Tours

Ashland Cemetery Walking Tour

Date: Sunday, May 18, 2025 2PM

Ashland was one of the first “Garden Cemeteries” in the area. On this tour we’ll cover the ABC’s of Ashland….speaking of some of those whose names begin with those letters. Of course, we’ll also speak of the history of the cemetery, monument styles and burial customs around the time of the opening in 1865. We’ll also talk about the effect that the Civil War had on funeral and burial customs. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. Participants will meet at the mausoleum.
Rain or Shine

Cost: $10/member; $15/nonmember; $5/school-age-children

Register Here

Walking Tour of Carlisle Indian School Grounds

Join guest curator Kate Theimer for a walking tour of the buildings and locations that were part of the Carlisle Indian School–now the site of the U.S. Army War College on the Carlisle Barracks. Tour will include an overview of the school’s history and detailed discussion of the use of the buildings by students and staff. The 2-hour tour will conclude with a visit to the cemetery for those who wish.

Access to the Carlisle Barracks is subject to U.S. Army policies. At the present time, a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or other form of identification (such as a U.S. passport) is required. Tour participants are responsible for obtaining their own passes for accessing the grounds. We encourage you to apply for your pass (REAL ID-compliant driver’s license is required for this) using the online system (https://pass.aie.army.mil/steps/branch_selection) . Passes obtained through the system will be good for 30 days. Passes are not required for those under 18 years of age. Please note that our ability to access the grounds is subject to changes due to the Barracks schedule and policies.

For this walking tour, the distances covered are not extensive but opportunities to sit are limited.

If you are not an American Citizen, contact us in advance as we need to plan accommodations because of U.S. Army Policies

Underground Railroad Walking Tour

Date: Saturday, Septemeber 20, 2025 10AM
Matthew March, Education Curator, will lead this walking tour that will focus on the role of abolitionists and freedom seekers in Boiling Springs.  The historic village was the site of an Underground Railroad “station” operated by area resident, Daniel Kaufman. Meet in Boiling Springs at the parking lot at approximately 9 Bucher Hill RD near the stop sign.
Cost: $10/member; $15/nonmember; $5/school-age-children

Camp Michaux Walking Tour

Date: Saturday, November 8, 2025 1PM

David Smith will lead the popular Camp Michaux walking tour of the old Bunker Hill Farm; Pine Grove Furnace CCC Camp; Pine Grove Furnace POW Interrogation Camp; and finally the United Church of Christ & United Presbyterian Church Camp. Meet at the furnace in Pine Grove State Park.

Cost: $10/member; $15/nonmember; $5/school-age-children

Register Here

Bus  Tours

Bus Trip Regulations:
1. Early sign up for bus trips is important
2. No refunds will be made unless: the Historical Society cancels the trip
due to insufficient registration or the bus company cancels the trip.
3. Please be prompt for departure times.
4. There is no reserved seating for the bus.

Self Guided Camp Michaux Walking Tour

For over ten years, the Cumberland County Historical Society has supported the development of increased understanding of the history of a site in Cooke Township known as Camp Michaux. The site had been used as a farm associated with the iron industry from 1787-1912, and then as a farm leased by the state from 1913-1919. In 1933 the site became the first Civilian Conservation Corps Camp in Pennsylvania operated on State land and continued to function until 1942. In 1943, the U.S. Army converted the CCC facility for use as a secret interrogation camp for enemy German and Japanese prisoners of war, one of only three such sites in the country. After WWII, the facility was renovated and operated by Camp Michaux, Inc., a joint effort of the United Church of Christ and the United Presbyterian Church, as a youth summer camp.

The grant project, entitled Camp Michaux Recognition and Development had three main goals. Under the leadership of David Smith, the project secured an official State Historical Marker for the site which was dedicated in July of 2011. Trails have been opened at the camp and individual sites cleared to make them more visible to the public. A self-guided walking tour book was been written and is now available in a fourth revised edition. The book is keyed to numbered 30 posts that have been erected throughout the former camp. The book is available for downloading below. The third goal of the project is to list the property on the National Register of Historic Places. The nomination process for this phase of the project is still in progress

Click here for a pdf of the Camp Michaux Self-Guided Walking Tour

Bunker Hill Farm
Pine Grove Furnace CCC Camp
Pine Grove Furnace POW Interrogation Camp
Church Camp Michaux

by David L. Smith, Director
Camp Michaux Recognition and Development Project
Cumberland County Historical Society

Statement developed by archeology students from Dickinson College.

As you explore the Dickinson College Camp Michaux website, please keep in mind that archaeology is a careful, precise process. We need your help to protect the history that is still in the ground at Camp Michaux; we can’t learn about it if it’s not there. A few discarded bottles or a broken spearpoint may not seem important but these artifacts tell the stories of past people who can no longer speak for themselves. Recovering this information is a careful process that archaeologists are trained to do. Disturbances such as digging, removing objects, and leaving graffiti are illegal and detrimental to the site.

We are all stewards of this important place; please respect it and help us protect it!