If you haven’t journeyed to the Susquehanna National Heritage Area (SHNA) visitor center recently, you don’t know what you’re missing!
The organization works with partners and communities to advance a vision for the Susquehanna River and our region as a national destination for heritage and outdoor travelers. In addition to running the Zimmerman Center for Heritage in York County, and the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center in Lancaster County, River Discovery Tours on the electric-powered historic Chief Uncas boat were added in 2022.
The new boat tours increased visitors to the Zimmerman Center, and in 2023, Mark Platts, President, expects to double foot traffic to more than 10,000 guests. In 2019, through an act of Congress, the organization and York and Lancaster Counties together received National Heritage Area designation – something partners had been working towards for 10 years. While this was great news, it created an added layer of responsibility and collaboration.
In September 2022, the organization submitted its management plan to the National Park Service. Once approved, SHNA will increase their collaboration with other local historic sites and area nonprofits to connect the communities of Lancaster and York Counties to one another and to the nation through stories about this nationally important place.
But that’s not all!
For the past six years, SHNA has also been developing plans for the long-term protection of the 87-acre historic Mifflin House and Farm. The plans include sensitively transforming the property into a visitors’ center and Underground Railroad educational center and interpretive site. Implementation of the plan will begin in 2023.
YCCF is proud to be SHNA’s endowment partner and steward contributions to ensure that SHNA has a steady stream of annual funding to continue to draw visitors to our picturesque county.
