Open
National Civil War Museum
A major museum telling the story of the Civil War from both Union and Confederate perspectives, from its causes through Reconstruction. It sits on the hill in Reservoir Park. Plan on 2–3 hours.
Museums in Harrisburg, PA
Civil War history, contemporary art, antique fire engines, 18th-century mansions, and hands-on science, with hours and admission for each.
Photo: Ruhrfisch · CC BY-SA 4.0
Heads up: The State Museum of Pennsylvania is closed. The museum at 300 North St. closed its third floor and planetarium in January 2026, and the whole building closed on August 2, 2026 for a renovation expected to last into early 2029. Its collections and programs are available online in the meantime. Renovation updates.
Museum guideWhere to go
Listed with current hours and prices, as published by each museum in 2026. Confirm before you go, especially around holidays.
Free admission
Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM)
A modern and contemporary art museum in Midtown with rotating exhibitions. Admission is free.
Open
Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
Two centuries of firefighting history in the restored 1899 Reily Hose Company No. 10 firehouse. Kids love it.
Open
Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts
A hands-on science center, a large-format digital cinema, and a performing-arts theater under one roof downtown.
Seasonal
Fort Hunter Mansion & Park
A Federal-style stone mansion on the site of a 1750s frontier fort, six miles north of downtown on the river. Small guided tours cover the house's collections.
John Harris–Simon Cameron Mansion
The 1766 home of John Harris Jr., who founded Harrisburg. It was later remodeled by Senator Simon Cameron, and today it is headquarters of the Historical Society of Dauphin County.
Art Association of Harrisburg
Founded in 1926, the Art Association runs five galleries and year-round classes from the historic Governor Findlay Mansion, across from Riverfront Park.
Closed for renovation
The State Museum of Pennsylvania
Home to the Marshalls Creek mastodon, the Civil War painting The Battle of Gettysburg: Pickett's Charge, and a planetarium. It is closed for renovation until an expected early-2029 reopening.
Plan a museum day
Combine them
The Civil War Museum is in Reservoir Park on the east side. SAM, the Fire Museum, and the Broad Street Market are all within a few blocks of each other in Midtown, so one afternoon covers all three.