The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Friday announced that it would be closing its historic Frank Furness/George Hewitt-designed building on North Broad Street for the next year. PAFA is undertaking renovation work that “focuses on upgrading the HVAC system,” according to a news release.

PAFA will close the building to the general public beginning July 8, a spokesperson said. Plans call for it to “reopen to the public in the fall of 2025, in advance of the building’s 150th anniversary in 2026,” according to the announcement.

The museum/school has been undergoing a series of broad institutional changes, including the elimination of its degree programs and changes to its buildings. Earlier this year leaders discussed a $10 million replacement of the HVAC system.

Back then, PAFA president and CEO Eric G. Pryor also spoke of a larger project of renovations, repairs, and addressing deferred maintenance, with a price tag of about $25 million. It was unclear Friday whether that project was still happening. A PAFA spokesperson said no further details were available.

Pryor said several months ago that PAFA had received an anonymous $4 million “angel gift” to help pay for the new HVAC system and that another $1,128,477 toward the project had been raised. “But we’re going to need to find additional angels,” he said at the time.

He also spoke of selling naming rights to the building at Broad and Cherry Streets, which PAFA refers to as its Historic Landmark Building. “Someone could put their name on it for the right price. It is an amazing opportunity,” he said.

While the building will be closed to the public as of July 8, it will remain open for summer camps until renovations begin Aug. 10. During the closure, PAFA’s Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building will remain open with “a robust slate of exhibitions and public programs,” the announcement stated.

CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA (WHTM) — USA Today says that two Central Pennsylvania buffets were selected as the best buffet restaurants in the United States.

USA Today recently shared the 10 best buffet restaurants in the United States as part of their Reader Choice 2024 awards.

According to USA Today, these buffets were selected by an expert panel and then voted on by their readers. Once the votes were tallied, two Central Pennsylvania buffets were selected as being some of the best in the country.

The number 3 spot was awarded to the Lancaster County-based Miller’s Smorgasbord, which is located at 2811 Lincoln Highway in East Ronks, PA.

According to their website, this popular buffet was first founded back in 1929. The family-owned establishment is most known for offering hearty home-cooked meals, and a wide variety of dishes daily.

“Miller’s Smorgasbord is a warm and homey restaurant in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania,” USA Today said. “It offers a soup and salad buffet in addition to its popular traditional smorgasbord buffet. Options on the latter include Swedish meatballs, Lancaster County chicken corn soup, chicken and waffles, baked ham with cider sauce, and Pennsylvania Dutch shoofly pie.”

For more information, you can click here to visit their website.

USA Today then awarded the number 1 slot to the beloved Shady Maple Smorgasbord, which is located at 129 Toddy Drive in East Earl, Pa.

According to their website, the business first started as a farmers market before opening their “all you can eat” smorgasbord in 1985. The buffet is capable of seating 1,200 people at a time and currently employs more than 750 people.

“Shady Maple Smorgasbord, claiming to be “the largest buffet in America,” serves delectable Pennsylvania Dutch dishes in East Earl, Pennsylvania,” USA Today shared. “The well-prepared comfort food is offered on a 200-foot-long smorgasbord, and the space is designed to offer a cafeteria-style ambiance. A gift shop is open to visitors, and their birthday specials are popular.”

For more information on Shady Maple Smorgasbord, you can click here.