visitors explore how these ocean habitats are connected through ocean currents and migratory species, as Shallow Seas explores the fragility of these systems and the threats they face in a changing world and warming ocean. An optional collaborative artwork project allows visitors to lend their creative touch to the exhibit by enhancing an ever-evolving coral reef with underwater life that can be colored and added, making the experience informative and appealing to all ages.
Now in its 72nd year, the North Museum of Nature and Science impacts thousands of central Pennsylvania students and their families annually through its education initiatives in the Museum, in the community, and at home. Programs include field trips, early childhood education programs, summer camps, STEM Sisters, the Science and Engineering Fair for middle and high school students, and many other educational programs designed to create access to free and reduced-cost STEM learning opportunities and strengthen the foundation of youth in the Lancaster community and beyond. For more information on Sponsorships and Giving, please contact Scott Downs, Director of Development & Strategic Partnerships at sdowns@northmuseum.org or 717-358-7188.
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