Franklin, PA Road Trips

Franklin was founded in 1741 by the French during the French and Indian War, where French Creek meets the Allegheny River. When the British saw the French had built a fort, they sent George Washington, who would later become the nation's first president, to tell the French that the territory had already been claimed by the British. The French refused, and proceeded to amass an army (including local Indians) to attack Fort Pitt and Fort Dusquesne in modern Pittsburgh. When the British began to attack Fort Niagara, the French were forced to send their troops north and the territory was claimed by the British. After American independence from Great Britain, the layout of the city was redesigned by Andrew Ellicott, who also helped design the layout of Washington, D.C. With the discovery of oil in nearby Titusville in 1859, wealthy oil tycoons moved to Franklin, quickly changing Franklin from an unknown to a wealthy, bustling town. With large fires consuming the oil fields in 1892 and 1894, the wealthy dispersed as quickly as they had come. Located in America's northeastern region, all four seasons can be experienced in Franklin. Spring and summer are often warm, but not uncomfortably so. August is generally the hottest month. In the autumn, the leaves typically begin to change colors around late September and early October around Applefest. It begins snowing around November. Lake-effect snow is not as great a concern in Franklin as it is closer to Lake Erie; however, it does occasionally cause heavy snow showers.

Much of the downtown area was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 for its architecture and history. Many of the shops, public buildings, and residences date back to the days when Franklin gained an immense amount of oil wealth. Notable historic buildings include the Courthouse, Public Library, churches, the Liberty Street shop buildings, and the Galena-Signal Oil Company building, which was once an oil refinery. The houses along Elk Street are exquisite examples of the Greek Revival architecture. Many other architectural wonders can be found scattered throughout the city. 1 Saint John's Episcopal Church, 1145 Buffalo Street (Across the street from the Public Library on the righthand side), ☏ +1 814 432-5161. Self guided tours: M-F 8AM - 2PM (last: 1:30PM); Su Eucharist: 8 & 10AM; Th Mass: 12:05PM. The Episcopal Church also shows off the city's former wealth, with its complete collection of Tiffany Windows and mahogany pews. From the outside the church is a stunning example of Victorian architecture. However, from the inside the church is even more breathtaking. St. John's Church includes one of three complete collections of Tiffany windows in the world. All of the windows in the church were commissioned by St. John's and created by the Louis Comfort Tiffany Studios. The "rose" window above the North entrance is the second largest Tiffany window in the world, also said to be one of Tiffany's personal favorites. The pews of the church are also quite beautiful, as the wood used to make them is all from the Amazon Rainforest in South America.

Walking Tours, ☏ +1 814 437-1619. With so many historic Victorian buildings, representing a wide array of architectural styles, visitors often come just to walk around the town to view the buildings. There are a few ways in which you can do this. If you just want to see the architecture, you can do the self-guided walking tour. These Walking Tour Guides are available at Franklin City Hall or Franklin Chamber of Commerce. The Franklin Rotary Club offers guided walking tours during Applefest. Those interested should call in advance (+1 814 437-2072) to find out more information about specific tour dates. Other groups, such as the local Garden Club, offer House and Garden Tours during 4th of July Festivities Week. Two Mile Run County Park, 471 Beach Rd., ☏ +1 814 676-6116. Two Mile Run is a tucked away just off Route 417 around a man-made lake. You can fish in the lake, boat, and swim at Crosby Beach. Around the beach there are also paddle boat rentals and volleyball nets. Two Mile Run has many different hiking and mountain bike trails for those who are more interested in exploring nature and the surrounding forests. In the wintertime, visitors can enjoy ice fishing and sled-riding or snowboarding on the hill near the entrance of the park. There are pavilions that can be used by the public when they have not been rented. For accommodations, visitors can camp or make reservations to stay at either the cottage or farmhouse (see "Sleep"). Allegheny River and Samuel Justus Bike Trail, ☏ +1 814 432-4476.

