Venango County: Oil History, Nature, and Culture

Venango County combines an extraordinary oil history with experiences in nature, historic sites, culture, and excursions. Those planning a trip with a variety of ideas for day outings can choose from museums, trails, festivals, railway experiences, and scenic landscapes.

Following the History of Oil

The Drake Well Replica surrounds the well where Edwin L. Drake discovered oil in 1859, thereby establishing the modern oil industry. At the Drake Well Museum and Park, the outdoor experience is organized into five themes covering the history of the oil industry. The museum is located on the banks of Oil Creek in scenic Venango County. Oil Creek State Park also conveys the history of the early oil industry through oil boom towns, oil wells, and early transportation systems.

Historic Pithole City offers another historical perspective. The outdoor site is open daily year-round from sunrise to sunset. Along the streets of historic Pithole City, visitors can read informative and directional signs. This makes it possible to combine an outdoor visit with independent exploration. The Egbert-Mullins-Koos House in Franklin, Pennsylvania, was built in 1859 and serves as an exhibition space, research library, and archive for the Venango County Historical Society.

Nature, Trails, and Excursions

For days spent in the outdoors, Two Mile Run County Park offers a 144-acre lake and nearly 38 miles of hiking trails. There are four waterfalls along Oil Creek. The Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad offers a special way to explore the area: around Venango County, it provides a three-hour round trip through scenic Oil Creek State Park. In suitable weather, an open gondola car offers views of the Oil Creek Valley.

Cyclists will also find a specific option here. Oil Creek State Park has a 9.7-mile paved multi-use trail through the scenic Oil Creek Valley, which can be used for cycling, among other activities. The paved Oil Creek State Park Trail is a local section of the Erie-to-Pittsburgh Trail, which is still under development. The Samuel Justus Trail is a 7-mile section of a 30-mile-long trail along the former route of the Allegheny Valley Railroad. This provides different trail lengths and historical connections for planning day trips, without requiring every excursion to have the same character.

Festivals, Music, and Local Culture

The Franklin Applefest in downtown Franklin is a three-day festival with more than 300 arts, crafts, and food vendors. The Oil Heritage Festival takes place every summer throughout downtown Oil City. For culture at a dedicated venue, the Barrow-Civic Theatre offers a year-round program of performing arts. DeBence Antique Music World houses more than 100 antique mechanical musical instruments dating from the mid-19th century through the 1940s.

The federally designated Oil Region National Heritage Area encompasses Venango County and the eastern part of Crawford County, thereby expanding the region's historical context.

For further orientation, you can also explore Oil City, Barkeyville, and Sugarcreek as destinations in their own right. Other destinations in the broader selection include Lawrence County, Northumberland, Crawford County, Chester, and Adams.

For the broader travel overview: Pennsylvania.