Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center

Welcome

The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University is a place, a museum, and a year-round program. The Center represents the commitment of Kutztown University to the preservation of Pennsylvania German ("Pennsylvania Dutch") history, folklore, and traditions. It is part of the University's educational and cultural program.
The Center is located on a 30-acre 19th century farmstead with a stone farm house, barn, and smaller buildings which have been authentically restored, a one-room schoolhouse, circa 1870, and the library, which contains genealogical, historical and cultural information.

The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage is in the process of creating a log village. Presently, there are two log houses one named the Zimmerman log home has been reconstructed and the other named the Corrigan log home is almost completed. Both log home were carefully disassembled and carefully reconstructed on site, and additional structures could include a country store, a log church, etc.

The museum is a collection of more than 10,000 artifacts representing Pennsylvania German rural life in 19th - and early 20th - centuries, and extensive genealogical records of several thousand Pennsylvania German families dating to the mid-1700s.

The program is a year-round series of events celebrating Pennsylvania German culture and traditions - music, children's programs, classes in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, talks and demonstrations on topics such as home life, foods, and crafts. The one-room school experience is reenacted in the 125-year old Freyberger School.

Of special interest is the Kutztown Folk Festival, a nine-day celebration of Pennsylvania Dutch life and lore. The festival, held annually in the time period around the Fourth of July, features taste-tempting foods, pageantry, crafts, quilting, folklore seminars and children's activities. The dates for the 2010 Festival are July 3 through July 10 from 9 am to 6pm.

***New Christmas Events Announced***

See Events Page for Details

See our Christmas on the Farm 2009 Video on YouTube

Hours of Operation

Monday - Friday
10:00am - 12:00pm
1:00pm - 4:00pm
(except Holidays)

Field Trip Reservation form in word .

Heritage Center Reservation form in word.

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Updated: August 16, 2010