By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Longwood Gardens
Last year was the 70th anniversary of a popular science fiction movie called “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”
This weekend is the two-year anniversary of “The Weekend the Delaware Valley Stood Still.”
It was March 13, 2020 when the overwhelming surge in COVID-19 cases forced a standstill for almost all activities and attractions. It was the unluckiest Friday the 13th ever.
Winterthur’s response to the Coronavirus invasion was:
We are postponing all public events, programs, and tours and closing our galleries, retail stores and café through April 30. We are working to reschedule events and we will reach out to you with the new dates.
Winterthur gardens and trails remain open for those looking for peace and beauty in these difficult times.
Longwood Garden’s website posted this message:
Longwood Gardens is committed to remaining a safe place of beauty and respite for our community.
Our Gardens are open. However, all assembled group activities from March 13-April 22 are canceled.
Out of an abundance of concern for the wellbeing of our guests and community, and in keeping with the CDC’s guidance to practice social distancing, all concerts, tours, onsite classes, Member events, family and student programming, and lectures are canceled.
The following was the message on the Hagley Museum website:
For the health and well-being of our community, Hagley is taking measures to support efforts in response to COVID-19. These are in keeping with the CDC’s guidance to practice social distancing.
The following measures have been put into place effective March 13 through April 22, 2020:
Hagley Museum is open for public visitation for walking. Admission will be $7 for adults and $3 for children 6 to 14.
Most buildings will be closed. Buses will not be running, and the “upper property” will be closed. This includes the Eleutherian Mills Residence, garden, First Office, and Barn. The Steam Engine is closed, and modified demonstrations will be conducted in the powder yard.
The Hagley Store and the Hagley Caffé will be closed. Additionally, the Hagley Library will be closed, including on second Saturdays.
Fortunately, the number of COVID cases is going down. Intelligent people have gotten fully vaccinated and mask mandates are starting to no longer be a necessity.
Cancellation of events and closure of attractions are also becoming a thing of the past.
Visitors to Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, www.longwoodgardens.org) can immerse themselves in a winter wonderland. And they can also enjoy special exhibits at the Orchid House.
Now through March 27, Longwood Gardens will celebrate a winter wonderland with a special attraction called “Winter Wonder.”
In the past, Longwood Gardens was always a great place to go from January to April to escape the harshness of winter. Guests could enjoy an amazing array of flowering plants inside the lush and nicely heated Conservatory.
That has stayed the same this year and “Winter Wonder” adds a new dimension.
Outdoors, winter’s subdued beauty illustrates how plants can be used for both aesthetic and habitat benefit. Visitors can stroll among the serene landscape of the Hillside Garden or reflect among a symphony of copper and umber hues in the 86-acre Meadow Garden.
Although subdued colors reign, the occasional burst of bright yellow and orange of blooming witch-hazel dots the landscape, while winter grasses add a textural element.
Even though winter is a time of dormancy for many plants, it is also a time when plants’ different characteristics are on display – characteristics such as bark patterns, seed pods and ornamental fruit.
Wintertime allows the clear details of the garden to come forward and highlights the harmony that a garden builds with its surrounding landscape. The clear light of winter enhances the finer details of the outdoor landscape, from deciduous trees holding onto their late winter leaves to the brown-toned structures of summer-flowering perennials set against a blue winter sky.
Indoors, there is always the Conservatory.
This winter, visitors can experience a warm, colorful oasis in Longwood’s grand Conservatory. Vibrant Streptocarpus ‘Concord Blue’ baskets float above, pink and purple Saintpaulia (African-violets) delight, and tall Clerodendrum schmidtii (chains-of-glory) stun.
From beds of coral Cymbidium to a dedicated area showcasing highlights from the site’s vast collection, guests will be able to find hundreds of orchids in spectacular bloom.
In early March, Longwood’s famed blue poppy (Meconopsis ‘Lingholm’) returns to the Conservatory. These spectacular flowers—which are native to the high elevations of the Himalayan Mountains— are grown using precise techniques to force the blue-poppies to flower in March. The substantial petals are a mesmerizing sky-blue color.
After a major restoration project, the Orchid House has reopened at Longwood Gardens.
The Orchid House, which has a history dating back more than a century, has come back to life with a brand-new glass roof and reimagined gallery-inspired space.
If you’ve been to Longwood Gardens before you’ve probably seen the historic Orchid House. But if you come to see it once it has reopened on February 26 as the first expression of “Longwood Reimagined,” it will be an experience like never before.
