Happy Valley is brimming with history — rich stories of daring do, enterprise, heartbreak, victory, mystery, intrigue, and adventure. There is truly something to suit every sort of historical interest and taste, right here in our own backyard.

Since 1988, the Centre County Historical Society (CCHS) has annually recognized individuals and organizations for their outstanding work in preserving and interpreting Centre County history. Historic preservation and advocacy projects from around the county will be featured on Sunday, January 22, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Match Factory in Bellefonte, home of the American Philatelic Society. Light refreshments will be available.

Maris operates Local Historia along with partner (and fellow school teacher ) Dustin Elder. Local Historia is an educational platform that focuses on “engaging content, walking tours, and other unique experiences,” including “History Pub” — an evening of cocktails and historical conversation at Big Springs Spirits, and an annual “Spooky Speakeasy,” with ghost stories at the Gamble Mill

The Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum in Boalsburg will soon be opening its second floor museum exhibit and Transportation & Early American Life exhibit, just about doubling the extent of its unique collections available to the public.

State College, PA – The school bell will be ringing at the historic Boogersburg One-Room School on Sunday, September 11, 2022 starting at 1:00 p.m. to welcome children of all ages back to school!

Descendants of the families that lived and worked at Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village are invited back to Curtin on August 13, 2022 to a “Come Home to Curtin” reunion to spend the day enjoying activities and sharing stories and family artifacts handed down from generation to generation.

“What do you do with an 1857 house that can’t be saved?”

It depends on who you ask. If you ask Benjamin Fehl, who moved to the area to go to Penn State and fell in love with Happy Valley, the answer is clear: You make art.

Fehl, who has a background in both art and architecture, bought an 1850s house in Milesburg at an auction in 2004. At first, his vision was to restore the little house that had belonged to Abigail Miles, the niece of the founder of Milesburg. He uncovered bits of history, from a massive stone fireplace to 150-year-old handprints in the plaster.

State College, PA – Central Pennsylvania Stories, a new anthology of 41 historical articles by local historian Ralph Seeley, has just arrived at Centre Furnace Mansion and is now available to the public. Published for the Centre County Historical Society by Mt. Nittany Press, the book’s varied stories cover Centre County and nearby locales from the 17th through 20th centuries.

Sundays on April 24, May 8, and May 22

The Columbus Chapel & Boal Mansion Museum announces this year’s Spring Classical Music Series beginning Sunday, April 24, with Piano Duo Azul, featuring Hyeyoung Song and Amy Gustafson playing piano four-hands. The concert will be held in the Mansion Ballroom at 3 pm.