Craighead House, Carlisle

About Craighead House

Craighead House is an education and nature center housed in a late-Victorian building on the banks of the Yellow Breeches Creek in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Visitors explore the home where Frank Craighead Sr., known as the Scholar of the Everglades, was born and raised, and where his daughter Jean Craighead George, the Newbery Award-winning author of over 100 children's books about nature, began her writing career. The house also preserves the legacy of her twin brothers, John and Frank Jr., who pioneered falconry in the United States during the 1930s and later became groundbreaking grizzly bear conservation scientists in Yellowstone National Park. They also helped draft the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. The center offers talks and programs including Camp Craighead Kids' Craft Night, presentations on topics like wildfire and prescribed fire, and programs celebrating night creatures. Most programming is free, though indoor events require pre-registration due to limited seating.