Winter hours
Our Museum is closed and guided tours are finished for the season. Our Distillery is now open by appointment (please call 724-887-7910 x104). Check our Events page for upcoming programs.

Group Visits

Groups of 10+ can enjoy special tours, programs, and discounts.

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Bring Your Group to West Overton Village

West Overton Village offers guided tours for groups of 10 or more with discounted admission rates, along with the option of our hands-on DIY (Do-it-Yourself) History Activities. We welcome family and friend groups, clubs, bus tours, and more. 

We have many options to customize your visit. You can select from a "menu" of guided tours and hands-on DIY History Activities. The number of programs depends on your group's size, interests, and arrival / departure times. Our staff will work with you to create the best experience for your group.

Pre-scheduled groups of 10+ receive a discounted admission of $15 per person. Additional tours and activities receive a custom price. Please contact Director of Visitor Engagement Pam Curtin at pam@westovertonvillage.org to discuss further.

Guided Tours

We offer guided tours to provide an up-close look at our historic buildings and museum. Most group visits include one or more guided tours as they are a great way to learn the history of West Overton. In particular, the tour of the 1838 Overholt Homestead is our signature tour that provides an overview of the Overholt and Frick families.

Take a guided tour of 1838 Overholt Homestead built by Abraham and Maria Overholt. While visiting this beautiful Federal-style mansion, learn how the Overholts settled the property in 1803, how Abraham expanded the distillery, and how the family farm transformed into a thriving industrial village. Also learn about industrialist Henry Clay Frick, who was born in the springhouse and spent years of his youth at West Overton. Visit Abraham and Maria Overholt's room, the Mural Room depicting scenes of early Westmoreland County history, the converted bedroom that pays tribute to the Overholts' Mennonite heritage, along with the outdoor summer kitchen.
Take a guided tour of our Museum’s award-winning exhibition, Forging Ahead and Falling Behind: Industrial Growth in a Rural Community. This exhibit explores the various industries at West Overton, including farming, milling, distilling, weaving, coopering, housekeeping, coal mining, and more. Interact with artifacts including a 19th century fanning mill and hand-powered washing machine, step inside a 300,000 lb. capacity grain bin, explore a recreated general store, and look inside a restored coal car.

The Museum exhibition can also be offered as a self-guided activity.
At the Educational Distillery, learn about the history and science of distilling rye whiskey. Discover how grains like rye and barley were cultivated and distilled as a means of food preservation. For the Overholts, distilling became a primary business and well respected craft. Groups with individuals 21+ and valid IDs can arrange whiskey tastings.

DIY History Activities

DIY (Do-it-Yourself) History Activities are hands-on activities and demonstrations that reflect the daily lives of people at West Overton.

The availability DIY History Activities varies according to age group, time of year, and staff availability. Please discuss your interests with Director of Visitor Engagement Pam Curtin at pam@westovertonvillage.org

Great for kids and kids at heart! Play with the games and toys that entertained children in the 19th century. See how familiar games like ring toss and tug of war have evolved over time, and learn some new ones, too, such as the game of graces. We provide a variety of games and toys that can be enjoyed individually and in groups.
Learn how butter was historically made in a churn and the science behind transforming cream into butter. Make your own butter in a small container to take home.

Explore historic lighting technologies like tin lanterns and the art of tin punching. Create a tin punched suncatcher to take home.

Uncover the science of how people in the 19th century took fireplace ashes and turned them into a household cleaning product. Make your own melt-and-pour bar of soap scented with traditional herbs like lavender and sage.
Learn about the fascinating art of paper marbling. Historically used to decorate the endpapers of books, this art involves using paint floating in a liquid solution to create beautiful, colorful patterns on paper. Create a marbled bookmark to take home. 
Weaving was an important art and industry at West Overton. Learn about the Overholts’ tradition of weaving coverlets, an intricately patterned bed covering, and how textiles were made using different organic materials and dyes. Weave with yarn and a small, take-home cardboard loom.

Discover the history and science of making cyanotypes, an early photographic printing process. Create your own cyanotype, also called a sun print, using light-sensitive paper.

Visit the historic outdoor kitchen and learn how the hearth and beehive oven were used to cook a variety of foods. Identify differences and similarities between these technologies and modern kitchen appliances. Discover historic foodways and food preservation techniques.
Learn about the importance of food preservation on the Overholts’ farm. See how cabbage was shredded and turned into sauerkraut through the process of fermentation. This program is best offered in the fall.
Try your hand at a historic corn fodder chopper traditionally used to chop cornstalks into animal bedding. Learn about the machinery and 19th century animal husbandry. This program is only offered in the fall.
Examine primary sources, such as artifacts and documents, from West Overton Village's collection to explore what these objects meant to people at the time they were created and what they tell us as historians today. Practice the skills of historians by learning how to "read" a primary source and work in small groups to conduct analyses. 
What stories do artifacts tell us? Practice the skills of curators as we discuss how to take a single artifact and draw out broader historical themes and meaningful connections. Work in small groups, studying an artifact and imagining a method of interpretation and audience. This activity pairs well with the Primary Source Analysis.

Additional Options

Gift Shop

Our newly renovated gift shop offers a variety of history-inspired items including books, jewelry, and West Overton keepsakes and souvenirs. The gift shop is located in the Museum and sales benefit the nonprofit mission of West Overton Village.
 

Have Lunch on Site

Groups can arrange to have lunch on site. You can bring your own lunch or coordinate with an outside vendor to have lunch delivered. While we do not have on-site food services, we have a list of recommended vendors we can share. 

Use of one of our venue spaces for lunch requires advance notice and an additional cost. Please ask us about this opportunity when you inquire about your visit. The Overholt Room, located in the lower level of the Museum, can seat up to 100. 

Group Visit Procedures 

  • Group visits are primarily available from May - October.
  • Groups should dress appropriately for the weather and scheduled activities. 
  • Please contact us with any questions and concerns regarding accessibility accommodations.

Contact Us

Please contact Director of Visitor Engagement Pam Curtin at pam@westovertonvillage.org or fill out this form to request your visit. Completing this form does not confirm your group’s visit. Our team will reply to your request as soon as possible.  

Get a Taste of History

West Overton Distilling carries on the tradition of making whiskey at West Overton. Discover the history of Pennsylvania rye and the science of whiskey distillation.