The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 Gap Road, Strasburg, will host its family-friendly Reading on the Rails event on Saturday, March 8. Story times will be held 10:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:15 p.m., 2 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. among the historic trains in the museum's climate-controlled Rolling Stock Hall.

Kids will hear various stories and collect a sticker after each story. They will create their own suitcase design with the stickers, as well as crayons and other supplies.

Currently scheduled readers include J.J. Landis, director of the Strasburg-Heisler Library; Greg Seiger, third-grade teacher in Manheim Township School District; Juliette O'Connor, educator with the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania; and Patrick Morrison, director of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services (KPETS), will have various read-aloud teams on hand throughout the day. Visitors also may meet Catcher, the museum's mascot, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

In addition, the museum will hold on-site railroading merit badge workshops on Saturdays, March 29, April 26, May 17, June 21, and Aug. 23.

The programs offer an opportunity for boys and girls ages 11 through 17 who are involved in Scouting to learn by working with historic artifacts and model trains. The day-long workshops will feature various railroad-themed activities, including tours, demonstrations, and a G-scale model railroad simulation. All requirements will be fulfilled in a single day. A unique Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania "Railroading Merit Badge" patch is an extra reward for participants who complete the workshop at the museum.

Scouts must be accompanied by an adult at all times. The workshops are capped at 25 Scouts each and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. People may purchase tickets for one Scout and one accompanying adult for a set fee or tickets for three Scouts and one adult for a discounted fee.

For more information and to register, search for "Railroading Merit Badge Workshop" at http://www.eventbrite.com.

To learn more about the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, visit http://www.rrmuseumpa.org or call 717-687-8628.