The Orchid House has been completely restored in the same way founder Pierre S. du Pont would have done it himself — with excellence.
The original concrete aggregate was matched so well that you’d never even know it wasn’t the original. The bronze window framing was cleaned, repaired, and replaced. The tunnels below the space were reworked and a brand-new floor poured.
The historic bronze cases, first added in 1929 and then restored in 1966 to display the orchid collection, have been returned to their original position at the north end of the house. Before they existed, there was a glass wall in their place, which has now been added to the top of the cases to create a vestibule on the north side of the house, creating the perfect transition from the Acacia Passage now, and the Waterlily Court and West Conservatory in the future.
The cases themselves have had all of their original pieces restored and are now double-sided. You’re now able to see orchids on both sides of the gates — from the main view inside the Orchid House, and from the vestibule. The same wrought iron gates that have always been there stand in the middle of the cases, yet they’ve been completely restored, and their intricate details, once hidden under layers of paint, are appreciable once more.
Brand new gravity rings now hold our orchids in place, allowing the plants to be admired as always, but with better functionality and structural integrity.
Admission to Longwood Gardens is $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and college students, $18 for active military and $13 for youth.
Winterthur
Winterthur (5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, 800-448-3883, www.winterthur.org) is fully open and has a pair of special events on its calendar for this weekend – both on March 12.
The “Garden Director’s Walk” is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Participants can join Winterthur’s director, Chris Strand, on a special walk highlighting interesting and seldom seen parts of the landscape. Each walk lasts approximately 90 minutes and is included with admission.
The theme for Saturday’s walk is “Snowdrops and Other Minor Bulbs.”
Other upcoming “Garden Director’s Walks” are “Winterhazels and Early Rhododendrons” on April 9 and “Azaleas and Spring Wildflowers” on May 14.
In case of inclement weather on Saturday, an update message will be left at (302) 888-4915 approximately three hours before the walk.
The other special event on March 12 is “Take a Hike!”
The event, which allows participants to connect with the great outdoors, will start at 2:30 p.m.
Hikers will be able to explore the site’s trails with Winterthur estate guides. Winterthur’s 1,000-acre estate features 25 miles of walking paths and trails and 10 miles of roads to discover. The walk is included with admission.
Bellevue State Park
Another event in Delaware with an outdoor vibe will be “From Sap to Syrup” which will be presented on March 12 at Bellevue State Park (800 Carr Road, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-761-6963,http://www.destateparks.com).
Visitors to the park will be able to learn when sap flows, find out what trees are used for making maple syrup, and observe the process of making syrup.
Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to tap a tree and enjoy a special syrup-tasting with pancakes. The program will be presented on Saturday starting at 10 a.m.
Tickets for the event are $8 for adults and $5 for children (under 12).
The “Cobbs Creek Maple Sugaring Festival” will be held on March 12.
The event will be a day of celebrating all things about maple sugar.
Featured activities include hourly tree tapping tours, sap boiling, pancake and syrup tasting, maple candy making, and more.
The festival will run from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Center, (700 Cobbs Creek Parkway, Philadelphia, www.phila.gov/2022-02-02-tap-into-philadelphias-many-maple-sugar-events).
The festival will feature Pennsylvania maple syrup for sale – and free admission.
St. Patrick’s Day
Even though next Thursday (March 17) is officially St. Patrick’s Day, this weekend also features some St. Patty’s Day celebrations.
There were four local St. Patrick’s Day Parades scheduled for this weekend – Philadelphia, Springfield, Conshohocken and Wilmington — but one bailed because of concerns about inclement weather.
Dating back to 1771, the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade (www.philadelphiastpatsparade.com) is one of the city’s longest-running traditional events. It is also one of the oldest parades of any kind in the nation.
It will be held on March 13 from 11:15 a.m.-3 p.m.
A procession of drummers, dancers, various performers and Irish bands will move down JFK Boulevard alongside floats decorated in honor of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint.
The parade will originate at 16th Street and JFK Boulevard. The highly entertaining annual event is free for spectators.
Prior to the parade, Saint Patrick’s Church (20th and Locust streets) will celebrate with a “Commemorative Parade Mass.” The Mass will begin at 9:15 a.m. Prior to the Mass, at 9:00 AM, the Procession of the Grand Marshal and the Board Members will be led by the Emerald Society Pipe Band. The National Anthem of Ireland will be sung by Karen Boyce McCollum, and the National Anthem of The United States will be sung by Frank Gallagher.
