Don't be fooled.

While decoys are scheduled to be the featured attraction, the Blue Rock Heritage Center will really hold its annual open house on Sunday, June 8.

The event will be held at the center, 2251 River Road, Washington Boro. Admission is free; donations will be accepted.

Waterfowl mounts donated six months ago by Marvin "Butch" Espenshade will be on display, featuring species that can be found in the area, Blue Rock Heritage Center president Charlie Douts said.

Local collectors from York and Lancaster counties will show their duck decoys and explain how they were made and painted, as well as how the decoys were used to lure waterfowl to get close to hunters.

Visitors will also be able to view a sneak boat circa 1950, which was donated by Alen Dinkel of Columbia. A sneak boat is used to hunt in open water, and it can be anchored near small islands, Douts said.

He noted that the exhibits will appeal to "people who are interested in the river and the heritage of the river," adding that "duck hunting continues to occur here, and it's related to the migratory flights of the waterfowl, both ducks and geese."

Debbie Saylor, the curator of the Blue Rock Heritage Center, stated that the decoys and waterfowl mounts will be used to take people back to what life was like in the early 1800s. "The Native Americans said the sky was blackened with waterfowl; it was so dense," Saylor said. "There was an abundance of fish here and waterfowl. We are documenting these things."

Lower Susquehanna Archaeology Society Chapter 28 will show a demonstration dig and give a tour of the archaeology lab in the lower level of the museum. Visitors are welcome to bring possible historic items, and Saylor will provide free artifact identifications. Circle Legacy Center, a Native American advocacy group, will share crafts from tribes that once lived in the region.

Saylor noted that the museum has rare oil paintings showing Susquehannock and Shenk's Ferry occupations. "The soil was best in Lancaster County because of the flooding of the Susquehanna (River)," she said, while mentioning the well-known Washington Boro tomatoes. "It was an ideal area for Native Americans to hunt and fish and, more importantly, they became famers, growing beans, corn, and squash."

One of the paintings is a depiction of a Susquehannock village from the early 1600s. Saylor said it is believed that 60 Native Americans from that settlement met Captain John Smith on Garrett Island, which is located in the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

"We have wonderful Native American prehistoric history here, but we're also incorporating (history from) the Scots, the Irish, the Mennonites, and Germans," said Saylor, who is also the curator of Indian Steps Museum in Airville.

Saylor said the Blue Rock Heritage Center shows a timeline of what life was like in the area from thousands of years ago to the present. "We have artifacts and documentation to prove who was on this piece of land," she said.

Visitors to the open house will also learn about the Schultz site from 1575, which is across the street from the center.

"(People) need to have some sense of community," Saylor said. "And what better way than to learn about the community than to learn your shared heritage?"

The Blue Rock Heritage Center will also be open from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays, June 8 and 22, July 13 and 27, Aug. 10 and 24, Sept. 14 and 28, and Oct. 12. Heritage Day will be held Sunday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Members will meet in the museum at 7 p.m. on Mondays, June 16, Sept. 15, and Oct. 20. The meetings are open to the public.

Visitors should use the Blue Rock Heritage Center parking lot, which is accessible from Blue Rock Road.

Go to http://www.bluerockheritage.org for more information about the organization and its upcoming events.