The Historic Germantown Stamp Rally invites residents to explore Germantown’s history and greenery. And for its third year, it will celebrate its various tree species.

During the rally, which will run from April 19 through July 11, participants collect stamps at featured green spaces around Germantown and become eligible to win prizes. There are 18 sites, including Historic Rittenhouse Town, Awbury Arboretum, the Black Writers Museum and ACES Veterans Museum.

This year, the theme is “Trees of Germantown,” where residents will record and read about different tree species as they collect stamps.

“Some of them are champion trees. Some of them are memorial trees, but they all are species here in Germantown that are significant, and people can learn about,” said Heather Zimmerman, program director at Historic Germantown.

Historic Germantown created the stamp rallies to promote the 75 acres of green space in the area, as well as the historic sites adjoining them. Apart from their historical and cultural relevance, these sites provide a space for residents to enjoy the outdoors. Most of these grounds are free to the public.

“They’re really beautiful places, and they all have different amenities and different things you can do, but often people don’t know they’re available to them because they’re behind a fence or behind a gate. Or people are not sure they can go in there or when,” she said.

One 2024 participant told the organization they’ve lived in Germantown for more than 30 years and didn’t know some of these places existed.

The organization added the scavenger hunt last year after participants requested more activities to go along with the stamp collection. Participants were tasked with finding a certain feature of the site using a given clue.

“It allowed them to go deeper into the landscape and connect with something, instead of just showing up and getting the stamp,” Zimmerman said.

Historic Germantown staff members are dedicating the theme to trees this year because they are an asset to the neighborhood landscape and four sites are arboreta: Awbury, Historic Fair Hill, Historic Rittenhouse Town and Cliveden. The rally will highlight various maple and oak trees, white pine, holly and other species.

Historic Germantown is giving out 5,000 booklets this year, an increase from the 4,000 handed out at the previous rally, Zimmerman said. The event seems to draw people of all ages, she said.

“Kids love to do it. Families love to do it. Seniors who are part of walking groups love to do it. It’s good way to get out and be social and have something to do,” Zimmerman said.

How it works

For the stamp rally, attendees first pick up a booklet at one of the 13 participating sites that are open on April 19. The list of spots that are handing out booklets is available on Historic Germantown’s website. Next, they collect a unique stamp at the designated stamp house at each green space. They use the orange leaf QR code on the stamp house to find and learn about a specific tree. Visitors then write the species name on the back of the booklet, which include illustrations by local artist Beth Miner.

Kids who collect a minimum of 10 stamps and answers will be eligible to win a groundhog plushie and adults can win a copy of “Pennsylvania Day Trips” by Lori Litchman and a Historic Germantown membership. With 17 stamps or more, participants will be entered into grand prize raffles for an Explorer Backpack or a garden-themed gift basket.

Historic Germantown will hand out booklets at The Farm of Awbury’s Earth Day celebration on April 19. The season will end with a wrap party on July 11 at Historic Germantown, which will feature lawn games, prizes, raffle prizes and the chance to meet Litchman.

For those who want to learn more history and collect stamps in a group, Historic Germantown will host Stamp Rally walks on the follow days: April 19 starting at The Farm at Awbury from 1-2:30 p.m.; April 24 at Cliveden of the National Trust from 10:30 a.m. to noon; May 20 at The Colored Girls Museum from 5-7 p.m. and June 12 at Historic Germantown from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

The Stamp Rally sites this year are Historic Fair Hill, Stenton, The Colored Girls Museum, Hood Cemetery, Grumblethorpe, Lest We Forget Museum of Slavery, Germantown Historical Society, Black Writers Museum, ACES Veterans Museum, Historic Rittenhouse Town, Wyck, Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust, Awbury Arboretum, Johnson House, Concord School House & Upper Burying Ground, Cliveden and Allens Lane Art Center.