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Monday 9am - 8pm Tuesday 7am - 9pm Wednesday 7am - 5pm Thursday 7am - 5pm Friday 7am - 5pm Saturday 7am - 8pm Sunday 7am - 8pm

Conococheague Institute

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Mercersburg, PA
Conococheague Institute

Where history, nature, and community meet! Explore 18th-century life at the Conococheague Institute located at 12995 Bain Rd, Mercersburg, PA 17236.
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09/01/2026

While our interns are heading back to college and school, the impact they’ve left on the site remains. They’ve also created some virtual programs for you, and first up is Trey with an informative lesson on Great Mullein!

Learn more about this tall invasive plant, ways to remove it from your property, and some startling reasons people have used it throughout history, including in tinctures and even as a fish killer!

08/31/2026

We’re looking for apple advice!

We have two apples on our site this year, and it’s not because the goats have been snacking on them! The April frost that followed unseasonably warm temperatures destroyed an estimated 70–90% of apple blooms across the state, causing approximately $200 million in damages for farmers.

While not being able to pick our own apples for our 1776: Harvest on the Homestead program is a shame, we’re incredibly fortunate that our orchards are educational, not our livelihood. Our hearts go out to the growers and farmers who have been impacted by this devastating loss.

So, we’re asking for your help! If you know of a local orchard with surviving crops, or if you have apple trees at home that produced a harvest this year, please let us know. We need to procure bushels and bushels of apples for our cider making programs!

08/30/2026

Another beautiful day to visit our Revolutionary Homestead programs, today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.!

It’s the final day of Jacob’s summer internship, so he’ll be leading tours around the cabins, gardens, and animal pastures, sharing all he’s learned this summer with the public.

As summer winds down and we head into our busy booking season, these relaxing days are the perfect opportunity to go into greater detail about the daily life and routines of an 18th century farm. We currently have 2,000+ students booked for this fall, so enjoy the quiet while you can!

We hope to see you soon at the Conococheague Institute:
12995 Bain Road, Mercersburg, PA 17236.

08/29/2026

We may be in the dog days of summer, but we're looking forward to an exciting weekend of programming today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.!

For our 18th century living history programming, we'll have flintlock weapons demonstrations today. In August 1776, the Battle of New York was underway, and on this day, George Washington faced the difficult decision to abandon Long Island to the British.

Here at the homestead, it's also summer harvest season, so we'll have a special focus on the garden today. We've got bags available, so be sure to stop by and grab some free tomatoes, peppers, beans, and cabbage!

And as a reminder during these dog days of summer, our site is family and animal friendly. You can walk your pets on the trails, meet our heritage breed sheep and goats, and you may even discover snakes and turtles in the wetlands area.

No RSVP is required. Just make your way to 12995 Bain Road, Mercersburg, PA 17236, and start a historic adventure with us!

08/28/2026

COMING SOON TO A CINEMA NEAR YOU!

Our 30 second “movie trailer” for 1776: Harvest on the Homestead will be playing at Warehouse Cinemas Leitersburg and Warehouse Cinemas Frederick, MD throughout September - but the real event is coming October 10th!

Join us for a full day of history, harvest, and community at the homestead. And this is just the beginning… We’ll have longer feature videos coming soon with more details, sponsors, and everything you can look forward to!

Save the Date: October 10th, 2026, 12 PM - 8 PM
- Author’s Talk with Tom Hand of Americana Corner - 1 PM
- Annual Members Meeting - 2 PM
- Ongoing living history, with evening bonfire program

For now, grab your popcorn, watch the trailer, and save the date! And if you see our trailer when you're at the movies (Leitersburg & Frederick) let us know how we look on the big screen!

08/27/2026

We've heard your requests, and scheduled a premium fall homeschool day and we expect it to fill fast (we're 1/4 full just from pre-registers).

Please sign up via this link:
https://forms.gle/fQf8JoVdXocooyGy5

Step back in time for a hands-on program of 18th-century learning and fun!
Participants will experience some of the best CI has to offer, including trying their hand at archery and the history of indigenous communities in the area, making butter while learning about our heritage breed animals, crafting fragrant herb bundles and exploring the garden, and pressing fresh cider to celebrate harvest time.

