Step into the past with the "Iron Works of Happy Valley, PA" Adventure Lab! Created by the Happy Valley PA GeoTour volunteers, this unique scavenger hunt takes you to 10 historical locations that shaped Happy Valley’s rich iron industry. Perfect for families, friends, and solo explorers, this journey unveils the legacy of Pennsylvania’s ironworks, blending history with adventure.

Laurin Goad Davis is an architectural historian working in the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library at Penn State. She's written on school facilities and women in architecture. In her current role, she creates metadata for the Central Pennsylvania Architecture and Landscape Architecture Digital Collection and works on other local architecture projects for the Libraries.

Cooper Wingert, historian and author of 10 books about the Civil War and the Underground Railroad, will present Slavery and the Underground Railroad in South Central Pennsylvania, Sunday, September 22, 2:00 p.m., at the American Philatelic Society, Bellefonte. Based on new archival research, this talk will illuminate how the Underground Railroad consisted of white and Black people whose actions were more open than many think.

Happy Valley is rich in history, culture, and creative residents who love celebrating both. The region’s museum scene is top-notch and varied, offering a mix of traditional galleries and more interactive experiences.

This summer, there are plenty of opportunities to drop in and get to know the new Palmer Museum of Art. Explore the new building with a Palmer guide and enjoy an introduction to the newly reinstalled permanent collection, along with a brief introduction to two special exhibitions.

Maker spaces and make-and-take venues throughout Happy Valley offer a great opportunity for travelers to express their creative side while visiting the region. The Rivet, a 5,000-square-foot community workshop just outside of downtown State College lets visitors explore a wide variety of mediums and “Make Anything.”

When Eagle Iron Works stopped producing pig iron in 1921, it had been the longest-operating cold-blast charcoal ironworks in Pennsylvania. During its 112-year run, which included one year of work after smelting ceased, the works smelted and forged iron throughout a period of massive change in Centre County and the United States, surviving long after the iron and steel industries had evolved.

The Centre County Historical Society is pleased to partner with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and William Marcum, local historian and research authority on the Poe Valley CCC Camp, to invite the public to attend a day-long program about the Civilian Conservation Corps this Sunday, July 28 from 10 am to 4 pm.

The Centre County Encyclopedia of History & Culture continues to add intriguing articles about Centre County’s past.