Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The Exhibit

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The ExhibitMay 16, 2026 â September 27, 2026   Young adventurers and their caregivers will travel back in time to unravel the secrets of world-famous heroes and heroines in Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The Exhibit. Xavier Ri......More

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The ExhibitMay 16, 2026 â September 27, 2026   Young adventurers and their caregivers will travel back in time to unravel the secrets of world-famous heroes and heroines in Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The Exhibit. Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum is an animated PBS KIDS TV childrenâs series based on New York Times best-selling author Brad Meltzer and illustrator Chris Eliopoulos childrenâs book series, Ordinary People Change the World. The 2,000 square foot interactive exhibit brings to life the acclaimed PBS KIDS TV series, which follows kid adventurers Xavier Riddle, his sister Yadina, friend Brad and Berby the flying robot, as they tackle everyday problems by doing something extraordinary: traveling back in time to learn from real-life inspirational figures when they were children. The imagination-stirring STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) and early literacy experience is filled with holograms, heroes, heroines and engaging activities specially designed for children ages 3-10. Adventurers enter the Secret Museum through a hidden portal â just like in the tv series â to unlock different periods in history and meet inspirational heroes and heroines, learning about their extraordinary contributions and actions that helped change the world for the better. Hands-on exploration includes uncovering dinosaur skeletons with paleontologist Mary Anning, discovering a secret garden with botanist George Washington Carver, and examining x-rays with chemist Marie Curie. Visitors also travel through a real-life version of Hall of Heroes! A room filled with additional hands-on learning experiences regarding many of the world-changing historical figures featured in the television and book series. Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The Exhibit highlights the importance of empowering children to dream big and recognize their ability to make a real and meaningful difference in the world. Children not only unravel the secrets of heroes and heroines from the past but also learn how they can be role models of the present. In addition to supporting STEAM learning and early literacy, the exhibit illustrates that when children are encouraged to believe in themselves, they can accomplish amazing things.         

Franklin

June 13 â November 1, 2026 âAll of human life can be found in Charles M. Schulzâs 17,897 Peanuts comic strips.â The Saturday Evening Post, July 2018 He never kicked that football. His baseball team was historically terrible. He got nothing but rocks for Trick-or-Treati......More

June 13 â November 1, 2026 âAll of human life can be found in Charles M. Schulzâs 17,897 Peanuts comic strips.â The Saturday Evening Post, July 2018 He never kicked that football. His baseball team was historically terrible. He got nothing but rocks for Trick-or-Treating. Yet Charlie Brown can count one absolute triumph on his resume. Fifty-eight years ago, Charlie Brown made a friend. That friend, Franklin, broke barriers, infuriated segments of the readership, and remains a radical statement from a tumultuous time. Why? Franklin was the first Black character in the Peanuts comic strip. In the summer of 1968, the world was reeling from the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Charles Schulzâs Peanuts characters were at the height of their popularity, having recently starred in their fourth TV special after A Charlie Brown Christmas and Itâs the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown had been established as instant classics. Schulz was a perceptive observer. He was always curious, and with his wit and wry sense of humor, he opened minds and hearts that others could not. Shortly after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., he received a letter from Harriet Glickman, a Los Angeles school teacher. Mrs. Glickman strongly believed that the Peanuts comic strip could positively influence attitudes on race and proposed that Schulz add a Black child to the Peanuts gang. Her tenacity inspired Schulz to defy his editors, and on July 31, 1968, Franklin, made his national debut. Fifty-eight years ago, Charlie Brown lost his beach ball. It was found and returned to him by a boy named Franklin, and the two teamed up, and built a sandcastle together. It was straightforward, sweet, and completely radical. The simple encounter of two boys on a beach was how Schulz introduced the first Black character in his widely read comic strip. Franklin went on to appear regularly in the comic strip and in media spin-offs. Franklin, a national traveling exhibition, organized by the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, Santa Rosa, CA, explores the origins of this beloved Peanuts character. Making its Southeastern United States debut at the Upcountry History Museum, the exhibit, designed for audiences of all ages, will be on display June 13 â November 1, 2026. The exhibit includes archival materials, comic strips, objects, and hands-on-activities.

