Best Fest!

The Wilder Museum will host Best Fest! on Saturday, June 28, 2025, from 11 AM – 5 PM. Admission to the museum will be free all day—but the fun only begins there. Vendors will sell their crafts and wares on the museum lawn. The Allegheny Jammers will regale visitors with music in the “old time” tradition of Scotland, Ireland, and Appalachia. The DAR will host a children’s coloring/drawing contest to celebrate America’s upcoming 250th birthday. And the Double C Ranch will be there with their horse-drawn trolley, so be sure to catch a ride around historic Irvine. In 1795, General William Irvine, a veteran of the American Revolution, accompanied surveyor Andrew Ellicott to Northwestern Pennsylvania. The countryside so entranced Irvine that he bought approximately 1500 acres of land in the area. Though the general never lived in Warren County, his descendants founded the town that bears their name. In the museum itself, special interpreters will tell stories and share history. The museum, the largest in the area, houses over 4,000 artifacts of local history. Come hear about the ancient Native Americans who roamed these woods, learn about the tools and techniques used in early Warren industries, view the collection of fine antique weaponry, and enjoy a peek back in time to life in bygone eras. The Wilder Museum would like to offer a special thank-you to the Sokolski Family Foundation & the Community Foundation of Warren County, whose sponsorship makes this event possible. Bring the family to Best Fest! for a day of fun. Learning history has never been so enjoyable! From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the museum will be open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 1-5 PM. Fall hours from September 6 through October 12 are Friday and Saturday, 1-5 PM. The cost is $5 per adult and $1 for children/students, or free with a Warren County Historical Society membership.