Know where the first oil well was drilled? Not Texas: it was in a picturesque Pennsylvania valley in Venango County. The discovery shaped the nation and changed the world. Today, bass anglers and fly fishermen wet their lines in the scenic Allegheny River and Oil Creek, where oil coated waterways and derricks dotted the hillsides more than a century ago.

Visit the birthplace of the worldwide oil industry at the Drake Well Museum, with its full-size replica of Edwin Drake’s first successful oil well, drilled in 1859. Re-live those days on board the Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad as stories are shared about oil boomtowns, like Pithole and Petroleum Centre, which sparkled briefly and then faded into folklore.

But that’s not all. There are great places to dine and unique places to shop. Charming Victorian towns, terrific bicycle trails, musical performances, special events, scenic overlooks, gateway derricks, antique shops, restored theaters, specialty museums, walking tours, hearty meals, more than a dozen bed and breakfast facilities, and four seasons of outdoor recreation, very reasonable prices and warm hospitality welcome you to the Original Oil Country!

For more information about these and other points of interest, contact:

Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism
206 Seneca Street, 4th Floor
P.O. Box 128, Oil City, PA  16301-0128
800-483-6264 Ext. 105

www.oilregion.org