Like the majority of archaeological sites I’ve worked on, Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Museum of Rural Life is located at the end of a long, winding road which appears to be washing out and leading to nowhere. (In case you’ve never heard of Meadowcroft, it is the oldest continuously occupied archaeological site in North America as well as the first identified pre-Clovis site, and it’s a National Historic Landmark.) The Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Museum joined with the Heinz History Center in 1993 and is located just outside of Avella, PA. I've included some pictures of my visit here.
All I can say is that it is an adventure, drive slowly, and know that there is something worthwhile at the end. Once you reach Meadowcroft (which really is just an hour outside of Pittsburgh and ½ hour outside of Washington, PA), you’ll be glad you found it.
Meadowcroft is more than just the Rockshelter, it also includes a 1600’s-era Indian Village and a mid-19th century Museum of Rural Life. I’ll get back to the rockshelter, but for the non-archaeologists out there the biggest draw is the village and rural life areas. Both are staffed by well-trained and personable guides and I appreciated their approachability; they were by far the most fun and engaging guides I’ve come across and I’ve visited my fair share of historic sites.
The “Indian Village” is fairly new to Meadowcroft and is a nice replica of a typical 1600’s-era village for this area. A small portion of a log palisade encloses the entrance. Inside you are presented information on local clothes, farming, and hunting, among other things. There are two replica wigwam-style homes which are currently covered with grass matting. I understand from the guide that they hope to get a more authentic covering completed in the future when funding is available, so please overlook the mats for now. With that exception, the materials demonstrated are wonderfully authentic and really give you a sense of handling artifacts that would have been used in the 1600’s. Children particularly enjoyed the presentations and chances to hold stone tools, fur clothes, and try a bit of “hunting”. NOTE: Concerning the fur clothes presentation, I thought this was handled very well and for a purpose – to teach visitors about what would really have been used and worn. However, the furs shown and passed around are real animal furs and if you object to this, you would do best to avoid this section of the village.
The Museum of Rural Life is on another part of the grounds and consists of a grouping of four structures including a log cabin, smithy, schoolhouse, and church. You are invited into each structure and then given a demonstration or asked to play a game. In the schoolhouse you are asked to participate in the school lesson which was a complete blast and particularly interesting to see what the kids in the mid-1800s were learning. I’ve visited Plimoth Plantation and Williamsburg and others, and while this museum doesn’t have the same scope, it’s just as engaging if not more. Kids have a small area to roam, so you won’t lose them, the blacksmith does an excellent presentation, and the house and schoolroom are just plain fun.
As a former-archaeologist the real draw for me was, of course, the Rockshelter which is located just down the hill from the main grounds. If you have any interest in archaeological sites, this is a great one to visit. The new structure covering the site is beautifully done and better yet, actually gives you a great better view of the site. The high roof opens up the area to viewing in a way that was never possible before and a well-thought out lighting system really lets the guide highlight areas that illustrate her presentation. I savored the chance to visit this world-famous site and still can’t quite believe it’s in our own backyard.
I do have one note of caution. Visiting the rockshelter itself is done in groups. When you first sign in, the staff lets you know when the next few groups are meeting (typically once every hour) and you come back to the visitor’s center at the appointed time. The group is then asked to watch a 15 min video before seeing the site. I applaud Meadowcroft for wanting to present some context before visiting the rockshelter, so that the average visitor has a better understanding of what they’re looking at (after all, it does look pretty much like a hole in the ground.) However, the video borders on abysmal and does little credit to the great efforts seen around the site and museum. The guide does an excellent job of presenting Meadowcroft in context. All I can say, is sit through the video and know that it gets better from here.
Overall, Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Museum of Rural Life does a wonderful job of drawing you into the experience and letting you play. It’s a small enough area that you can visit it all and not be overwhelmed, at the same time, my husband and I spent 3 hours there and could have spent more. Kids from ages 2-12 that I saw loved the way the guides let you play at being in a 1900’s school or a 1600’s Indian village. (With the kids over age 12 it was difficult to tell, but the sullen expressions on their faces seemed to lighten just a bit).
