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Hancock Historical Museum

422 W Sandusky St
Findlay, OH 45840-3222
419-423-4433   |  https://hancockhistoricalmuseum.org/
Wednesday-Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; Sunday: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.; Saturday: By Appointment (large groups only)
Adults: $5, Seniors: $3, Children: $2

Hancock Historical Museum

The Hancock Historical Museum relates Findlay’s history across its nine-building campus. Visitors can tour curated exhibits and reconstructed homes ranging from the 1840s Crawford Log House to interactive digital exhibits in the Oxley Government Center.

Located in downtown Findlay, the Hancock Historical Museum preserves the history of Hancock County. Patrons can explore any of the campus’s nine buildings, which each capture a different element of Findlay’s story. The museum includes restored historical homes and several annexes designed to hold topical exhibits.

Three historic homes at the museum illustrate Findlay’s history through the nineteenth century. All three are located on the museum’s campus within easy walking distance. The Hull-Flater House was the starting point for the Hancock Historical Museum in 1971. Today, the home has been restored and furnished according to its Victorian-era style. Visitors can enjoy the small details of life for a well-off family in the 1890s, from the china service to the woodburning cookstove, as they tour the house. The DeWald-Funk House documents daily life in Civil-War era Ohio. Finally, the Crawford Log House was built in 1840 and offers an excellent opportunity for families to explore the two-room living conditions of an early Findlay pioneer family with eight children.

The Hancock Historical Museum offers several thematic displays in addition to its restored homes. Though Findlay hosted a fort on a strategic military path during the War of 1812, its development boomed in the land rush of the 1840s and again after the area’s first oil well was drilled in 1884. Agriculture, transportation, oil and gas, radio, and glass, along with many of Findlay’s smaller industries, are all featured in detailed displays. The museum offers a mix of permanent and rotating exhibits related to these businesses, including some hands-on displays like the Carlin Mercantile storefront. The Michael G. Oxley Government Center offers digital learning tools such as interactive timelines to teach Ohio history, while the Agricultural Building hosts programming related to Hancock County’s farming tradition.

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Notes for Travelers

The main entrance, admission desk, and gift shop for the museum are found at the Hull-Flater House and it is the best place to begin a tour of the museum’s campus. Elevators offer access to the additional floors of the museum. Visitors can download or stream a self-guided audio tour from the museum’s website. Docent-led tours are available upon request and many of the museum’s exhibits change seasonally.

AbolitionAfrican AmericansAgricultureArchiveCommerceFurnitureGasGeneaologyGilded AgeHouseIndustrialMuseumOilUnderground Railroad

Credits

Rebekah Brown

Additional Resources

Spencer, Jeff A. and Mark J. Camp. Ohio Oil and Gas. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 2008.

Mollenkopf, Jake. Civil War Stories of Northwest Ohio Heroes. Toledo, OH: Lake of the Cat Publishing, 2002.