Meadowcroft Rockshelter open for season
The Almanac
The Meadowcroft Rockshelter opened to the public in 2002.
Teams compete under rules circa 1860 during the annual Vintage Base Ball Game at Meadowcroft.
Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, part of the Senator John Heinz History Center family of museums is open for its 2022 season.
The center will be open weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Memorial Day.
During the summer season through Labor Day the site is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Following Labor Day, the site is open on weekends until Oct. 30.
Admission is $15 for adults, $14 for senior citizens, and $7 for children ages 6-17. Children under 6 and History Center members get in free.
At the National Historic Landmark in Avella, Washington County, visitors can explore the archaeological wonder where the region’s earliest inhabitants dwelled more than 19,000 years ago.
A popular one-day getaway for families in the tri-state region, Meadowcroft takes visitors on a historic journey through three re-created villages:
• In the 16th-century Monongahela Indian Village, visitors can step inside a wigwam, test their skills with the atlatl (a prehistoric spear-thrower), and learn about American Indian agriculture.
• At the 18th-century Frontier Trading Post, they can examine 1770s-era buildings and discover how American Indians and European settlers learned from each other.
• In the 19th-century Meadowcroft Village, visitors can enjoy a lesson in a one-room schoolhouse and watch a blacksmith forge red-hot iron.
Meadowcroft offers a robust schedule of programs. Among them are:
• Meadowcroft Atlatl Competition, June 18: Beginners are invited to try using the atlatl, a spear-thrower used by prehistoric hunters and watch some of the world’s best competitors from the World Atlatl Association compete for high score. This year, members of the Shawnee tribe will discuss prehistoric hunting techniques and demonstrate tool production in the Monongahela Indian Village.
• Independence Day Celebration, July 3: Celebrate the spirit of America with historical demonstrations and period games at Meadowcroft’s 18th-century frontier area and 19th-century rural village.
• Insider Tours of the Meadowcroft Rockshelter, July 9, Sept. 3, Oct. 9, Nov. 5: Visitors can enjoy exclusive Insider Tours with James M. Adovasio, Ph.D., who achieved international acclaim with his archaeological excavation of the Rockshelter in 1973. Pre-registration is required.
• Vintage Base Ball Day, Aug. 20: Come watch base ball (originally two words) 19th-century style with the Somerset Frosty Sons of Thunder, Addison Mountain Stars, and the Keystone Base Ball Club, who will use 1860s rules.
• 19th-Century Chocolate, Aug. 27: Curious how chocolate has changed through the ages? The event offers a look at how chocolate was produced and consumed during the 19th century and includes a sample.
• Washington & Greene Counties Covered Bridge Festival: Sept. 17-18: Visit Meadowcroft’s 1871 Pine Bank Covered Bridge during this free admission, annual celebration of covered bridges. For more festival information, visit visitwashingtoncountypa.com.
• Life with a Shawnee Family, Oct. 1-2: Learn about the Shawnee people by talking with a visiting Shawnee family, who will demonstrate some daily life skills of their ancestors in 18th-century Western Pennsylvania.
• Walk in Penn’s Woods, Oct. 2: In cooperation with the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Penn State, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, as well as others across the commonwealth, Meadowcroft will serve as a host venue for a day of educational woodland walks, highlighting Pennsylvania’s forest and wildlife resources from prehistory to modern day.
• Archaeology Day, Oct. 8: Ever wonder how archaeologists learn about everyday life for prehistoric people? Do you have an artifact you want professionally identified? As part of Pennsylvania Archaeology Month, archaeologists from the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology will present lectures and identify artifacts, accompanied by demonstrations of prehistoric technology. The site will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Meadowcroft’s Taffy Pull & Fall Celebration, Oct. 22: The final event of the season will be held in one of the historic log houses and teach visitors about historic confections while they make an old-fashioned sweet treat to take home. Pre-registration is required.
Visit heinzhistorycenter.org/meadowcroft or call 724-587-3412 for more information.