Upcoming Events

270th Anniversary of the Battle of the Monongahela
Saturday, July 12, 2025
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

On July 9, 1755, a cataclysmic battle with global implications took place in present-day Braddock and North Braddock, Pennsylvania. We invite you to join us as we remember the story of the Battle of the Monongahela, or "Braddock's Defeat".

Our annual commemoration of the battle includes firing demonstrations, living history interpreters, children's’ activities provided by the Braddock Youth Project, and more!
 
Plus, don't miss the unveiling of our new permanent exhibit:  Braddock's Defeat Becomes Dunbar's Retreat. The farthest point reached by General Braddock’s supply train during the ill-fated Braddock Campaign, Dunbar's Camp (in present-day Hopwood, PA) is where the survivors of Braddock’s Defeat fled after the battle, including the mortally wounded general himself. The destruction of hundreds of tons of ordnance and supplies in the ensuing retreat to Fort Cumberland, Maryland, resulted in the creation of a rich colonial America archaeological site. Artifacts for the  exhibit  were generously donated by the Braddock Road Preservation Association.

Schedule of Events:

10 AM - Event Opens
11 AM - Children’s Activities Open
11:15 AM - Unveiling of new exhibit, “From Braddock’s Defeat to Dunbar’s Retreat”
Noon - Musket and Mortar Demonstration
1 PM - Speaker - Matt Gault, BBHC Director of Education: “Braddock’s Defeat or a French Victory?”
2 PM - Musket and Mortar Demonstration
3 PM – Children’s Activities Close
4 PM - Event Closes

Cost: Regular museum admission

The exhibit "Braddock's Defeat Becomes Dunbar's Retreat" was completed in partnership with the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area. Funding was provided in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Heritage Areas Program Fund, Environmental Stewardship Fund, administered by the Rivers of Steel Heritage Corp. Additional support was provided by Laurel Ridge Foundation.
Seven Years' War Speaker Series:
"The Detrius of Defeat: Dunbar's camp and the Anticlimax of Braddock's Campaign"
with Josh Freeman
Sunday, July 13, 2025
1:00 PM

The Seven Years’ War Speaker Series is a bi-monthly lecture program featuring historians and experts on topics relating to the Seven Years’ War – a global war involving most of the European great powers, fought primarily in Europe and the Americas between 1756-1763.

While the Battle of the Monongahela is often seen as the end of General Edward Braddock’s campaign against Fort Duquesne in 1755, British efforts actually met their final demise on a rocky ridge some fifty miles south of the battlefield. Here, at the camp of the rear detachment commanded by Colonel Thomas Dunbar, the final nail in the coffin was sunk into the once promising campaign.


About the Speaker:
Joshua S. Freeman is a military historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH) at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. An expert on American military history from the colonial period to 1865, Josh teaches military history at CMH and leads the Center’s staff ride program. A native of Ligonier, PA, Josh’s hometown history fostered a passion for French and Indian War history from an early age. Previous to joining CMH, Josh spent nearly a decade working for the National Park Service, many of those years at Fort Necessity National Battlefield.
​Pathways to the Past featuring
Stone House History
Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20, 2025
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

See an 18th Century Tape Weaver and Spoon Maker demonstrate their trade and sell their wares!
Founded in 2017 by history enthusiasts Jay and Leigh Ann Ouellette, Stone House History highlights the skills and crafts of the past. Jay is an 18th Century Green Woodworker who hopes to inspire other woodworkers to rethink traditional woodworking to keep the craft alive. Leigh Ann is an 18th Century Tape Maker (weaver) who enjoys introducing visitors to Early American textiles.
​Pathways to the Past:  The Canadian Milice Fur Trade
Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27, 2025
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

The fur trade was one of the many contributing factors of the French/British conflict in western Pennsylvania in the mid-18th century. Historical interpreter Jake Kirsch will share his knowledge of the Canadian Milice (militia) and the French fur trade, giving us a better understanding of the French combatants of the Battle of the Monongahela, and the lives of the colonists of New France.

2025 Event Calendar

August 
Sunday, August 10 – Strategy Games Day 
Saturday, August 16 – History is Fun 
Saturday, August 23 - 18th Century Roundtable 

September 
Sunday, September 14 - Strategy Games Day 
Thursday, September 18 – Homeschool Day 
Saturday September 20 - History is Fun 
Saturday, September 27 – Speaker Series 
 
October 
Sunday, October 5 – Strategy Games Day 
Thursday, October 16 – Homeschool Day 
Saturday, October 18 – History is Fun 
Saturday, October 25 - 18th Century Roundtable 
 
November 
Sunday, November 9 – Strategy Games Day  
Saturday, November 15 – History is Fun
Sunday, November 16 - Candlelight Concert 
Thursday, November 20 – Homeschool Day 
Saturday, November 22 – Speaker Series 
 
December 
Sunday, December 14 - Strategy Games Day 
Thursday, December 18 – Homeschool Day 
Saturday, December 20 – History is Fun 

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