Toddler Time!

 Calling All Tiny Time Travelers!  Travel back in time and unravel the secrets of world-famous heroes as the Upcountry History Museum hosts, âXavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The Exhibit.âFrom a museum-wide scavenger hunt to game stations specially crafted for li......More

 Calling All Tiny Time Travelers!  Travel back in time and unravel the secrets of world-famous heroes as the Upcountry History Museum hosts, âXavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The Exhibit.âFrom a museum-wide scavenger hunt to game stations specially crafted for little ones, Toddler Time is included with your general admission. The program concludes with a group story time with complimentary snacks and juice.  Tuesday, June 23  10:00 AM  | Included with your admission  Adults â $14 | Kids (ages 3-18) $10  Kids ages 2 and under are FREE đ Story Time with Snack & Juice | 10:30 AM Toddler Time is included with your general admission and FREE for children ages 2 and under.

Picturing America's Pastime

Picturing Americaâs PastimeJune 27, 2026 â January 24, 2027   âThe greatest of all, the game which seems to breathe the restless spirit of American life, that calls for quick action and quicker thinking, that seems characteristic of a great nation itself, is baseball.â......More

Picturing Americaâs PastimeJune 27, 2026 â January 24, 2027   âThe greatest of all, the game which seems to breathe the restless spirit of American life, that calls for quick action and quicker thinking, that seems characteristic of a great nation itself, is baseball.ââ Photographer Charles M. Conlon, 1913   As baseball became our âNational Pastimeâ in mid-19th century America, a new art â photography â was there to document the sport. From the grandeur of the early game to the vibrancy of todayâs big league action, almost every facet of baseball has been captured in sepia, black-and-white and color. Baseball and photography grew up together, each becoming more refined and gaining in popularity during the mid-19th century. Preserving the historic connections between baseball and photography, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Cooperstown, New York, maintains a collection of over 50,000 unique images, and is the worldâs largest repository of baseball photos. Organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Picturing Americaâs Pastime will make its only Southeastern United States stop at the Upcountry History Museum. Commemorating the interconnected worlds of baseball and photography, the exhibition takes visitors beyond the standard highlights of baseball history. Fifty-one rarely seen photos, spanning a period from 1866 to 2012, reveal the full landscape of our national pastime. Each photo includes a historic quote along with detailed captions, highlighting little-known information about the players and the photographers. Connecting Upstate SC local history to national history is a priority of the Upcountry History Museum. The Picturing Americaâs Pastime traveling exhibition includes Greenville, SCâs own Shoeless Joe Jackson. In partnership with the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum, the Upcountry History Museum will commemorate Jacksonâs legacy along with other Upcountry South Carolina baseball legends through archival materials, artifacts and memorabilia.   Support provided by      

Family Fun Day

Step into the Secret Museum and travel through history with Xavier, Yadina, and Brad! Families are invited to an exciting day of adventure inspired by the hit PBS Kids series Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum.Explore the Upcountry History Museum and changing exhibiti......More

Step into the Secret Museum and travel through history with Xavier, Yadina, and Brad! Families are invited to an exciting day of adventure inspired by the hit PBS Kids series Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum.Explore the Upcountry History Museum and changing exhibitions through hands-on games, creative crafts, group story time, and a museum-wide scavenger hunt that uncovers the stories of real-life heroes from the past.Along the way, children will discover how ordinary people changed the world through courage, creativity, and determination. Whether youâre solving clues, making your own masterpiece, or stepping into history alongside your favorite characters, this fun-filled family program is packed with imagination, discovery, and adventure for all ages! Family Fun Days are included with your general admission. Admission includes access to all galleries and changing exhibitions.

Exhibit Drop-In Tour

Upcountry Road to FreedomExplore Upcountry Road to Freedom: Upstate South Carolina During the American Revolution with a guided tour led by UHM Education Coordinator, Abby Silon. This exhibition features artifacts, archival materials, and accoutrements from soldiers, ci......More

Upcountry Road to FreedomExplore Upcountry Road to Freedom: Upstate South Carolina During the American Revolution with a guided tour led by UHM Education Coordinator, Abby Silon. This exhibition features artifacts, archival materials, and accoutrements from soldiers, civilians and diverse groups from Clemson University and private collectors. After the tour, test your knowledge with rapid round trivia!  Drop-In Tours will occur on select Fridays at 2:00 PM.Tours last approximately 30 minutes.Drop-In Tours are included with your general admission. 