Date: October 15th, 2026
Time: 10:00am-12:00pm
Location:
The Conococheague Institute
12995 Bain Rd Mercersburg, PA 17236
Cost: $14.00 per participant

Important Notes:
1. Please submit an individual form for each participant (Please do not include chaperones in your participant sign-ups)
2. Participants should currently be completing work in the K-12 grade levels
3. Participants will be separated into appropriate age and school level groups (There will be approximately 10 participants per group)

Act Quick! To ensure the best experience possible, this program will be limited to 50 participants

08/27/2026

What things do we have to look forward to at our free Revolutionary Homestead programs this weekend?

Stepping into the past and experiencing everyday life skills from the 18th century? Flintlock weapons demonstrations? Exploring the nature areas and seeing summer floral blooms in every direction? Joining our team in a game of cricket?

We’ll have all this and more Saturday and Sunday this weekend, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As a final added perk, the garden is yielding! On a first come, first served basis, we’ll have tomatoes, peppers, and cabbages for visitors to take home for free, so come in the morning to grab what you can!

Spread the word, and plan to enjoy a family day at the Conococheague Institute.

08/26/2026

Ever wondered what our environmental interns get up to in the summer? Know a student who cares about nature and would like to work in the conservation field? Share this video with them, and encourage them to apply for future paid internships!

Trey McCarty of Frostburg State University reflects on his summer as an environmental intern at the Conococheague Institute. In this short video, Trey shares what he learned through hands on conservation work. From maintaining native gardens and trails to removing invasive plants and gaining a deeper understanding of the work that goes into caring for our natural landscapes.

We hope you'll take a couple of minutes to learn more about Trey's experience, wish him well with his college career, and the journey the next generation of conservationists are taking at CI.

Our paid internships are a rarity in the field, but so important for student career growth, and our organization. They are made possible by the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations Cultural and Historical Support Grant and community donations, and we're grateful for the generous support.

Way to go, Trey! We're cheering you on and can't wait to see where your journey takes you next!

08/25/2026

Last week, the Conococheague Institute was invited by the Visit Hagerstown & Washington County MD to enjoy a team bonding experience at a Hagerstown Flying Boxcars game at Meritus Park.

Good food, good drinks, and great company made for a fantastic evening, and an excellent opportunity to connect and network with friends and colleagues from across the Mason-Dixon Line.

At CI, we often host businesses and organizations at our site for team building experiences. We may not have a baseball diamond, but we do have goats, cricket, gardens, historic buildings, and plenty of space to get your team out of the office!

Planning a fall team day and looking for something a little different? Reach out to us and make your next team experience one to remember!

08/24/2026

Is it a hummingbird, or is it a bee? Look closely! This little visitor at the Conococheague Institute is one of Pennsylvania’s fascinating sphinx moths, probably a Snowberry Clearwing moth (Hemaris diffinis). They are locally also referred to as hummingbird moths or flying lobsters (though that resemblance is harder to see).

Snowberry Clearwings are masters of disguise. Their fuzzy yellow and black bodies make them look remarkably like bumblebees, while their mostly transparent wings give them away as moths. And unlike many moths, these guys are active during the day, hovering from flower to flower as they feed on nectar.

This one was enjoying our flowers in the native prairie and birding area, exactly the kind of habitat we love to see supporting pollinators. Native plants provide much more than beautiful blooms: they offer food and habitat for insects, birds, and countless other creatures throughout their life cycles.

And that's one of the best things about exploring the grounds, you never quite know who you'll meet!

Have you spotted a hummingbird moth, butterfly, bee, or other interesting visitor at CI? Perhaps even a snake or chipmunk? We’d love to see what you find! Share your photos with us and help us celebrate the amazing wildlife living among our native plants.

The Conococheague Institute grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk for nature explorers. Come wander the prairie, explore the birding area, and see what you can discover.

Address

12995 Bain Road
Mercersburg, PA
17236

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 8pm
Tuesday	7am - 9pm
Wednesday	7am - 5pm
Thursday	7am - 5pm
Friday	7am - 5pm
Saturday	7am - 8pm
Sunday	7am - 8pm

Telephone

+17173282800

Website

http://cimlg.org/

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