McKean County Historical Society

Carole McFarland

This tour was about so much more than just the jail! Our guide was so very knowledgeable about all the history of McKean County. Plus, there were many antiques and artifacts that were fascinating. It is well worth a visit, for young and old alike.

Cindy Donahue

We had the best time with the sweetest, and most knowledgeable docent. So glad we stopped in.

Joyfully His

A definite hidden gem in small town, USA. The kids and I enjoyed a tour through this small slice of Smethport’s history. The old jail cells were a truly unique experience for the kids. So many artifacts and exhibits! I was surprised at how much time you could spend there just taking it all in!

Isaiah C

My family and my parents stopped here thinking it would be a free museum and a brief visit. I was surprised that adults cost $5 (children were free). However, it was so worth the cost! We had our own personal two hour, very detailed tour! There were so many things to look at, and our guide was very informed and interesting. There were items invented my men from McKean county; there were items from Civil War reunions; there were various weapons (from old blunderbusses, to 19th century weapons); there were textiles; models; taxidermy, etc. My children (6 and under) were pretty bored for the first hour + of the tour, but we managed them, and thankfully, our guide wasn't the least bit phased by their apparent boredom. We were happy she didn't speed things up (we, adults, were enjoying everything) and that she didn't seem phased at all when our kids nearly laid hands on artifacts (my wife and I stressed a bit but successfully corralled them, nothing handled that shouldn't have been). Eventually, we got to button-operated models of a fair, followed by some of the most awesome taxidermy. Gorgeous animals. This area had a kids tunnel. These things my children very much enjoyed. I'm a museum person, and I loved this visit. My wife is not so much (not into history or reading plaques), but she enjoyed it very much too! This was so much well worth the $10 we paid. At the end we were given various pages and worksheets for the kids to take home with us.