UPCOMING EVENTS
Behind the Scenes at Drake Well: Friends of Drake Well Members Only!
Thursday, April 10, 2025
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Members of Friends of Drake Well are invited for a behind-the-scenes look at Drake Well Museum! This year's event will have a focus on Drake Well's outdoor exhibits and storage including upcoming projects to improve the visitor experience in the outdoor exhibit area. Attendees will also participate in a fun activity with the Museum Educator and have opportunities to talk with the Museum Curator and view some objects from Drake Well's collections! Must be a current member of the Friends of Drake Well, Inc. to attend. Registration is required; contact Emily Weaver, executive director Friends of Drake Well, at c-emilywea@pa.gov or (814) 461-0008 to RSVP. She can also check to see if you are a current member! Deadline to RSVP is April 7th.
Engine Start Up Day
Sunday, May 4, 2025
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., regular admission.
Speaker presentation begins at 1:00 p.m.
Spring is here, and that means it is time to start our engines! Join us as we bring our outdoor exhibits out of winter hibernation, including our replica of Drake Well with its steam engine and our Central Power exhibit featuring a working Olin gas engine with Simplex power. Volunteers and staff will be on hand to interpret the engines, Drake Well replica, and our Standard Rig exhibit. The day will also feature a special presentation by W. Norm Shade on "The Bessemer Gas Engine Company - from Half-Breeds to Diesels." The Bessemer Company began in 1899 in nearby Grove City, PA, as a manufacturer of half-breed engines that converted steam-powered oil pumper engines into gas engines that used the natural gas escaping from oil wells. Over a span of less than 30 years, Bessemer grew rapidly, becoming a leader in the production of horizontal natural gas engines for wellhead and industrial uses and becoming a U.S. pioneer in the development of large diesel engines. This talk will cover Bessemer’s exciting 30-year history prior to its 1929 merger with the C.&G. Cooper Company to form the legendary Cooper-Bessemer Corporation.
More about the speaker, W. Norm Shade...
W. Norm Shade is Sr. Consultant and President-Emeritus of ACI Services Inc. and President of WiNS Consulting Services Inc. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1970 with BME and MSME degrees from The Ohio State University and continued with post-graduate studies at Dartmouth and Columbia Universities. Prior to leading ACI, Shade spent 32 years with Cooper Bessemer Corporation and Cooper Cameron Corporation in design, development and executive management positions involving reciprocating and centrifugal compressors, reciprocating engines, and gas turbines.
In 2003, he started WiNS, a consulting company that continues to provide market research and technical services.
Norm has authored hundreds of technical papers and articles related to the gas compression industry. His long-running Cornerstones of Compression series in CompressorTechTwo magazine chronicles the history of notable products and companies in the gas engine and compressor space. This spawned his newest book, Cornerstones of Compression – The Companies and Machines That Have Driven 150 Years of Industrial Compressor Progress published in 2024. His book Gas Compression: A Primer on Compression Equipment & Technology was published in 2022 and quickly became a staple for college and company compression equipment training programs. Shade serves on the Board of Directors of the Coolspring Power Museum and has authored four historical booklets published by the museum. He has taught numerous short courses, holds three patents, and has been actively involved in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Gas Machinery Research Council (GMRC), the Gas Compressor Association (GCA), the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) and the American Petroleum Institute (API).
Shade is a registered professional engineer in Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. In addition to being honored as an ASME Fellow in 1999, other notable awards include the Ohio State University’s Career Achievement, Stillman Robinson (for lifetime achievement), and E.G. Bailey Entrepreneurship Awards, the GMRC’s Edward N. Henderson Award (for outstanding contribution to the GMRC and the industry), the Zane State College Honorary Associate of Public Service Degree, the GCA’s Significant Achievement Award, and the ASME Dedicated Service Award.
