LANCASTER, PA — Beginning Friday, April 4, LancasterHistory will host a series of events through April and May to encourage public awareness and foster financial support for the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy, a new museum being developed by the non-profit history organization.

Events include two First Friday gatherings, lunch and learn programs, a lecture, and open houses through the two spring months, and take place in a variety of locations, including the Stevens & Smith Center, LancasterHistory, online by Zoom, and at Southern Market Center in the City of Lancaster. The public is encouraged to attend any of the events to learn about the museum's progress, what’s ahead, and how to support the project. The first event takes place on Friday, April 4 from 5-7pm at the Stevens & Smith Center with an open house and birthday celebration in honor of Congressman Thaddeus Stevens' 233rd birthday.

Construction of the $19 Million new museum and educational center, led by Benchmark Construction (Brownstown, PA) and Centerbrook Architects (Centerbrook, CT), began in April 2024 and will conclude this spring. Throughout 2025, LancasterHistory will continue to work with Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA), an international team of researchers, artists, and exhibition designers, and Art Guild, museum exhibit fabricators near Philadelphia, to help bring the Stevens & Smith Center to life through the creation and production of exhibit panels, displays, and furniture. RAA and Art Guild will also help LancasterHistory implement accessibility components of the museum, funded through an Institute of Museum Library and Services grant received by LancasterHistory, so that all visitors can enjoy an equitable experience in the museum. LancasterHistory has currently raised $18.7 Million toward the total $24 Million campaign, which includes a $5 Million sustainability endowment.

"The Stevens & Smith Center is decades in the making, with so much extraordinary support from around the County (and beyond!). We are excited to invite everyone to join us in making this dream a reality, whether your gift is $4 or $4 Million. We want to give everyone who loves Lancaster the chance to be part of this exciting project—a gift to Lancaster and the nation that we can all be proud of on the day it opens and for decades after that!" said Robin Sarratt, LancasterHistory's President & CEO. "This museum is for everyone."

To view the slate of upcoming events about the Stevens & Smith Center, please visit stevensandsmithcenter.org/events. All events are free and open to the public.