drake well museum

asorig

Beautiful property. Exhibits are very well-done. Hands-on displays; lots to see. Fast-paced orientation explains how oil affects us all. Geology, history, science. Outside exhibits - there are a lot of them - include the original well (building around the well is a replica) in its original location. If you have a Pennsylvania Heritage Museum pass, take advantage of it!Do you know....How were torpedoes and canons used in the oil industry? .Can you connect the Heisman Trophy namesake, John W. Heisman, to the oil industry? .What every happened to Drake, the man who drilled the first successful oil well?Exhibits inside and outside. Purchase tickets in the gift shop. Bathrooms are located outside gift shop & also in the large museum building. One floor; I don't think wheelchair access would be a problem (there is one outside exhibit that might be difficult, but you can still look inside).

dasco474

Loved the history of this place and the setting was beautiful! I have long wanted to visit this area and see first hand the history of modern day oil well drilling.

MtRainierDave

Exhibits here are well-done, entertaining, and informative. Lots of hands-on exhibits that even my teenage kids had fun with. The recreation of the first oil well actually works and pumps oil. Felt like a walk in the past. Like it or not, oil has changed our world, and this is where it began.

leroys73

I live in Texas so I wanted to see where it all started. I was on a motorcycle trip with limited time but I am glad I made time for this museum. They have a full scale replica of the original Drake Well simulating the operation. I a person does not know much about oil production and they take the time to completely visit all of the museum they will come away with a lot of knowledge. It was very interesting and I am very glad I stopped. The folks there love to talk about the entire oil production in this area.

61TomK61

To be able to stand on the exact spot where Col. Drake and his men struck oil in 1859 was very cool. You can certainly learn quite a bit about the beginnings of the oil industry if you take your time. Our guide was great and even showed us the pits that the local native Americans used to collect the oil that bubbled to the surface 700 years ago. Many of the displays in the main museum are interactive which should keep kids entertained, as well as some adults too.

CMRussell

A lot of great history in the "valley that changed the world" and about the beginnings of the oil industry - packed into this museum and its beautiful grounds in Titusville PA.

nurse15601

Plan on spending some time finding out what you didn't know. There are multiple indoor and outdoor displays. A real look at the valley that changed the world.

711francesg

We arrived 1 hour before closing but could stay on grounds until dusk and look at outdoor displays. The museum video was very disappointing!!! We expected some history on the site but instead we got a science lesson on what oil is used for along with loud banging on our seat throughout the entire 15 minute film. The displays in the museum were good and the static displays outside were interesting and educational. Well maintain property; beautiful picnic area; just wish we could have learned a bit more about the history of what happened there and surrounding towns.

billmS202CT

The park and museum includes a replica of the equipment used to drill the first oil well, and it is using the original well hole. They actually have steam up and run the steam engine. Additional old well equipment is also on site. The Museum Building is well done and explains the past and future oil drilling processes.

Dingalingdona

We came upon this by accident and really enjoyed it ! The museum is interesting and the park surrounding it is really lovely. A nice surprise along our way !

FamilyM50

The museum is a nice combination of modern and up-to-date displays and educational information and actual old oil exploration equipment. The entire time period comes alive. Everyone is Pennsylvania should visit this museum!

Dan1718

The Drake well and museum is simply a must if you're interested in or involved in the energy industry. They have some good working equipment that is fun to see and learn about. The museum itself is pretty small, but it has some interesting stuff. I enjoyed the visit and probably seeing the equipment much more than the museum building.

TomS241

PA Museum commission does themselves proud with this hard to find, but EXCELLENT museum. Outstanding new visitors center, great movie and helpful,knowledgeable docents. A great family stop to make all PA residents proud.

ErnTrekker

Everybody's heard of this place & seen the small photo in a textbook or magazine article somewhere - it was great to visit firsthand. In addition to the replica of the first well and other related objects nearby, there is a nice modern museum on-site dedicated to the oil industry & a small gift shop which includes a number of books related to the area & the industry. My advice would to be to make sure you allot enough time to look at everything - give yourself at least an hour to look at the exhibits & walk the grounds!

119thomasc

Drake Well Museum is really a combination of a museum, an outdoor display including a replica of the first drilled oil well and a picnic grounds. The museum building has been recently remolded and follows the development of the oil industry from the first drilled oil well up to the modern day. The outdoor exhibition area has demonstrations of various methods of extracting oil over the years. There is a fee to go into the museum building, but not to just walk around the outdoor displays. It is a nice place for a family outing.