Is this trip right for you? Well, if you’re the type to enjoy visiting historic sites, archaeological sites, or reenactments, then you will also definitely enjoy Meadowcroft. It’s a hidden gem for our area and well worth the visit. It is there, I promise, just keep driving.
All I can say is that it is an adventure, drive slowly, and know that there is something worthwhile at the end. Once you reach Meadowcroft (which really is just an hour outside of Pittsburgh and ½ hour outside of Washington, PA), you’ll be glad you found it.
Meadowcroft is more than just the Rockshelter, it also includes a 1600’s-era Indian Village and a mid-19th century Museum of Rural Life. I’ll get back to the rockshelter, but for the non-archaeologists out there the biggest draw is the village and rural life areas. Both are staffed by well-trained and personable guides and I appreciated their approachability; they were by far the most fun and engaging guides I’ve come across and I’ve visited my fair share of historic sites.The “Indian Village” is fairly new to Meadowcroft and is a nice replica of a typical 1600’s-era village for this area. A small portion of a log palisade encloses the entrance. Inside you are presented information on local clothes, farming, and hunting, among other things. There are two replica wigwam-style homes which are currently covered with grass matting. I understand from the guide that they hope to get a more authentic covering completed in the future when funding is available, so please overlook the mats for now. With that exception, the materials demonstrated are wonderfully authentic and really give you a sense of handling artifacts that would have been used in the 1600’s. Children particularly enjoyed the presentations and chances to hold stone tools, fur clothes, and try a bit of “hunting”. NOTE: Concerning the fur clothes presentation, I thought this was handled very well and for a purpose – to teach visitors about what would really have been used and worn. However, the furs shown and passed around are real animal furs and if you object to this, you would do best to avoid this section of the village.
The Museum of Rural Life is on another part of the grounds and consists of a grouping of four structures including a log cabin, smithy, schoolhouse, and church. You are invited into each structure and then given a demonstration or asked to play a game. In the schoolhouse you are asked to participate in the school lesson which was a complete blast and particularly interesting to see what the kids in the mid-1800s were learning. I’ve visited Plimoth Plantation and Williamsburg and others, and while this museum doesn’t have the same scope, it’s just as engaging if not more. Kids have a small area to roam, so you won’t lose them, the blacksmith does an excellent presentation, and the house and schoolroom are just plain fun.
As a former-archaeologist the real draw for me was, of course, the Rockshelter which is located just down the hill from the main grounds. If you have any interest in archaeological sites, this is a great one to visit. The new structure covering the site is beautifully done and better yet, actually gives you a great better view of the site. The high roof opens up the area to viewing in a way that was never possible before and a well-thought out lighting system really lets the guide highlight areas that illustrate her presentation. I savored the chance to visit this world-famous site and still can’t quite believe it’s in our own backyard.
I do have one note of caution. Visiting the rockshelter itself is done in groups. When you first sign in, the staff lets you know when the next few groups are meeting (typically once every hour) and you come back to the visitor’s center at the appointed time. The group is then asked to watch a 15 min video before seeing the site. I applaud Meadowcroft for wanting to present some context before visiting the rockshelter, so that the average visitor has a better understanding of what they’re looking at (after all, it does look pretty much like a hole in the ground.) However, the video borders on abysmal and does little credit to the great efforts seen around the site and museum. The guide does an excellent job of presenting Meadowcroft in context. All I can say, is sit through the video and know that it gets better from here.
Overall, Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Museum of Rural Life does a wonderful job of drawing you into the experience and letting you play. It’s a small enough area that you can visit it all and not be overwhelmed, at the same time, my husband and I spent 3 hours there and could have spent more. Kids from ages 2-12 that I saw loved the way the guides let you play at being in a 1900’s school or a 1600’s Indian village. (With the kids over age 12 it was difficult to tell, but the sullen expressions on their faces seemed to lighten just a bit).
Is this trip right for you? Well, if you’re the type to enjoy visiting historic sites, archaeological sites, or reenactments, then you will also definitely enjoy Meadowcroft. It’s a hidden gem for our area and well worth the visit. It is there, I promise, just keep driving.
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