The Parade takes place every year on the appointed date — rain or shine.
The Springfield St. Patrick’s Day Parade (http://www.springfielddelco.org/home/current-events.php) will get underway on March 12 at noon.
The parade will begin at West Springfield and South Britton roads and end at Saxer Avenue and Powel Road, with the reviewing stands located in front of Old Central School on Saxer Avenue.
The community is invited to arrive early to enjoy pre-parade festivities at the reviewing stand, beginning at 11:30 a.m. A special Mass will kick off the day at 8:30 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church on Saxer Avenue.
The Springfield Fire Co. has been selected to be the parade’s 2022 Grand Marshal. In 2020, the fire company celebrated its 100th year of service to the community.
This year’s parade will include many schools, churches, community organizations, Boy and Girl Scout troops, Irish dance groups, fire companies and more. Plenty of music will also be a part of the fun, with string bands, pipe and drum bands, and high school marching bands. The Delaware County divisions of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians will also participate in this year’s parade.
People wanting to attend a Patty’s Day parade in Conshy will have to wait two weeks.
In the interest of public safety due to the forecasted inclement weather, the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, along with the Borough of Conshohocken, have postponed the parade for this Saturday, March 12, 2022. It is re-scheduled for Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 2 p.m. (all parade times remain the same).
Another festive parade this weekend in nearby Wilmington is the Irish Club of Delaware’s 47th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade (www.IrishDE.org) on March 12.
The highly popular annual parade will start at noon at Fourth and King streets, continue up King Street and pause at Rodney Square. The parade will end at 14th and King streets.
There will also be a “St. Patrick’s Day Hooley” starting at noon at 14th and King streets. Commemorative mugs are $20 and include free refills.
Laurel Hill Cemetery
Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-228-8200, www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org) will have two special events this weekend including one with a St. Patrick’s Day theme.
On March 12 from 1-3 p.m., there will be a themed event – “St. Patrick’s Day Walking Tour & Tastes.”
The cemetery will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day while honoring the heritage and accomplishments of the city’s proudest Irish souls, now gone to their final reward.
“Tis a festive occasion to be enjoyed by the living, for earth has no sorrows that heaven cannot heal!” is a description offered by Laurel Hill.
Tickets include specialty treat from Mueller Chocolate Company along with a delightful assortment of Irish potatoes and Irish cream truffles!
Tour Guides will be Jerry McCormick and Bill Doran.
Also on March 12, Laurel Hill Cemetery will present “Hot Spots and Storied Plots” walking tour at 10 a.m.
In life and in death, we all have stories to tell, and what better place to hear tales of wonder than Philadelphia’s most famous home of the dead?
This tour provides an informative overview of Laurel Hill’s long history, which includes many of the marble masterpieces, stunning views, and legendary stories about Laurel Hill.
“Hot Spots and Storied Plots” is the perfect introduction for anyone who enjoys beautiful art, scenic nature, and fascinating history. An experienced graveyard guide will offer a unique perspective. No two “Hot Spots and Storied Plots” are alike.
The tour will take place on March 12 at 10 a.m. The Tour Guide will be Lora Lewis.
The Chaddsford Winery (632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, www.chaddsford.com) will host Cheese & Wine Reserve Tastings every Saturday and Sunday in March.
Visitors can enjoy stops at stations featuring locally crafted artisan cheeses from Birchrun Hills Farm carefully paired with the winery’s award-winning wines.
The pairing lineup is Greeting Cocktail: Chaddsford White Gin Smash, 2019 Sparkling White with Lil Chardy and Apple Jam, 2019 Traminette with Sea Salt and Honey Spread, 2019 Merlot with Equinox and Niagara with Birchrun Blue.
Sessions will be offered throughout the day at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. During the session, Chaddsford Winery staff will lead guests through an educational pairing while providing interesting facts about the featured wines andcheese.
Advanced tickets are $35 per person, and space is limited. Advanced reservations are required and are non-refundable.
Guests under 21 years old are not permitted to attend a Reserve Tasting. Outside food is not permitted during this program.
The “Wine and Cupcake Pairings” at Penns Wood Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, http://www.pennswoodsevents.com) will be held every Saturday and Sunday in February.
