Mark it on your calendar: Pennsylvania turns 329 today, March 14th. Then make a date with history this spring and summer, taking your family on short road trips to visit nearby sites that have played a role in our commonwealth’s development.

It began on March 14, 1681, when Britain’s then King Charles II granted to William Penn the land that is now our Pennsylvania home. The original Pennsylvania Charter—Penn’s personal copy—is often referred to as the Commonwealth’s “birth certificate,” and it’s on display this week through March 19th at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. A one-of-a-kind opportunity.

About two hours from Montgomery County, the museum is located at 300 North Street in Harrisburg and “presents the Commonwealth’s heritage from the earth’s beginnings to the present.” Besides the Charter, there are countless things to do and see, including one of the most complete mastodon skeletons ever found in North America. For more information, visit www.statemuseumpa.org or call 717-783-9911.

But don’t stop there. Make plans now to travel with your family over the next few months on what's called the Pennsylvania Trails of History. The following sites are all within a 90-minute drive from the heart of Montgomery County--several less than an hour away.

Nearby Historic Sites:

• Landis Valley Museum, located at 2451 Kissel Hill Road in Lancaster. This is the largest museum of early Pennsylvania German life in America. For more information, visit www.landisvalleymuseum.org or call 717-569-0401.

• The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, located at 300 Gap Road in Ronks. Here you’ll find more than 100 historic locomotives and vintage railroad cars. For more information, visit www.rrmuseumpa.org or call 717-687-8628.

• Brandywine Battle Historic Site, located on Baltimore Pike at Ring Road in Chadds Ford. The largest engagement of the Revolutionary War was fought here on September 11, 1777. For more information, visit www.ushistory.org/brandywine/ or call 610-459-3342.

• Daniel Boone Homestead, located at 400 Daniel Boone Road in Birdsboro. Boone’s parents settled here in 1730; he was born here in 1734 and made this his home for 16 years. For more information, visit www.danielboonehomestead.org or call 610-582-4900.

• Pennsbury Manor, located at 400 Pennsbury Memorial Road in Morrisville. This is the recreated home of William Penn. For more information, visit www.pennsburymanor.org or call 215-946-0400.

• Washington Crossing Historic Park, located at Box 103 in Washington Crossing. From here, General George Washington and his men crossed the Delaware River on Xmas Eve, 1776. For more information, visit www.ushistory.org/washingtoncrossing/ or call 215-493-4076.

History is waiting, and it's all around us. Bring it to life by following its footsteps with your family; there is no better gift.