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Public Media for Central Pennsylvania

Keystone Stories


Season 2 of Keystone Stories focuses on the history of Pennsylvania’s railroads, volunteer fire companies, old places being transformed into places of art and community, and interesting items that were created in Pennsylvania. All episodes are now streaming in the PBS App.

Keystone Stories is a television and digital series that takes viewers to the breathtaking, interesting, quirky and sometimes hidden gems around central Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s beautiful landscape serves as the backdrop for an exploration of the people, places and culture that make the region unique.

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Episodes

It Came from Pennsylvania

Posted on January 24, 2023

Pennsylvania and its citizens have a long history of innovation and creativity. The Slinky, Jeep, cheesesteaks, the Ferris wheel, the polio vaccine, revolving doors and movie theaters are just a few things that came from Pennsylvania. Continue »

 

church

Old Spaces, New Places

Posted on January 17, 2023

Adaptive reuse is the term given to the repurposing of old buildings, and many of the buildings we use today are serving a very different purpose than originally intended. But repurposing a structure is not always easy. Continue »

 

Firefighter Helmet

Volunteer Firefighters

Posted on January 9, 2023

All across Pennsylvania, thousands of citizens are volunteering to protect our lives and property. In fact, more than 97% of all firefighters in the commonwealth are volunteers. Such service organizations even predate the U.S. Constitution. Continue »

 

train

Railroads

Posted on January 2, 2023

Why is Altoona known as “Railroad City”? The answer can be found at the Railroaders Memorial Museum, located in Altoona. This home for railfans is where a new project is underway to bring back a legendary locomotive…the K4. Continue »

 

Black History Keepers

Posted on May 27, 2022

Bellefonte, Pa. houses rich stories and landmarks of Black history, including St. Paul AME Church, founded in the 1800s, and believed to be part of the Underground Railroad. Its history has been preserved by local historians, as have many other aspects of Black history in central Pennsylvania. Continue »

 

The Arts are Alive

Posted on May 19, 2022

Creativity thrives in the Commonwealth—from community art projects to makerspaces, galleries and festivals, the arts play a pivotal role in bringing people together throughout our region. Continue »

 

Drive-Ins

Posted on May 12, 2022

In the late 1950s, at the height of the drive-in’s popularity, Pennsylvania had more than 180 in operation. Today Pennsylvania still has nearly 30 drive-in theaters in operation, second most in the country. Continue »

 

The Forest

Posted on May 5, 2022

In the early days of the Commonwealth, nearly 29 million acres of Pennsylvania were covered in forest. By 1895, this number dropped to 9 million acres. While Pennsylvania provided lumber to build a nation, this invaluable natural resource was almost lost. Continue »

 

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