Much of the downtown area was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 for its architecture and history. Many of the shops, public buildings, and residences date back to the days when Franklin gained an immense amount of oil wealth. Notable historic buildings include the Courthouse, Public Library, churches, the Liberty Street shop buildings, and the Galena-Signal Oil Company building, which was once an oil refinery. The houses along Elk Street are exquisite examples of the Greek Revival architecture. Many other architectural wonders can be found scattered throughout the city.
Tiffany Windows in St. John's Episcopal Church
Saint John's Episcopal Church, 1145 Buffalo Street (Across the street from the Public Library on the righthand side), ☎ +1 814 432-5161, . Self guided tours: 8 am - 2 pm M-F (last: 1:30 pm); Sun. Eucharist: 8 & 10 am; Thurs Mass: 12:05 pm. From the outside the church is a stunning example of Victorian architecture. However, from the inside the church is even more breathtaking. St. John's Church includes one of three complete collections of Tiffany windows in the world. All of the windows in the church were commissioned by St. John's and created by the Louis Comfort Tiffany Studios. The "rose" window above the North entrance is the second largest Tiffany window in the world, also said to be one of Tiffany's personal favorites. The pews of the church are also quite beautiful, as the wood used to make them is all from the Amazon Rainforest in South America. Guided tours are available and may be scheduled by calling the church and making a reservation with a church docent; $4.00/person, $3.00/person in groups of 30 or more. �
DeBence Antique Music World, 1261 Liberty Street, ☎ +1 814 432-8350, . The museum is open from April 1 to October 31 (groups over 20 may arrange visits during other times). Open from 11 AM to 4 PM. A museum dedicated to antiques related to music, such as phonographs, organs, and player pianos. Not only do visitors get to learn about the music-makers, you also get to hear all of them played. It may seem like an odd museum at first, but the tour is quite entertaining. Downstairs is an antique shop open year-round. You can visit the shop without taking the tour if you wish.Admission is $8. �
Venango County Courthouse, 1168 Liberty St, ☎ +1 814 432-9610. The construction of the courthouse was completed in 1868. It was designed by Philadelphian architects and built by a local builder. It was made in the Italianate architectural style, most visible in its uneven towers. Inside the courthouse there are displays of Native American artifacts, such as arrowheads and pottery, from Venango County and nearby areas. �
Fountain Park & Bandstand Park. These parks flank the courthouse on both sides, with Fountain Park to the right and Bandstand Park to the left. The parks are over 200 years old, as they were incorporated into the original city layout in 1795. The Civil War Monument was built just a year after the war ended in 1866. It contains the names of over 400 men from Venango County killed in the war. It is one of the oldest Civil War monuments in the state. The Egbert Memorial Fountain in Fountain Park was built in 1886 in memory of Dr. A. G. Egbert who gave a lot of his oil wealth back to the town. Bandstand Park contains a Vietnam Memorial, Revolutionary War Memorial and, of course, a bandstand where the Franklin Silver Cornet Band, one of America's oldest traditional town bands, plays regular concerts every summer. Applefest takes place in these parks every October. �
Franklin Antique Mall & Wild West Museum, 1280 Franklin Avenue, ☎ +1 814 432-8577. Although most of the items are for sale, this antique mall is also set up as a museum. There are a wide variety of antiques and knick-knacks to look at, from armor to posters to toys. As antiques are sold and new antiques are brought in, you are likely to notice something new everytime you visit.Entrance is free. �
Venango County Historical Society, 301 South Park St (Corner of South Park and Elk Streets), ☎ 814-437-2275, . Summer Hours, May – Dec.: House Museum – Tues., Wed., Thurs., and Sat., 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Research Library – Wed. and Thurs., 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., call first to make sure volunteer is on duty. Winter Hours, Jan. – April: House Museum and Research Library – Sat. only, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.. The Hoge-Osmer House is headquarters for Venango County Historical Society, and is also a house museum. The house was built by Thomas Hoge in 1866, at the close of the Civil War. The Newton Osmer family moved into the house in the early 1890s and made many renovations and additions. Much of the furniture on display belonged to the Osmer family and is original to the house, along with the light fixtures and Italian marble fireplaces. The house museum has many changing displays that include clothing, household items, tools and archival artifacts from the Society’s collections that help to tell the story of the history of Venango County. Venango County Historical Society also houses a Genealogical Research Library and Archival Resource Center, and is the designated repository for Venango County artifacts. Donation. �
Sibley Mansion, 870 River Ridge Rd, ☎ +1 814 676-2007. You must call to inquire about tour dates and make a reservation. Also referred to as Sibley Castle and River Ridge, it is the former residence of Joseph Sibley, the founder of an oil refining company called Galena-Signal Oil (the company building still sits in downtown Franklin today). Sibley gained a lot of wealth from his business and was a known friend of Rockefeller and President McKinley. In fact, President McKinley was traveling with Sibley when he was assassinated in 1901. The Sibley Mansion was built in 1913 and Sibley lived there until his death. Today the mansion is owned by Life Ministries and used for their retreats however, they do offer tours sporadically throughout the year. �
Space Capsule, 1578 Pittsburgh Rd (From Franklin, it's just past the airport on Route 8), ☎ 814-432-2335, . Open 11 AM to 10 PM. Closed Nov. through Feb.. A very odd site indeed is the real space capsule from an Apollo CM located in front of the Dairy Queen. Only four of these capsules have not been converted into scrap metal; one is located in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. and another is on display in Cape Canaveral. The one you see in Franklin is privately owned, along with the other which is not on display. If you're interested in learning more about it, enter the Dairy Queen. There is a tv inside displaying information about the capsule (along with ads for various Dairy Queen foods). �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Franklin (Venango County)
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Franklin (Venango County) - updated May 2024
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