Thomas T. Taber Museum

Williamsport, PA

Where Lycoming County history comes alive

Our Mission: Operated by the Lycoming County Historical Society, the Thomas T. Taber Museum exists to discover, collect, preserve, and interpret the pre‑history, history, and cultural heritage of north‑central Pennsylvania. Named for local historian and philanthropist Thomas T. Taber III, the museum serves as the official repository of Lycoming County history and a place where stories of the Susquehanna Valley are told through objects, art, and immersive exhibits.

Whether you’re standing beneath a Tiffany window, peering into a recreated lumberman’s parlor, watching model trains circle historic landscapes, or tracing your family name in the archives, the Thomas T. Taber Museum turns the layered history of the Susquehanna Valley into vivid, memorable experience.

What you’ll find inside:

Located on Millionaires’ Row at 858 West Fourth Street, the Taber Museum chronicles the region’s history from Native American life through 21st‑century industry and everyday life. Key features include:

  • James Bressler American Indian Gallery: A walk‑through gallery illustrating the lives of the region’s first inhabitants with life‑size dioramas, locally discovered artifacts, and exhibits on daily life and burial traditions.

  • Fine & Decorative Arts Gallery: “From Folk to Fine” showcases treasures from the permanent collection: a Tiffany Studios depiction of Christ among the lilies, Pennsylvania long rifles, portraits of Williamsport founders, and works by John Sloan, Severin Roesen, Frances Tipton Hunter, and contemporary artists such as Roger Shipley and Bernard Katz.

  • Period Rooms & “A Walk Through Time”: Full‑size recreations of a frontier cabin, blacksmith shop, woodshop, Greek Revival parlor, general store, schoolroom, and other spaces depicting life from the 1700s through the 1900s.

  • Logging, Lumber, and Industry Galleries: Exhibits on the lumber era, canal and railroad history, firefighting, military service, and 20th‑century life in Lycoming County.

  • Shempp Model Train Exhibit: A beloved gallery featuring more than 300 toy trains, layouts, and railroad memorabilia, a favorite for families and rail fans alike.

Community Impact:

Officially established in 1907, the Lycoming County Historical Society and its Taber Museum now hold the most comprehensive collection of artifacts, photographs, and records related to north‑central Pennsylvania’s past. The museum:

  • Preserves irreplaceable materials entrusted by generations of local families.

  • Offers residents and visitors an accessible way to understand Williamsport’s evolution from frontier settlement to lumber capital and beyond.

  • Serves as a cultural anchor on Millionaires’ Row, complementing the city’s Victorian architecture and broader arts scene.