In addition to its regular tastings, the winery is offering special tastings to celebrate March.
Penns Wood is adding new and exciting items to its wine and chocolate pairings this year featuring its wines carefully paired with local baked treats.
This wine and cupcake pairing will consist of four gourmet mini cupcakes from Dia Doce in West Chester paired with four of Penns Wood’s premium wines.
Tickets cost $38 per person in advance and reservations are required.
The Strasburg Rail Road (Route 741, Strasburg, 717-687-7522, www.strasburgrailroad.com) is running a special train on Friday and Saturdays in March – the “Wine & Cheese Train.”
Passengers can enjoy the luxurious, climate-controlled first-class accommodations and a tasting of select wine, cheese, and crackers as they travel in style down the tracks from Strasburg to Paradise and back. The train departs at 6 p.m. and the total trip time is 45 minutes.
“Wine & Cheese Train” boarding is 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. Riders must be 21 or older and have their photo ID ready when they board.
Featured wines are carefully selected from Waltz Vineyards, and cheeses are paired accordingly. Beer and select non-alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase upon request. Riders can purchase a souvenir wine glass on board the train if desired. Glasses are $7 each.
In accordance with Pennsylvania law, alcohol is only served during the train ride. We are not permitted to serve alcoholic beverages while the train is berthed in the station.
This popular train is available on select Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the season. Tickets are $50.
The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania (300 Gap Road, Ronks, 717-687-8628, www.rrmuseumpa.org), has a special event this weekend that is both fun and educational — “Reading on The Rails.”
“Reading on The Rails,” which will be held on March 12, is geared for youngsters. Kids pick up their very own cardboard suitcase and use it to travel from story to story. They can collect a sticker after each story and create their own suitcase design with stickers, crayons, sparkles and other trimmings. As an added attraction they will receive a little gift to put inside their suitcase (while supplies last).
Stories will take place at 10:15, 11 and 11:45 a.m. and 1:15, 2, 2:45 and 3:15 p.m. among the historic trains in Rolling Stock Hall.
Some of the featured readers will be Margaret Miller (Judge, Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas), Kelly Osborne (Trooper, Pennsylvania State Police), Amy Banks (Arts & Communications Manager, Ware Center/Millersville University), Keith Greiner (Representative, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives), Kristin Fernitz (Director, Strasburg Heisler Library), Pamela Hults (Author of “Wild Animal ABC”) and Hillary Daecher (Author of “Soar”).
Tickets are $10 for adults (ages 12-64), $9 for Seniors (65+), $8 for Youth (ages 3-11) and free for Children (ages 2 and under.
Pennsbury Manor (400 Pennsbury Memorial Road, Morrisville, 215-946-0400, www.pennsburymanor.org) is celebrating Founders Day 2022 on March 13 from 1-4 p.m.
The free program at Pennsbury Manor includes exhibits, Living Theater presentations, blacksmithing, beer brewing, joinery, hearth cooking, and more. A wonderful display of 17th-century foods will be offered by the cooks, who will be on hand to explain the process of open-hearth cooking.
Tickets are $3 and can be purchased at the door.
If you’re a pet owner or just a lover of pets in general, there’s an event for your enjoyment this weekend at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (Station Avenue, Oaks, 800-677-4677, www.phillyexpocenter.com). From March 11-13, the huge convention hall is hosting the Greater Philadelphia Pet Expo.
The Expo features a huge number of vendors offering virtually everything pet-related including pet food, supplies, training, pet hospital information, treats and lodging. There will also be booths operated by humane groups and rescue services.
The line-up of special attractions includes Gail Mirabella and The Dynamo Dogs, Johnny Peer’s Muttville Comics, “Flyball Tournament,” Rainforest Reptiles Show, “Rabbit Hopping,” “The International Cat Association,” and “Beyond Imagination Alpaca Ranch.”
Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and military and $6 for children (ages 4-12). As an added attraction, Friday night is “Family Night” with all children under 12 admitted free.
Monster-Mania Con 49 will be held now through March 13 at the Cherry Hill Hotel (2349 West Marlton Pike, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, monstermania.net).
One of the nation’s premier horror film conventions, Monster-Mania Con features an impressive list of celebrities who will be appearing this weekend, including Anthony Michael Hall, Logan Kim, Devin Sawa, Thora Birch, Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, James Remar, Erik King, C.S. Lee, David Zayas, Stephen Dorff, James Jude Courtney and Kane Hodder.
