Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Created in 1945, we are responsible for the collection, conservation, and interpretation of Pennsylvania’s historic heritage, which we accomplish through the Pennsylvania State Archives, the State Museum of Pennsylvania, the Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums, the Pennsylvania Trails of History, the Bureau for Historic Preservation, and the Bureau of Management Services.

The PHMC works in partnership with others to preserve the Commonwealth’s natural and cultural heritage as a steward, teacher and advocate for the people of Pennsylvania and the nation. The PHMC enriches people’s lives by helping them to understand Pennsylvania’s past, to appreciate the present, and to embrace the future.

The PHMC was created by Act No. 446, approved June 6, 1945, amending the Administrative Code.