Nearly 1,000 Students Tour Chambersburg Heritage Center & Gift Shop

CHAMBERSBURG, PA – Nearly 1,000 students from various school districts in Franklin County learned about Chambersburg’s history from the frontier days to modern times while visiting the Chambersburg Heritage Center & Gift Shop over the past month. 
On average, 75 students tour the Heritage Center daily. In late April, students from Greencastle-Antrim School District and Shady Grove Mennonite School explored the facility and enjoyed an outdoor walking tour. By the end of May, every fifth grader in the Chambersburg Area School District will have received tours of the Heritage Center.
“I’ve been giving tours to the fifth graders for over ten years, and I look forward to it every year,” said Joe Hunt, a volunteer for the center since its opening in 2004. “The students are interested and well-behaved, and I think it’s important that they are learning about the history of their own community.”
Students learn about notable Franklin County residents, the town’s involvement in the Civil War, underground railroad activities, Benjamin Franklin and much more. Tours are given by docents who volunteer their time to educate the students. They include Joe Hunt, Jim Helkamp, Suzie Hipkiss, Frances Humelsine, Catherine Kinton and David Fish. Students may also make additional visits to the Old Jail and the Franklin County Courthouse during their field trip.
The Chambersburg Heritage Center & Gift Shop at 100 Lincoln Way East on Memorial Square is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays from May to October. Hours are extended during special events such as Old Market Day during ChambersFest. Group tours are available based on the availability of docents. For more information, contact Sue Black at 717-264-7101 or visit Chambersburg.org.
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