Bedford: Museums, History and Nature

Museums and History

The Fort Bedford Museum’s exhibits cover the French and Indian War, the Whiskey Rebellion, and the development of the local landscape under the title “Cave to Empire.” The museum also houses more than 4,000 objects from Bedford’s past. A special historic flag is part of its collection as well: it owns the only surviving British Red Ensign flag identified with a British fort in North America.

The National Museum of the American Coverlet offers a different focus. This independent institution is open year-round and is dedicated to historic American coverlets. Rotating exhibits feature 80 to 100 coverlets at a time; early spinning wheels and barn-frame looms are also among the exhibits. The museum is located in a former school building dating to 1859. Old Bedford Village presents history in another way: this living-history museum includes more than 40 log and stone buildings, as well as exhibits, interpretive programs, and craft demonstrations.

At the Fishertown Quaker Museum, the history of a building and a family come together: the museum is housed in an 1883 Quaker meetinghouse and features exhibits, photographs, educational displays, and genealogical information. Parts of the Omni Bedford Springs Resort also date to 1796; the resort was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991. The two dates represent different aspects: the age of some of the buildings and the resort’s later designation.

Hiking Trails and Water Activities

Shawnee State Park covers 3,983 acres in Pennsylvania’s scenic Ridge-and-Valley Province. At the heart of the park is 451-acre Shawnee Lake. Twelve miles of hiking trails wind around the lake, and boating, swimming, and fishing are available on the water. This gives visitors distinct ways to enjoy the landscape and the lake. The park also offers guided outdoor activities, hands-on programs, environmental education, and special events for all ages. If you plan to attend an event, check the dates in advance.

Four miles of the 26-mile-long Lost Turkey Trail run through Blue Knob State Park. The Homestead Trail offers a different experience: it passes former settlement sites in a hilly section of the park’s valley. The trails therefore differ mainly in their connection to settlement history and in the stated length of the Lost Turkey Trail.

Scenic Drives and Motorsport History

The Lincoln Highway Driving Tour passes through Bedford County and invites visitors to explore historic sites along the route. Another way to combine a trip with a drive is the Covered Bridge Driving Tour: it takes about 90 minutes, crosses nine bridges, passes Gravity Hill, and is approximately 40 miles long. These details give the tour a specific timeframe and route length.

Motorsport history is represented in two distinct ways. Bedford Speedway is Pennsylvania’s oldest continuously operating dirt track. By contrast, the Museum of Speed at the Bedford Fairgrounds features exhibits on the history of motorsports at the region’s racetracks. The Broad Top Area Coal Miners Museum focuses on an extensive collection of mining memorabilia; its exhibits explore the history and heritage of coal mining and steam railroading in the Broad Top region of south-central Pennsylvania. When planning a hotel stay, you can first consider whether collections and architectural history, outdoor activities, or scenic drives will be the focus of your trip.

Discover more destinations: Bedford, Breezewood, Fayette County, Carbon, Chester, Bradford County, Cumberland, Montour County

For the main travel overview: Pennsylvania.