Connections Café - Franklin

Connections Café is a monthly program in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association for individuals living with early-stage Alzheimer’s or dementia. Programs vary each month but usually include a short meeting with updates from the Alzheimer’s Association, a tour of a......More

Connections Café is a monthly program in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association for individuals living with early-stage Alzheimer’s or dementia. Programs vary each month but usually include a short meeting with updates from the Alzheimer’s Association, a tour of a Museum exhibition, and a hands-on activity time in the classroom.Connections Café meets the second Thursday of each month at 2:00 p.m. Admission is free for all participants and caregivers.      July 9, 2026 | 2:00 p.m.Join us on July 9th to explore Franklin.    Connections Café is generously sponsored by:    

Lunchbox Learning

Native American Medicines of the Southeast  Presented by Mark WarrenThe diverse flora of the Southeast once provided everything that was needed by the original inhabitants. Our modern day ignoring of these gifts is what separates us from a life of truly interacting with......More

Native American Medicines of the Southeast  Presented by Mark WarrenThe diverse flora of the Southeast once provided everything that was needed by the original inhabitants. Our modern day ignoring of these gifts is what separates us from a life of truly interacting with nature on an intimate level. And that loss has, no doubt, contributed to our careless handling of the land. The good news is that this trend can be reversed, one person at a time. This program covers plants that may be used for common ailments, ranging from minor cuts, stings, head lice, and rashes to gall stones, dysentery, nausea, and skin cancer. Techniques for field preparations are included. Mark Warren is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Georgia. At Medicine Bow, his nationally renowned wilderness school in the Southern Appalachians, he teaches nature classes and primitive survival skills. Warren has written extensively about nature for local and national magazines. He lectures on Native American history and survival skills, and Western frontier history presenting at museums and cultural centers around the country. He is the recipient of the 2024 New Mexico – Arizona Book Award for his historical novel on Billy the Kid, A Last Serenade for Billy Bonney. His Wyatt Earp, An American Odyssey trilogy was honored by WWA’s Spur Awards, The Historical Novel Society, and the 2020 Will Rogers Medallion Awards. Warren is a 2022 Georgia Author of the Year recipient for his book Song of the Horseman (Finalist, Literary Fiction). Indigo Heaven, The Westering Trail Travesties, and Nate, The Texas Story are all Will Rogers Medallion Award winners. Warren has twenty traditionally published books: from Lyons Press, Two Winters in a Tipi and Secrets of the Forest (a four-volume series on nature and primitive skills,) from Two Dot, Wyatt Earp, An American Odyssey, from Speaking Volumes, Indigo Heaven, Song of the Horseman, Last of the Pistoleers, A Tale Twice Told,  Moon of the White Tears, A Copperhead Summer, The Last Real Place and A Tale Twice Told, and from Wolfpack, The Westering Trail Travesties, A Last Serenade for Billy Bonney, Nate Champion: The Texas Story, and Nate Champion: The Wyoming Story.   Lunchbox Learning is generously sponsored by:

Upcountry History Museum, 540 Buncombe Street, Greenville, SC, 29601, United States

Exhibit Drop-In Tour

Upcountry Road to FreedomExplore Upcountry Road to Freedom: Upstate South Carolina During the American Revolution with a guided tour led by UHM Education Coordinator, Abby Silon. This exhibition features artifacts, archival materials, and accoutrements from soldiers, ci......More

Upcountry Road to FreedomExplore Upcountry Road to Freedom: Upstate South Carolina During the American Revolution with a guided tour led by UHM Education Coordinator, Abby Silon. This exhibition features artifacts, archival materials, and accoutrements from soldiers, civilians and diverse groups from Clemson University and private collectors. After the tour, test your knowledge with rapid round trivia!  Drop-In Tours will occur on select Fridays at 2:00 PM.Tours last approximately 30 minutes.Drop-In Tours are included with your general admission.