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Pa. Military Museum still closed for Memorial Day weekend. Here's what to know

By Reporting by Josh Moyer. Produced with AI assistance
This proposed rendering, produced by The Design Minds Inc., shows the WWI Gallery from the perspective of a visitor standing in front of the WWII Gallery. The gallery includes a rare M1917 Tank, the first tank built by the U.S. and one of only a handful that are known to have survived.
This proposed rendering, produced by The Design Minds Inc., shows the WWI Gallery from the perspective of a visitor standing in front of the WWII Gallery. The gallery includes a rare M1917 Tank, the first tank built by the U.S. and one of only a handful that are known to have survived. Courtesy of Pennsylvania Military Museum

Visitors hoping to tour the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg this Memorial Day weekend will find the doors still shut. The state-owned museum remains closed for a multi-million-dollar renovation that has been pushed back to 2027.

FULL STORY: What will the Pa. Military Museum look like when it reopens? Here’s a sneak peek

Here are key takeaways:

This rendering, produced by The Design Minds Inc., shows a different part of the World War II gallery. The backgrounds are designed to better match the exhibits and artifacts.
This rendering, produced by The Design Minds Inc., shows a different part of the World War II gallery. The backgrounds are designed to better match the exhibits and artifacts. Courtesy of Pennsylvania Military Museum
  • Reopening delayed: Originally planned as a 14-month, $3.4 million project set to reopen in February 2026, the museum now won’t reopen until 2027 because of unanticipated issues contractors faced during renovations.
  • What’s causing the delay: Renovations have centered on a new HVAC system, a geothermal system and a new vapor barrier for walls — critical for protecting artifacts like wool WWII uniforms from humidity damage. HVAC work will be followed by a 90-day testing period and then about nine months of exhibit fabrication.
  • A barely recognizable museum: Walls and partitions will replace the large open space to separate galleries, and about half of the more than 1,000 artifacts on display will be completely different. There will be 24 exhibits in total, with roughly 250 pages worth of material for visitors who want to read every museum label and all the exhibit text.
  • Standout exhibit: The World War I gallery will feature the museum’s six-ton M1917 light tank — the first tank built by the U.S. and the only remaining M1917 originally fitted with the Marlin 1918 tank machine gun. “This is probably, to me, going to be one of the most important exhibits,” museum director Chris Kuhns said.
  • Outdoor events continue: While the building stays closed, museum staff are working from trailers behind the museum and have outdoor events scheduled through December.
This rendering, produced by The Design Minds Inc., shows a World War II exhibit featuring a Jeep. More detailed information will be available to read at most exhibits.
This rendering, produced by The Design Minds Inc., shows a World War II exhibit featuring a Jeep. More detailed information will be available to read at most exhibits. Courtesy of Pennsylvania Military Museum
This rendering, produced by The Design Minds Inc., shows the “1.9 Individual Stories” section in the plans above. The design, along with plans for touchscreens, could still change — but the vision of sharing Pennsylvanians’ stories will most definitely persist.
This rendering, produced by The Design Minds Inc., shows the “1.9 Individual Stories” section in the plans above. The design, along with plans for touchscreens, could still change — but the vision of sharing Pennsylvanians’ stories will most definitely persist. Courtesy of Pennsylvania Military Museum
This layout reflects all the galleries planned for the renovation of the Pennsylvania Military Museum. The layout will remain similar to before, but the design and look of the galleries and exhibits themselves will be completely different.
This layout reflects all the galleries planned for the renovation of the Pennsylvania Military Museum. The layout will remain similar to before, but the design and look of the galleries and exhibits themselves will be completely different. Courtesy of Pennsylvania Military Museum

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.

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