DeBence Antique Music World

DeBence Antique Music World Known as the "See and Hear Museum"
our tours feature music machines from the 1850s through the 1940s Open April 1st - October 31st. As Q.

Closed November 1st - March 31st by appointment only. David Bowers so eloquently states in his Encyclopaedia of Automatic Musical Instruments:

"What makes an old-time automatic musical instrument interesting?...It may be the elusive, never-to-be-recaptured feeling of an earlier era...an era that, somehow, seems to be wistfully carefree and nostalgic...The sound produced by a carefully restored i

nstrument is the exact sound that our ancestors heard and enjoyed. The performance that delights you today may have delighted in exactly the same way Napoleon, Queen Victoria, the King of Siam, a San Francisco theatre, or a Paris streetwalker years ago. The emotions of another time, another place...the entertainment of another era comes to life unaltered and undimmed today." Thousands of visitors, young and old, have been captivated by the incredible collection of automatic music machines spanning two centuries seen only at DeBence. Nickelodeons pound out the tunes of Irving Berlin, George M. Cohan and John Philip Sousa. Intricate, beautifully-tuned music boxes, created by nineteenth-century German and Swiss craftsmen, ti**le enchantingly in the same manner as they did one hundred years ago. Merry-go-round band organs roar to life with explosions of melody. We invite you to be swept back in time for a few hours or the day at DeBence Antique Music World!

The museum is closed this week, August 18th to August 23rd, for staff training. We will reopen starting Tuesday August 2...
08/19/2026

The museum is closed this week, August 18th to August 23rd, for staff training. We will reopen starting Tuesday August 25th.

The museum will be closed August 18th to August 23rd for staff training. We will reopen starting Tuesday August 25th.
08/17/2026

The museum will be closed August 18th to August 23rd for staff training. We will reopen starting Tuesday August 25th.

Check out the other amazing nominees and vote for the DeBence Museum as best shop!
08/14/2026

Check out the other amazing nominees and vote for the DeBence Museum as best shop!

Voting for the Oil Region National Heritage Area Tourism Awards is now open!

Use the link below to complete the survey to select the best of the best in the Oil Region in the categories of Best Dish, Best Drink, Best Shop, Best Stay, Best Advocate, Best Event, Best Destination, and Best Scenic Selfie Spot.

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/OsO0QGm/ORNHAtourismawards2026

Voting will remain open until midnight on Labor Day (Monday, September 7).

Winners will be announced in early September. The Oil Region Tourism Awards winners will be celebrated at a reception in October. Photos shown are from the 2025 Tourism Awards reception.

Winners from 2025 were not eligible to be nominated in the same categories for 2026.

No cash or prizes are given to nominees nor winners, but bragging rights mean a lot! We also proudly promote our winners and nominees.

The Oil Region National Heritage Area Tourism Awards is a project of the Venango County Tourism Program and is also supported by the Crawford County Commissioners.

For more details on the Oil Region National Heritage Area Tourism Awards and to view lists of past nominees and winners, please visit https://oilregion.org/tourism/oil-region-tourism-awards/

Come check The Last Chance Band tonight! They will be playing soft rock and more, including all your favorite hits! You ...
08/08/2026

Come check The Last Chance Band tonight! They will be playing soft rock and more, including all your favorite hits! You won't want to miss it!

08/07/2026

Start spreading the news!

Come check The Last Chance Band during their concert tomorrow night! They will be playing soft rock and more, including ...
08/07/2026

Come check The Last Chance Band during their concert tomorrow night! They will be playing soft rock and more, including all your favorite hits! You won't want to miss it!

08/07/2026

This weekend on Saturday the 8th come to the Last Chance Band concert at the museum and enter for a chance to win this Kala Ukulele! Drawing will take place after the concert!

We are postponing next week's talk until September as we realized this date conflicts with the Silver Cornet Band concer...
08/05/2026

We are postponing next week's talk until September as we realized this date conflicts with the Silver Cornet Band concert in the park. Go out and enjoy the band on a lovely summer's evening and we hope to see everyone in the museum for a rescheduled date to be announced in September!

Address

1261 Liberty Street
Franklin, PA
16323

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 4pm
Wednesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm
Sunday 12:30pm - 4pm

Telephone

+18144328350

Website

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