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!

06/18/2026
06/16/2026

Trivia Tuesday Time!! Can you name the famous musician that visited the DeBence collection in the late 1970s? If you think you can then leave your answer in a comment!

06/16/2026
06/13/2026

One more from tonight's debut concert.

06/13/2026

The Gabe Taylor concert is happening at the DeBence Antique Music World.

Gabe Taylor's debut concert.
06/13/2026

Gabe Taylor's debut concert.

Tomorrow catch Gabe Taylor in his first free concert! 7pm!
06/12/2026

Tomorrow catch Gabe Taylor in his first free concert! 7pm!

Come to our concert this Saturday night at 7pm and you could win an overnight stay in these cabooses in our raffle! Than...
06/11/2026

Come to our concert this Saturday night at 7pm and you could win an overnight stay in these cabooses in our raffle! Thank you to the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad for sponsoring!

We are highlighting an amazing donation that came in in 2025 today! These were boxes of records that were sent by the Wa...
06/10/2026

We are highlighting an amazing donation that came in in 2025 today! These were boxes of records that were sent by the War Department during WWII to service members stationed overseas. The record label is ‘V Disc’ (V stands for Victory) and the records were issued as the military recognized the power that music had to boost morale. Amazingly this donation included not only the records but also the original waterproof box that they were mailed in. Further than that the original address survives, confirming the records in the box as well as the fact that they were shipped to the USS Watseka, a navy tug that saw service in the South Pacific. As an interesting side note, while these records run on 78 RPM they are made of vinyl as most 45 RPM and LP records were later. For those who may not know, 78 RPM records are traditionally made of shellac. However, shellac is fragile and during the war it was hard to come by. The vinyl record was developed and chosen for its durability and ease of manufacture. The fact that both the box and the records are still intact and together likely represents a very rare portion of these records that ever came back stateside!

Looking to try learning Ukulele? Check out ! Kala has been an absolutely AMAZING supporter of the museum and our childre...
06/07/2026

Looking to try learning Ukulele? Check out ! Kala has been an absolutely AMAZING supporter of the museum and our children's music education programs, and you get to enjoy the benefits! You can now enter to win this fabulous all Mahogany James Hill Signature Series Ukulele, drawing on August 8th! Tickets are $10 for 5 chances and can be purchased in person, over the phone, or by mail. This is your chance to pick up a fun new instrument! 🌸🌺

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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