Welcome to Megan’s Museum Minute, your guide to the best museums, exhibitions, and cultural happenings across the Lehigh Valley and the region in 2026! I’m Megan van Ravenswaay, and each week I’ll bring you behind-the-scenes stories, insider tips, family-friendly ideas, and easy date night plans. From historic sites to special exhibitions and festivals, consider this your go-to guide for the Lehigh Valley’s 250th anniversary year. Let’s start your cultural adventure now on Megan’s Museum Minute!
Museum Spotlight
If you love beautiful things with stories stitched right into them, you’ll want to check out Pieced Together: American Quilts Across Generations at the Pearl S. Buck House.
The exhibition runs through October 18, 2026, and it takes you on a journey through American quilting traditions from the Civil War era all the way to today.
And this isn't just a room with a few quilts hanging on the wall. The exhibition winds through the rooms of the museum, so you're seeing these works in the historic setting of Pearl S. Buck's home. The quilts range from practical, utilitarian quilts that reflect everyday life in the 19th century to contemporary art quilts that push the boundaries of what we think a quilt can be.
Some of the pieces have even won awards at regional and national quilt shows.
And while the exhibition begins with the Civil War era, quilts can take us even further back into American history—including the Revolutionary War period. During the Revolution, women and families relied on homespun and handmade textiles, and quilts and other household textiles could be practical necessities rather than simply decorative objects.
What I love about this exhibition is that quilts can tell stories without using a single word. The fabric, colors, patterns and stitching can reveal something about the person who made the quilt, the time period they lived in and the community around them.
And think about the amount of work that went into some of these pieces. Before we had mass-produced blankets and everything available at the click of a button, quilts could be made from fabric that was saved, reused and carefully pieced together.
So whether you're a serious quilter, a history buff, or someone who simply appreciates beautiful craftsmanship, this is an exhibition worth seeing. Pieced Together: American Quilts Across Generations is at the Pearl S. Buck House through October 18—so you've still got time to get there and see these pieces before they're gone.
Date Night
Looking for a date idea that turns into a full day of Revolutionary War adventure? How about letting someone else do the driving?
The Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society has a bus tour called “In Search of the Declaration: A Historic Bus Tour of Easton, Trenton, and Philadelphia.”
The tour runs on the second Saturday of each month through December 2026, and it starts at 9 a.m. at the Sigal Museum in Easton. You’ll begin with a special tour of the exhibitions, and then hop aboard a comfortable motorcoach for a day following the story of the Declaration of Independence.
This tour connects all three places the DOI was read on July 8, 1776 and lets you experience the history beyond the textbook. Along the way, you'll visit Washington Crossing Historic Park, the 1719 William Trent House and Christ Church Philadelphia, with guided tours and special experiences at each location.
And don't worry about packing a lunch—the tour includes lunch at the historic Washington Crossing Inn.
The tour runs approximately 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., so this is definitely a full-day date. But you're getting history, sightseeing, food and plenty of time to talk—all without having to figure out the driving or the itinerary yourself.
And there's a bonus: your ticket includes admission to return to the Sigal Museum and the 1753 Bachmann Publick House.
So grab your favorite history-loving person and make a day of it. “In Search of the Declaration” is a fantastic way to experience the Revolutionary story right from our own backyard—and beyond!
Family-Friendly Activity
Looking for something to get your teenager off their phone and into local history? Okay, hear me out—ghosts, murder, mystery and downtown Easton.
The Eerie Easton Walking Tours from the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society take place seasonally during September and October, and they explore some of the darker stories from Easton's past.
This isn't your typical history tour. The stories include murder, mischief and misadventure, along with suspicious disappearances, strange coincidences and disastrous journeys dating all the way back to Easton's founding in 1752.
And here's the part your teenager might actually think is cool: the stories aren't just made up ghost tales. The tour draws from primary documents, photographs, interviews and other historical sources from the Jane S. Moyer Library and Archives. So while you're getting the spooky stories, you're also learning how historians actually piece together the past.
It's also a great way to make history feel less like homework and more like a mystery you're solving together.
So grab your teenager, bring a flashlight—or at least your phone—and get ready to discover the creepy side of downtown Easton. Just don't be surprised if your teen suddenly becomes very interested in local history!
Save the Date
And finally, here's one to put on your calendar if you're looking for a history destination that's worth a road trip.
The Brandywine Battlefield Historic Site in southeastern Pennsylvania is a fascinating place to explore the history of the American Revolution and the Battle of Brandywine. The battlefield was the site of the largest single-day land battle of the Revolutionary War, fought on September 11, 1777.
Walking across a battlefield gives you a completely different perspective than reading about it in a book. You can see the landscape, imagine where soldiers positioned themselves, and begin to understand why geography mattered so much to the people fighting there.
The Battle of Brandywine was a major turning point in the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign, which eventually led to the British occupation of Philadelphia. It connects directly to the larger Revolutionary War story that we're celebrating here in Pennsylvania during the Lehigh Valley 250 commemoration.
It's also a great place to visit as part of your Revolutionary War explorations because it connects our local stories to the much bigger story happening throughout Pennsylvania.
So check the Brandywine Battlefield Historic Site visitor information before you go for current hours, admission and programming. And put it on your list for a future history day trip—because sometimes the best way to understand a battle is to stand where it actually happened.
2026 is a milestone year for the nation. From commemorative exhibitions to festive events, there’s so much to see and celebrate. To find out more about all these events and more, visit lehighvalley250.org.
That’s a wrap for your Museum Minute! I’ll be back next week with another quick look at our local culture.
