THEÂ FORT BEDFORD MUSEUM
Our Fort Bedford Museum features unique historical exhibits that highlight our role in the French and Indian War, the Whiskey Rebellion, and the evolution of the local landscape from "Cave to Empire."
A History of Fort Bedford
Built in 1958 by Bedford residents to commemorate construction of the original French & Indian War fort in 1758, Fort Bedford Museum houses over 4,000 objects from Bedford’s past.
For 57 years, the Museum displayed its entire collection as many museums once did: in rows of wood and glass cases. In 2015, the Bedford Heritage Trust began a five-year plan to renovate and update Fort Bedford’s exhibits, collections management practices, and educational programming.
If you haven’t visited us lately, come see what we’ve done! Two new interpretive exhibits—Becoming Bedford and Cave to Empire—opened in 2016 and 2017. In 2019, we unveiled our exhibition The Story of "Indian Eve" Ernst.
For the summer of 2023, we shared the first phase of our Fort Era exhibit devoted to Bedford's role in the French & Indian War, and work continued on an exhibit about Bedford's role in the Whiskey Rebellion.
As of spring 2025, our latest exhibitions include the Forbes Road exhibit and the newly dedicated James Hostetler Transportation Room. We’ve also added several engaging children’s activities throughout the Museum to enhance the visitor experience for families. Currently, we are hard at work developing our upcoming Bedford Attic exhibit, which will highlight hidden treasures and unique stories from Bedford’s past.
Come explore the new and exciting changes at Fort Bedford Museum!
Since its founding in 1958, Fort Bedford Museum has served as a vital repository for the historical and genealogical heritage of Bedford County and Pennsylvania. Its holdings include historic documents, letters, photographs, daguerreotypes, business records, maps, and a wide variety of artifacts that illustrate both the region’s military history and the everyday lives of families who lived in Bedford County. Together, these materials tell the story of the people, events, and experiences that shaped the region from the colonial period forward.
All items in the collection—documents and artifacts alike—have been professionally catalogued in Past Perfect, the museum field’s preferred collection management system. While some pieces appear in exhibits, most of the collection has traditionally remained safely preserved in storage, limiting direct access for researchers, genealogists, educators, and the public.
A generous grant from the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies helped eliminate this barrier; the entire Fort Bedford Museum collection is now available online. Anyone anywhere in the world can view the collection by visiting the museum’s website at https://fortbedfordmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/. Photographs are already available for many items, and additional images continue to be added regularly to expand digital access.
This increased availability transforms how the public can engage with local history. Historians gain access to original frontier‑era materials; genealogists can explore land records, letters, military papers, and personal belongings that help trace family connections; educators can enrich lessons with authentic primary sources; and community members can discover everyday objects that reveal how Bedford County families lived, worked, and built their communities.
Thanks to the support of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, Fort Bedford Museum’s preserved history is no longer confined to storage—it is now accessible to anyone, anywhere, ensuring that the region’s stories continue to inform and inspire future generations.
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