Visitors to the convention will be able to meet the stars, get autographs, browse vendor rooms and enjoy films and special events all weekend long.
Activities get underway at 5 p.m. on March 11 and at 10 a.m. on March 12 and 13.
Admission is $30 on Friday and Saturday and $25 on Sunday.
Now through March 13, the Auto Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia is presenting the 2022 Philadelphia Auto Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (12th and Arch streets, Philadelphia, www.phillyautoshow.com). COVID interrupted the show’s annual cycle but now it’s back and it’s better than ever.
According to Kevin Mazzucola, executive director of the Auto Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia, “Philadelphia, it’s time to shift from idle to drive. We’re refueled, recharged and ready to welcome guests back to one of the City’s most beloved events.”
Spanning more than a half-million square feet, the 2022 Philadelphia Auto Show display floor will include several new features as well as time-honored fan favorites. This year marks the 120th edition of the event.
One of the 2022 highlights is “The e-Track,” the show’s first-ever multi-brand electric vehicle test track. At the e-Track, consumers will be able to ride in select manufacturers’ electric vehicles through an indoor track.
Guests will again be invited to check out the latest and greatest developments from some of today’s leading vehicle manufacturers in “The Showroom,” which will be in Halls A, B and C of the PA Convention Center.
“Camp Jeep & Toyota Ride & Drive” gives attendees the ultimate off-road driving experience indoors via a one-of-a-kind 30,000-square-foot track with an exhilarating hill climb. In addition, Toyota will once again offer guests the opportunity to get behind the wheel of several of its latest models via its outdoor Ride and Drive, located at 12th and Arch streets.
On “Back-in-the-Day Way,” which is located in the Grand Hall, guests will take a trip down memory lane and view vehicles from yesteryear thanks to the Antique Automobile Club of America and Classic Auto Mall.
Custom Alley will showcase a wide array of tricked-out rides, bikes and the latest in after-market excitement.
Ticket prices range from $10-$16.
This Saturday and every Saturday during the winter, the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard (1124 East Seventh Street, Wilmington, Delaware, www.kalmarrnyckel.org) is hosting “Winter Ship Tours” of the Kalmar Nyckel.
Kalmar Nyckel deck tours are open during the winter “maintenance season” on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
The $10 admission includes a self-guided tour of the Copeland Maritime Center.
Ship tours will cancel for inclement weather and safety issues due to heavy maintenance work.
The ship is a beautiful recreation of the original Kalmar Nyckel, which was built in Holland in the 1620s. Her mainmast is taller than a 10-story building, and she carries 7,600 square feet of sail area and six miles of rigging.
The original Kalmar Nyckel was a Swedish-owned, three-masted armed pinnace that sailed from Goteborg, Sweden in November of 1637 and brought the first permanent European settlers to the Delaware Valley.
In 1986 a group of citizens established the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation to design, build and launch a replica of the Kalmar Nyckel at a shipyard adjacent to the original landing site.
The new Kalmar Nyckel was constructed there and was launched on September 28, 1997. She was commissioned on May 9, 1998, and now serves as Delaware’s sea-going Ambassador of Good Will. She is a fully functional sail training vessel and has represented Delaware all over the country.
If you’re looking for a fun family activity – an indoor activity unaffected by the weather — Linvilla Orchards (137 West Knowlton Road, Media, 610-876-7116, www.linvilla.com) has something just for you — the miniature golf course “Fore! the Planet.”
Linvilla Orchard’s “Fore! The Planet” is a highly interactive and playful museum exhibit created by the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. This exhibition pairs important environmental issues with the fun of miniature golf.
It features 18 unique educational holes on a variety of topics — butterfly metamorphosis, a tropical rainforest, evolution, dinosaur extinction, food chains and more. Kids of all ages can enjoy playing miniature golf while learning about our environment on every hole.
The first hole is “Butterfly Life Cycle” and players must putt through each stage of the colorful insect’s metamorphosis. The next five holes are titled “Seed Dispersal,” “Bat Sonar,” “Food Chain,” “Evolution of a Golfer” and “Backyard Explorer” followed by “Natural Selection” and “Predators and Prey.”
On the “Dinosaur Extinction” hole, players get to hit their balls toward the scientific theory of dinosaur extinction they find most plausible. The remainder of the thought-provoking holes are “Recycling,” “Water Pollution,” “Landfills,” “Wild Corridors,” “Bird Migration,” “Spawning Salmon,” “Alien Species,” “Population Threats” and “Rainforest Threats.”
