The Mahanoy Area Historical Society will host an open house on Sept. 9, as part of the annual Mahanoy City Community Day and the start of its yearlong 25th anniversary celebration.

The society, which preserves and promotes the history of the borough and the communities within the Mahanoy Area School District, was founded in the fall of 1998.

The society, located in the first floor of the Rhoades Center, 1-7 W. Centre St., Mahanoy City, will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Community Day with special Reading and Lehigh Valley Railroad displays to complement the Reading & Northern Railroad passenger train rides sponsored by the Mahanoy Area Chamber of Commerce that day. Free postcards featuring a historic rail photograph will be available.

Historical society members will be available to answer your local history questions.

Additionally, local history books focusing on anthracite mining, ethnic heritage, local municipalities and other topics will be available for sale, some at discounted prices. Copies of The Record-American original pages will also be available, as will videos.

Visitors also may sign up for a free drawing to win a basket of local history books, maps, and a historical society membership or a $25 prize.

The society’s collection includes many photographs, maps, artifacts and research materials for local history buffs, family history researchers, and anyone curious about the area’s rich past.

To learn more, visit mahanoyhistory.org.