Celebrating the U.S. Semiquincentennial in 2026
Historic Trappe will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026 with three major initiatives across its properties. Visitors will experience how German-speaking people were at the center of the political, military, and religious tensions that swept through Pennsylvania at the founding of the United States. Here is a summary of our initiatives:
1) The Speaker's House restoration will be completed and the house fully opened to the public for the first time in 2026. Follow us on social media for periodic updates about the restoration and donate to help support these efforts.
2) At the Muhlenberg House, tours will focus on the Muhlenberg family's experience during the American Revolution when up to 32 people lived in the house at one time while seeking refuge from the war.
3) The Center for Pennsylvania German Studies will host a landmark special exhibition highlighting the experiences of Pennsylvania Germans during the American Revolution. Objects on view will include Henry Muhlenberg’s original journals, written in German, along with family bibles, firearms, fraktur made by Hessian soldiers-turned-artists, redware and other artifacts of domestic life, and evidence of the war uncovered by local archaeology excavations. This exhibition will be on view from the spring of 2026 through the winter of 2027.