Exhibits & Collections

Landis Valley Village and Farm House Houses the Largest Pennsylvania German Collection in the Country

Current Exhibits: Explore our Museum Collections

Landis Valley’s Visitor Center Gallery houses theme-based exhibits. We showcase items in our collection, along with related objects on loan from other institutions and private collections.  All tell part of the story of the Pennsylvania Germans or of life in this part of Pennsylvania and America from the mid-1700’s to the mid-1900’s.

We are currently working on setting up our 100th Anniversary exhibit! This exhibit will debut during Charter Day, March 9th 2025 in our Visitor’s Center!

 

 

Many of our buildings here have their own exhibits for you to explore when you are onsite here at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum

The exhibition is made possible by the Landis Valley Associates and The Richard C. Von Hess Foundation

 

Virtual Museum Exhibits – History Anytime

This online presentation highlights wedding clothing from a past temporary exhibition. These pieces are no longer on display.  Many of the items are from the collection of Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum and other area museums and institutions. All of the items are from this geographic region, across the 19th and 20th Centuries.  Photographs, documents, and clothing illustrate changing fashions and traditions. The items highlight the period of 1840 to 1918. It’s more than just wedding dresses! You may be amazed and surprised at what you see.  It’s all part of the fascinating story of south-central PA and German community life and traditions.

Thrown, Fired and Glazed: The Redware Tradition From Pennsylvania and Beyond

This online presentation from a past temporary exhibition represents part of one of the most extensive collections of modern and historic redware shown in one place. These pieces are no longer on display.  Includes pieces from Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum’s extensive collection plus pieces from over a dozen other sources.

See what makes this exhibit so fabulous

William Chester Ruth: 1882 – 1971

This online exhibit tells an amazing American story of overcoming immense obstacles through ingenuity and intelligence to become an ingenious inventor. Having grown up in a rural Pennsylvania family that came out of slavery, William Chester Ruth learned blacksmithing and mechanics to become an inventor of agricultural equipment and devices that made the business of farming easier and more profitable.  During WWII, he also invented multiple top-secret devices for the military.  In all, he held over 50 patents.

You will be inspired by this unique story.

Click to see for yourself
Explore Pennsylvania’s online collection of historical objects, archaeological artifacts, and natural history specimens.

This online database is a work in progress and features a sampling of items from various state-owned museums and historic sites, including Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum.

If you have objects that you would like to donate to Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, please contact the Museum Curator Jennifer Royer at jeroyer@pa.gov. Please provide photographs and provenance. The museum will not accept unsolicited donations mailed or dropped off at the museum. All donation offers are reviewed by Jennifer Royer. Appropriate artifacts will proceed through the PHMC acquisition process, which can take up to two months. Accepted items have a strong Pennsylvania German link, are in good condition, and do not duplicate the museum’s current collection. All offers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum will never provide an appraisal.

Click to see Landis Valley Collection