The Gibson House Manor Museum*, Event Center and Cafe is only 1.9 miles from the south entrance to Pymatuning State Park and we are about 22 minutes by car from the famous Spillway across the park dam into Jamestown and the Manor. You would think that below zero temperatures would keep people indoors, but the park being in our backyard means we have visitors to the area year around. According to the state park, the lake has 4 to 6 inches cover of ice on its surface and that is attracting hundreds of ice fisherman who are dragging sleds with tents and supplies across the lake to find their fishing spot to drill into the ice for a day or weekend of fishing.
I can tolerate the cold only in short spurts myself, but I love to drive to the edge of the lake and just look at all the tents on the ice. It is quite a sight. Inside the Manor we have most of the tour activity starting in the Lodge which has a beautiful double fireplace that burns every day we are open and has cozy spots to eat breakfast or lunch, read a book, listen to a podcast or play cards. We will be expanding our opening hours at the end of February, beginning of March when we plan to open the Gibson House Manor Museum Gift Shop. Right now, the hours will be 11:00-4:00 am Fridays and 8:30-3:30 pm on Saturdays. As we expand our museum tour schedule to other days of the week, we will be expanding the museum gift shop and museum café hours as well.
You are receiving this email because you are connected to the Manor in some way as a guest, donor, member, volunteer or traveler passing through who just stopped when they saw cars in the parking lot and gave us your contact information (you know who you are…).
Here is a quick run down on February Events with five new event series adding 100+ new events to our 2025 calendar!
Saturday, February 15: Our first in a series of 12 International Dinners! We had such wonderful feedback for our “Victorian Christmas around the World” exhibit over Christmas that we decided to continue the theme in the new year. February is Italy — specifically Abruzzi, a province close to Rome and Umbria. We will be featuring a totally authentic Abruzzi four course dinner with wine pairings from Gatehouse Winery. Italian music and an Italian slide show featuring pictures of the Italian countryside and Adriatic coast. We will also have a resident from Abruzzi to give a short talk about the area and answer questions about what it is like to live there. (March is Ireland and 10 more dinners after that). And yes, it is Valentine’s Weekend so make your reservation early.
Saturday, February 22: Come hear Jared McGary from Pymatuning State Park share stories and pictures of the early years of the Spillway (the other dam at the park). The presentation starts at 10:00 am. Great O’Neil’s hot coffee and Breakfast (a la carte or all you can eat) served 9:00 am to 11:00 am before, during and after his talk. We have had such a great reaction to park-related talks that we will be adding more of them in the coming weeks and months. Watch our website or call our visitor’s center for updates (724.456.4983).
Saturday, February 1 and 8: Our doors will open at 9:00 am for our Museum Café breakfast/lunch, and then our Underground Railroad Tours begin every hour starting at 9:30 am. On February 1 and 8 the Quilt Code and how it was used to help slaves escape from owner’s farms and move from safe house to safehouse until in a “free state” will be the featured presentation in addition to the walking tour of the house. Our expert quilter, Anita Carr researched the quilt code and wrote the tour guide for it in 2023.
Saturday, February 15: Our doors will open at 9:00 am for our Museum Café breakfast/lunch and then our Underground Railroad Tours begin every hour from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. The featured speaker from 9:30 am to 10:15 am will be Mr. Mark Twain, who will talk about Abraham Lincoln and his presidency, the Emancipation Proclamation and the impact that he had on the end of the Civil War and his assassination. Though Mr. Twain and President Lincoln never met, Mr. Twain was respectful of his character and his presidency. The tour will continue with a walk through the house and grounds to see the 11 places on the estate designed to hide and protect slaves.
Saturday, February 22: our doors will open from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm for our Museum Café breakfast/lunch. Underground Railroad Tours that include a short history of how slavery started and ended in Western Pennsylvania and then a walking tour of the house and grounds (60-minute tour). Tours are at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 am and 12:30 and 1:30 pm.
Private Tours in February for Black History Month: we have schools and organizations contacting us for Underground Railroad Tours of the Manor, especially in February, which is Black History Month. There is still time to book your school tour (we open the Manor for school tours on a private appointment basis). Call or text Kathy to discuss dates and availability.
Private Event Rentals: we had a very successful 2024 offering the Manor during off hours for private meetings, parties, graduations, bridal showers and weddings. Especially for upcoming graduation parties in May, June and July, please contact Kathy to arrange a catering meeting regarding menus and pricing.
English Tea Fridays Series: we had such a wonderful reaction to our British High Tea over Christmas (using real china with more than 200 place settings donated by area residents and volunteers), and a traditional Queen Elizabeth English tea ritual. We will have open seating beginning Friday, March 28th from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. and will continue monthly on Friday afternoons in April through December. If you would like to plan ahead, talk to Kathy at our Visitor’s Center. We accept reservations up to 6 months in advance.
Women’s Luncheon Series: at the request of Marguerite, one of our board members, Marguerite will be hosting a monthly luncheon with guest speakers starting on Friday, April 11th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. She wanted a safe, beautiful place where women could relax and meet in a gracious setting to learn about how to live a beautiful, peaceful, long life. We will start announcing topics and speakers in March. Lunch will be $22. Reservations will be needed also. Limited to 35 women per luncheon so we can all sit together in one space to hear the speaker. First 35 women who sign up for April will receive a free copy of “Living a Beautiful Life,” by Alexandra Stoddard.
Summer Camp for Kids Series: a 10 weeks in the summer on Wednesdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Manor starting on June 11. Students, grade 5-12, will learn about life in the 1800’s, history, economics, politics, medicine, entertainment, family habits, school curriculums. Immersion in life as a kid from 1850-1900. They will do some research, writing, reading, presentations, skits and creative projects. Students must register each week separately. Cost $27 per week. Scholarships available based on need.
Victorian Christmas Around the World was a huge hit with the regional community in a six county area as well as Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Akron and Erie nearly 700 people between November 30th and January 4th enjoyed the experience! We raised more money through events during the holidays than any other single period since we founded the corporation in January of 2023. We got community organization support from many groups that came to the Manor to decorate. A special shout out to Gatehouse Winery. They handled the Lodge and “Scotland,” and had the largest space to decorate of any group or organization. We sincerely appreciate your efforts. We are partnering with the Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning to help us with Victorian Christmas Around the World in 2025. Watch for them to come on campus to speak about their efforts to offer a permanent collection of 31 countries and their traditions at the University of Pittsburgh. Last year they had 20,000 visitors come through their rooms. Our goal for 2025 is 5,000 visitors (last year we had 3500).
Please visit our Upcoming Events page for the most up-to-date calendar, including ticket prices and times, download one of the PDF’s below. You can also email or text Kathy at our Visitors Center (gibsonhousemanor@allfacilities.com or 724.456.4983 to have a current 2025 calendar emailed to you. Please remember we are adding new events almost daily, so get on our mailing list to have the calendar sent to you monthly. We look forward to seeing you. Thank you for your support in 2024!
AFB, MMS and JEB, Friends of the Manor Charitable Trust
*Gibson House Manor Museum, Event Center and Café is operated by the Friends of the Manor Charitable Trust as a historic and cultural education center and museum. The trust was founded in January 2023 and purchased the building and grounds in 2024 as an asset of the Trust. Our overall mission is to preserve, protect and use historic buildings as sustainable cultural destinations and partner with lodging partners to bring visitors and economic vitality to this region.