Historical and Museum Commission

PHMC collects and preserves the cultural and natural heritage of Pennsylvania with collections comprising history, natural history and anthropological artifacts.  These items, ranging from quilts to locomotives to fossils to reptile specimens to Native American tools, are available through an ever-growing online database.  PHMC’s social media and digital programming advertise and offer a gateway to this database which opens our museums’ holdings to the public. 

The Archives preserves over 250 million public records which, until recently, were accessible only to those who visited the Archives Research Room in Harrisburg. By digitizing records and providing them online, the Archives provides the public with easier access and greater government transparency. Online access is provided free of charge in partnership with the PA State Library’s Power Library and various private providers.

Data from 2016-2017 reflect the upload (only) of existing images. In subsequent years images were scanned and uploaded requiring more time to complete.

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, and the PA History Code require federal and state agencies to take preservation values into consideration when they propose a project that may affect historic properties or archaeological sites. Every day, PHMC staff work closely with agencies, local governments and the public to advise and assist them throughout the environmental review process.

PHMC manages two programs for identifying and recording historic properties in Pennsylvania. The PA Archaeological Site Survey (PASS) is the statewide inventory of recorded archaeological sites representing 16,000 years of Pennsylvania history. The PA Above Ground Survey (PAGS) documents historic and cultural places. This data is made available online for the benefit of all Pennsylvanians and helps the public, agencies, and various partners plan development projects and make informed decisions.

Over 20 historic sites and museums owned by PHMC – including The State Museum, the Railroad Museum, and Pennsbury Manor – are accessible for in-person or virtual experiences.  These museums also welcome over 65,000 Pennsylvania school-aged students annually, serving as significant field trip and heritage discovery centers for the Commonwealth’s youth.  In addition to paid visitation, thousands of Pennsylvanians and visitors enjoy sites and museums for free either through special FREE days and events or for passive recreation on our grounds. 

Training, education, and outreach are essential for accomplishing PHMC’s mission. PHMC staff work with a wide variety of audiences, ranging from municipal governments to state agencies, and from non-profit organizations to consultants, to provide professional partners with the information and tools needed to help increase government efficiencies.

The Archives and State Records Center manage nearly a billion documents for other government agencies.  The long-term goal is to increase state agencies' reliance on electronic rather than paper documents. This figure shows the number of times the bureau responded to requests from agencies for paper records to serve their own customers; therefore, the trend of this statistic should be downward.

The statewide historic preservation planning process engages thousands of Pennsylvanians and gathers their ideas for improving the future of historic places in Pennsylvania. The plan helps Pennsylvanians better understand preservation and its benefits, appreciate their own histories and their shared histories as told through historic places, and balances history, economics, and development to manage change within their communities. 

In 2019-20 the State Historic Preservation Office changed how they collect and measure engagement.

The PHMC’s Cultural and Historic Support grants strengthen the Pennsylvania museum community by providing general operating support to museum and official county historical societies that are not supported by other state agency funding programs.

The Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program, established in 1994 under the Keystone Recreation, Park, and Conservation Fund, supports projects that identify, preserve, promote, and protect historic properties in Pennsylvania for the benefit of the public and the revitalization of communities.