Deets Sugar House, 182 Tarr Rd (across from the entrance to Tri-City Speedway), ☏ +1 814 676-1097. The best place in Franklin for ice cream, Deets is known for giving generous portions! Although most people come for the ice cream, the hot foods, like subs and pizza, are also quite tasty. Leonardo's Restaurant and Pizzeria, 1267 Liberty Street, ☏ +1 814 432-8421. One of the most popular restaurants in Franklin, serving excellent pizza and hot subs, as well as other Italian dishes. Bella Cucina, 1234 Liberty Street, ☏ +1 814 432-4955. Lunch from 11AM to 2PM, dinner 5PM to 9:30PM, closed Sun. An up-scale restaurant that features dishes inspired predominantly by Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Seafood and vegetarian dishes are particularly popular. Lunch specials range from $8-12. Expect to spend $15-30 for the dinner menu. Kings Family Restaurant, RR 2, ☏ +1 814 437-6997. Su-Th 6AM to 10PM, F Sa 6AM-midnight. For those tired of fast food and pizza and hungry for homestyle cooking, Kings is a popular option. Kings is a Pennsylvanian chain restaurant, but it's one of Franklin's most popular restaurants, and it also stays open later than most others. Bistro by Pizza Joe's, 1145 Liberty Street, ☏ +1 814-432-8000. Pizza and sandwiches. Iron Furnace Coffee, 1236 Liberty Street, ☏ +1 814-518-5151. Quaint, locally owned cafe servig pastries along with a selection of coffees, teas, and speciality drinks. Free wi-fi available.

FoxTales Pub, 1117 Liberty Street, ☏ +1 814 437-6636. M-F from 11AM, Sa from 3PM, and Su from noon. Although it's rather small, it's quite popular with the locals.

Quality Inn and Conference Center, 1411 Liberty Street, ☏ +1 814 437-3031. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Located right in downtown Franklin, it is the most popular hotel for visitors to Franklin. It offers a wide range of services, and contains a fitness center, bar, and restaurant all within the hotel. The bar and restaurant are open to the public. Most rooms cost $90-100 per night, some up to $160. Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 225 Singh Drive, Seneca, ☏ +1 814 677-2640. Quite clean and comfortable. Serves complementary breakfast to all guests. Has an indoor swimming pool. All rooms are non-smoking. Prices range from $130-200 per night. Two Mile Run Farmhouse and Cottage, 471 Beach Rd, ☏ +1 814 676-6116. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. For those looking to get out of the city and enjoy the areas natural surroundings, Two Mile Run offers the opportunity to rent either a cottage or farmouse. You must stay for a minimum of 2 nights. Amenities include a washer and dryer, clean linens, towels, a bathroom, a kitchen, a fireplace, and air conditioning. The cottage holds 5 people, and the farmhouse holds 10. The cottage costs $105 per day or $470 per week, the farmhouse costs $132 per day or $594 per week. Two Mile Run Campgrounds, 471 Beach Rd., ☏ +1 814 676-6116. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. Check in with Park Official to check out. Two Mile Run has 72 camping areas, 12 of which offer full hook-ups. Reservations must be made for a minimum of 2 nights and can stay no longer than 30 days.

1 Venango Regional Airport (FKL IATA), Chess Lamberton Field, ☏ +1 814-432-5333. It is a small local airport, with daily flights from Pittsburgh. Because of the limited flight options, many visitors prefer flying into Erie or Pittsburgh and then driving to Franklin however, flights have become very affordable with government subsidies, so it may be more worthwhile to fly directly here from Pittsburgh. Route 322 runs through Franklin from the east and west, and Route 8 travels through Franklin from Erie to the north and Pittsburgh from the south. If you are travelling from Oil City or Emlenton, you can enter Franklin by bike via the bike trail, which passes through Franklin. From there, you can easily travel to the downtown area.

Liberty Street contains shopping areas, the Barrow Civic Theater, the Courthouse, and the parks, making it a great place for those travelling on foot. St. John's Episcopal Church is also nearby, so visitors can see all of these without having to drive around however, not all of the sites are in walking distance, so those hoping to see more than the downtown area will need to take the bus or drive. The sites in Seneca, such as the mall and roller skating rink, can be reached from downtown Franklin by travelling on Route 322 East. For Two Mile Run County Park and Tri-City Speedway, drive down Rocky Grove Avenue. Rocky Grove Avenue becomes Route 417 outside of the city, but they are exactly the same road. Franklin is served by the VenanGO Bus, which also has stops in Oil City and the Cranberry Mall. It costs $1.50 for adults and $0.75 for children ages 6-11. Children 5 and under, as well as Senior Citizens with PA Transit Passes, can ride for free. Buses operate from 8AM to 4PM and generally arrive at each stop once per hour, making it most convenient for shopping trips.