Located at Laughlintown in Pennsylvania, the Compass Inn Museum allows you the unique opportunity to view life just as it were in the 1800s. Housed within the historic Compass Inn, which has been painstakingly restored to its authentic old-world charm, the Compass Inn Museum is a unique step back into time, with the costumed docents who guide visitors through a comprehensive account the yesteryears.
The seven rooms of which the Compass Inn is comprised include the common room, serving kitchen, ladies parlor and four bedrooms, each of which are adorned with period furniture. The Ligonier Valley Historical Society, which is responsible for the running and maintenance of the museum, conducts one and a half-hour long tours, which guide visitors through the inn, the three reconstructed outhouses which include a cookhouse, a blacksmith shop and a barn.
If you've ever wondered about what yesteryear transportation looked like, then the Barn is probably the best place to find out. Here, you can find an authentic stagecoach and a Conestoga wagon, which still retains its six-horse hitch, and find out the unique contribution of each of these methods of transportation. The Blacksmith Shop next door lets you wonder at the mammoth chambered bellows, the forge, anvils as well as a collection of tools which include both those used by the blacksmith, as well as the ones he made for his customers. The Cookhouse is yet another eye-opener with the beehive oven, which has been transferred from the Shaffer Farm going all the way back to the early 1700s!
At the end of your tour, you can even stop by at the Gift Shop to purchase some quaint museum-themed memorabilia, make excellent gift ideas. Tour timings are variable with tours being scheduled as per the arrival of visitors. However, if you plan to visit in a group of 20 or more, the museum requires that you call ahead and reserve a private group tour. A visit to the Compass Inn Museum is charged at about $7 per person with special discounts for children and seniors. You can visit the museum from 11 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Saturday and 1 pm to 5 pm on Sunday in the months between April and October. For an even more scintillating experience, opt for an hour-long candle-lit tour of the Inn, which is conducted on weekends in November and December from 3 pm to 7 pm.
For further information, you can refer to the website http://www.compassinn.com or call the Compass Inn Museum at 724-238-4983.
The Compass Inn Museum
P.O. Box 167
Laughlintown, PA 15655