The mini-course is open daily from 9 a.m. through March 27. Tickets are $7.
“Elmo’s Furry Fun Fest” at Sesame Place (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com) is happening every weekend now through March 20.
Guests are invited to visit the park to enjoy an event series during “Elmo’s Furry Fun Fest,” a festive, family-friendly celebration with everyone’s favorite Sesame Street friends live and in-person at the amusement park in Langhorne.
The current special attraction is “St. Patrick’s Day Celebration” on March 12 and 13.
Every weekend through March, visitors can celebrate treat little loves to a fun day and wish Big Bird a Happy Birthday during his Birthday Weekend.
Activities include a riding on the Sunny Day Carousel, dancing and grooving during at the “Furry Friends Dance Party,” watching “Elmo the Musical, LIVE!” and having fun at the always popular Mini Parades.
The schedule features “St. Patrick’s Day Celebration” on March 12 and 13, and “Big Bird’s Birthday Pajama Party” on March 19 and 20.
The park will be open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays now through March 20.
A good way to get out of the cold weather is to visit Wonderspaces.
Wonderspaces at the Fashion District (27 North 11th Street, Philadelphia, philadelphia.wonderspaces.com) is an experiential, interactive arts venue.
Building on the success of annual pop-up shows in San Diego, and its first permanent location in Scottsdale, Arizona, Wonderspaces opened a 24,000 square foot gallery space in Philly a year ago.
Wonderspaces features 14 art installations that all play with the idea of perspective. The artwork ranges from award-winning virtual reality short film about a dinner party-turned-alien abduction, to a room where visitors digitally paint the walls with the movement of their bodies.
New artworks rotate in every few months, creating an ever-evolving, year-round show.
Tickets are for entry at a specific date and time. Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they please during operating hours. The average time spent experiencing the show is 90 minutes.
A few installations contain flashing lights, images, and patterns that may trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. All visitors must sign a waiver prior to being admitted into the space. Adult supervision is required for visitors under 16.
The installation is open from noon-10 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sundays.
Tickets are $24 for adults, $20 for seniors, teachers, healthcare workers, students and active military, and $15 for children (ages 3-12).
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia (215-413-1997, www.ghosttour.com), Ghost Tour of Lancaster (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) and Ghost Tour of Strasburg (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) operate throughout the winter and offer an eerily entertaining evening of true ghost stories and real haunted houses.
The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia, which is based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Philadelphia, PA.,” is a candlelight walking tour along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence Park, Society Hill, and Old City, where ghostly spirits, haunted houses, and eerie graveyards abound.
Participants can discover the ghost lore of America’s most historic and most haunted city with stories from the founding of William Penn’s colony to present-day hauntings.
The activity is open year-round – weekends, December-February; every night, March-November. Tickets are $24.
The Ghost Tour of Lancaster and the Ghost Tour of Strasburg are based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Lancaster, PA.”
Participants in the Ghost Tour of Lancaster explore the long-forgotten mysteries of one of America’s oldest cities, with haunting tales of otherworldly vigils, fatal curses, and star-crossed lovers. The tour provides the opportunity to experience 300 years of haunted history from the Red Rose City’s thorny past. Tickets are $18.
The Ghost Tour of Strasburg is a candlelight walking tour of the quaint and historic town of Strasburg in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Visitors will experience an entertaining evening with a costumed tour guide spinning tales of haunted mansions, eerie graveyards, and spirits that roam the night … in a town lost in time. Tickets are $18.
This week, Monday will not just be another Monday – it will be “π Day (Pi Day).”
Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in the month/day format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant digits of π.
Celebrations often involve eating pie or holding pi recitation competitions. In 2009, the United States House of Representatives supported the designation of “Pi Day.”
Pi (often represented by the lower-case Greek letter π), one of the most well-known mathematical constants, is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. For any circle, the distance around the edge is a little more than three times the distance.
Rajveer Meena set the Guinness record of most pi digits memorized when he recited 70,000 digits in 9 hours, 7 minutes, while blindfolded, on March 21, 2015. Meena is the officially recognized world record-holder by Guinness World Records.
The North American record for digits of Pi recited belongs to Upper Darby’s Marc Umile who recited 15,314 digits from memory in July 2007.
