Projects:Live & Learn


Philadelphia audiences explore themes of slavery and freedom during a February weekend. Photo courtesy of Jason Smith.

Live a Little — Learn A Lot About Pennsylvania's Civil War & Underground Railroad History

Want to learn more about Pennsylvania's Civil War history? Looking for an interesting and unusual way to spend a weekend getting to know your Commonwealth? Then check out Pennsylvania's Live & Learn Weekends. Running from March to October, PHC brings this exciting program to residents and visitors through a series of "learning weekends" intended to increase public understanding of the Underground Railroad and Civil War era.

A Live & Learn event is no more than a two-hour drive away—no matter where you live in Pennsylvania. Weekends take place in the regions of Chambersburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. At the events, you'll have the chance to:

  • Receive a copy of the weekend's featured book to deepen your experience
  • Talk to a scholar about how the book ties into the larger national story
  • Tour local historical sites and interact with living history performers
2010 Featured Books
Each region holds a book discussion program, lead by an expert scholar, to generate an open dialogue about our state and nation's history. The featured books, which explore themes relevant to Underground Railroad and Civil War history, anchor each Live & Learn weekend. Visitors are encouraged to attend the event and take the book home for further exploration.
View the list of 2010 books.

The 2010 Live & Learn program runs from March to October. For information on program dates in a specific region, view Live & Learn events on PHC's web calendar.

PHC is partnering with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development's Quest for Freedom network to present this program to Pennsylvania residents and visitors. Tapping into the 132 million visitors that come to Pennsylvania every year, the Live & Learn Weekends draw parallels between Underground Railroad and Civil War sites, living history performances and related literature.

For more information, visit www.Paquestforfreedom.com or contact the PHC.