Meadowcroft to offer free admission for kids in September
– The Washington County attraction will extend its fall hours to meet increased demand this season –
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 31 , 2020 – Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, part of the Senator John Heinz History Center ’s family of museums, will offer free admission for kids ages 17 and under throughout September, presented by Washington Financial Bank and Alex E. Paris Contracting.
As most museums across the nation are attracting about 20% of their average attendance since reopening, Meadowcroft – with its 275 acres of outdoor space and safe, family-friendly activities – is drawing an astounding 108 % of its 2019 attendance so far this season.
The site has been able to offer free admission for kids during its 2020 season, thanks to the generous support of sponsors including Washington Financial Bank, Alex E. Paris Contracting, UPMC, and Range Resources.
While capacity limits remain in the Visitor Center and other indoor spaces, Meadowcroft can safely welcome families from across the region looking to get outside and enjoy a cultural experience during this unprecedented season.
Kids can throw tomahawks in the site’s 18th-century frontier area, learn to use an atlatl (a prehistoric spear-thrower) in a 16th -century Monongahela Indian Village, and explore the prehistoric wonders of the Meadowcroft Rockshelter – a National Historic Landmark recognized as the oldest site of human habitation in North America.
Meadowcroft to Extend Fall Hours
Meadowcroft is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday through Labor Day.
While the site is normally open on weekends only in the fall, it will extend its fall hours to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday after Labor Day to meet increased demand this season. Meadowcroft will remain open through the end of October.
Admission is $15 for adults, $14 for senior citizens, $7 for students with a valid ID, and free for Heinz History Center members. No advance tickets are required.
Social distancing is encouraged, and face coverings are required in indoor spaces (including the Visitor Center, Rockshelter enclosure, and restrooms) and when near others. For more information on Meadowcroft’s new health and safety procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit www.heinzhistorycenter.org/meadowcroft /visit
Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village operates in association with the Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian and Pennsylvania’s largest history museum. Meadowcroft, a National Historic Landmark, is the oldest site of human habitation in North America and features a massive rock overhang used by the region’s earliest inhabitants for shelter more than 19,000 years ago. The 16th – century Monongahela Indian Village includes wigwams and recreated prehistoric artifacts. Two 18th – century structures help to spotlight the similarities and differences between the everyday lives of European settlers and American Indians in the Upper Ohio Valley. Meadowcroft’s 19th – century village features a covered bridge, one-room schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, and church that create a charming country village setting. Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village is located in Avella, Pa., Washington County, within an hour’s drive of Pittsburgh. For more, visit www.heinzhistorycenter.org/meadowcroft .
