Seven Berks County museums and historical organizations have been awarded a combined $210,000 in state funding through Pennsylvania’s Cultural and Historical Support Grant program.
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission announced the grants as part of nearly $4 million being distributed to 182 museums and official county historical societies across 60 counties. The funding is intended to support the continued preservation and presentation of Pennsylvania history as the nation marks its 250th anniversary.
Berks County recipients include:
- Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles — $30,000
- Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust — $40,000
- Foundation for the Reading Public Museum — $47,000
- General Carl Spaatz USAAF Museum — $6,000
- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association — $47,000
- Mid-Atlantic Air Museum — $20,000
- Historical Society of Berks County, doing business as the Berks History Center — $20,000
The Reading Public Museum and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary received the maximum grant amount available through the program.
“Museums and historical societies all across the Commonwealth share in telling the story of Pennsylvania, its diverse communities and regions, and the important role they have played in our nation’s story,” PHMC Executive Director Andrea Lowery said. “We are thrilled to be able to help support these vital institutions in their efforts to preserve and share Pennsylvania’s rich history.”
The Cultural and Historical Support Grant program provides unrestricted operating support to qualifying museums and historical organizations. For the 2026-27 grant cycle, eligible museums were required to have an annual operating budget of more than $100,000, excluding capital and in-kind contributions, and employ at least one full-time professional or an approved equivalent.
Grant amounts are determined using a formula based on a percentage of each organization’s annual operating budget. Awards statewide ranged from $4,000 to a maximum of $47,000.
This marks the 15th year the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission has worked with the state legislature to secure funding for museums and historical societies through the program.