Oil Creek 5 & 13 Stacked Trail Races
Saturday, May 17, 2025
7:00 a.m. start for 5-mile race; 8:30 a.m. start for 13-mile race
The 4th Annual Oil Creek 5 & 13 Stacked Trail Races feature a 5-mile race and 13-mile race utilizing paths and trails around the Drake Well Museum, including the Gerard Hiking Trail in Oil Creek State Park. The races feature an exciting twist: the “Stacked Challenge.” Race start times are staged 90 minutes apart with the 5-mile race starting first bright and early at 7 a.m. followed by the 13-mile race at 8:30 a.m. This allows the option for participants to run one or both races, competing for the fastest “stacked” finish time. There is a strict 90-minute cutoff for those attempting both race distances! Finisher awards for each race distance are awarded as well as awards for the Stacked Challenge.
Registration is open NOW, visit the event's webpage for the link and more info!
Discovery Day Camp
July 10, 17, 24, or 31, 2025
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Join Drake Well Museum and Park for our fun-filled day camp. Children ages 8-12 can participate in this day long, hands-on program and learn about the Oil Region’s rich history and environment. Registration is FREE but required and limited to 25 participants! There are four different dates to choose from - pick the date that works best for you! Registration opens on June 1st. Space is limited for this FREE event. Register at sargoodman@pa.gov or (814)461-0005. Sponsored by CSR Services, LLC.
Drake Day: 1860s Living History
Sunday, August 10, 2025
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Celebrate the anniversary of Edwin L. Drake striking oil in Titusville on August 27, 1859! Come and enjoy a day at the Museum with living history presentations and demonstrations. A special presentation will be given by Author Cynthia Crytzer on her book "A Civil War Husband."
The Drake Well Marathon & Half
Sunday, August 17, 2025
7:00 a.m. Start
The ever-popular Drake Well Marathon & Half is back again for 2025! Participants will experience the beauty of historic Oil Creek and nearby Titusville as they run along shaded streets and creek banks. The community comes together for this event with amazing volunteers and friends to cheer along participants. All proceeds from the race benefit Friends of Drake Well, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) community-based organization, which partners with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in the administration of Drake Well Museum and Park. Registration is now OPEN, click here to register and for more details!
41st Annual Fall Gas Up
Saturday, September 13, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Visit Drake Well Museum and Park for its 41st Annual Fall Gas Up, sponsored by the Pioneer Steam and Gas Engine Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania, and experience the engines and equipment that powered Pennsylvania’s oil fields! Displays will include operating and stationary antique engines, farm and oil field equipment, tractors, models, and more. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens, and $5 for children ages 3-11; members of Friends of Drake Well are FREE. Entrance into the Drake Well Museum and its outdoor exhibits is included with admission; the museum will be open to visitors from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Any collector is welcome and encouraged to bring engines and equipment to display at the event! Engines ranging in size from small Maytags used to power washing machines to large oilfield engines that pumped multiple wells will be displayed by exhibitors from across the tri-state area. Members of the Pioneer Steam and Gas Engine Society, based in Saegertown, Pennsylvania, will also feature engines, tractors, and related equipment. Exhibitor registration will take place the day of the event, no pre-registration is required.
4th Annual Oil Boom Historic Dinner
Thursday, September 25, 2025
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Join us for an evening of delicious dishes made from authentic 19th century recipes! This year's dinner will have a Harvest theme and will once again showcase recipes from the residents of Titusville during its oil boom days. Some of those residents will be on hand at the dinner to talk about their recipes as well as what life was like in Titusville during the late 19th and early 20th centuries! This event benefits Friends of Drake Well, Inc., in its mission to support Drake Well Museum and Park. Check back soon for ticket pricing and registration information!
Historic Pithole City Lantern Tours
Saturday, October 4, 2025
6:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Join us for the Historic Pithole City Lantern Tours and experience history as it comes to life! Visitors will walk the former streets of the legendary oil boomtown, meeting some of Pithole's most famous historical figures along the way. Tours depart every 10 minutes beginning at 6:30 p.m. with the last tour departing at 9:30 p.m. Each tour lasts approximately 90 minutes. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early, wear weather-appropriate clothing, and bring a flashlight. NOTE: the tours cover steep hills and semi-rugged terrain. Please wear sturdy shoes suitable for walking. Tours are walking only; golf carts and other vehicles are not provided.
Tickets go on sale September 1, 2025 - check back for more information!