Chester County Historical Society
Located in “the History Center” in downtown West Chester, the Chester County Historical Society has been preserving and presenting the history of the Brandywine Valley to visitors since 1863. The 56,000-square-foot museum has an expansive collection of historical artifacts from the area, including locally crafted grandfather clocks, furniture from Colonial times, more than 200 quilts and various pieces of historic clothing dating as far back as the 1700s.
Now through August, the historical society has a special exhibition, “The 1960s Pop Culture: Movies, Memorabilia and the Media.” The exhibit features items from more than 160 movies that were filmed from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s.
QVC Studio Tour
A legend in retail, the QVC television shopping network is headquartered in West Chester and broadcasts 24 hours a day from its headquarters there. Groups can arrange to tour the studio, where they learn about the ins and outs of live television production and the QVC process of sourcing, showcasing and delivering retail goods to its customers.
There are numerous versions of the tour for groups. The standard tour includes a view from an observation deck, where guests can watch QVC programs in progress. More detailed tours take visitors to see control rooms, inside the QVC show kitchen or behind the scenes to meet a merchandiser. A half-day “all access” tour includes lunch at the on-site cafe.
Herr’s Snack Factory Tour
Since 1946, the Herr’s company has been making potato chips and other snacks in Pennsylvania. Today, their product line includes more than 340 items, including potato chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, popcorn and meat sticks, many of which are manufactured at the Herr’s Snack Factory in Nottingham, Pennsylvania.
Groups spending time in the Brandywine Valley often make time for a tour of the Herr’s Snack Factory. Guests see the production line and learn about what goes into choosing the right potatoes for chips and seasoning for tortillas. The factory also has a snack bar and gift shop for sampling and purchasing Herr’s products.
