national museum of the american coverlet

oceancitylover

The Tour Guide Laszio was awesome with his vast knowledge in Coverlets. He told everything it fine detail of looms, types of coverlets, by looks what type of group of people created a coverlet. Amazing!!! From the old type looms to newer ....everything! We highly recommend this attraction. Worth the trip. You will love listening to Laszio the Hungarian who is full of humor and loves what he does!!

FrequentTraveler696

This was a great little bit of history about America and the advent of coverlets. We found out from our tour guide, Laszlo, that coverlets were only made here in this country. They are woven and this practice basically stopped during the Civil War and thereafter. You won't be disappointed with a stop at this museum. The history is very interesting and the tour and guide are great!

TaraClark1

I have to admit that I was thinking this was a museum about the history of Bedford when we pulled up. So when we got there and what I thought was just a bunch of quilts I was ready to run for the hills. We are a young couple and this was not our idea of a good time. So with that being said the tour guide himself was a treasure!!! He was so sweet and explained what the museum was all about and we were intrigued. He was so knowledgeable and had such a love for it that it was hard not to fall in love with this American History. They had beautiful pieces and the original punch card system that started the whole idea of the computer system. Worth going!!

Chucksim

Textiles usually aren't my sort of thing, but there were a couple of interesting things about this. First thing I should mention was our tour guide, an elderly Hungarian gentleman named Laszlo. He is very knowledgeable about coverlets and their connection to American History and it shows, and his passion for these subjects keeps one’s attention. There is another interesting thing, this being the Jacquard punch card system invented in France around 1799 which used a punch card system for the coverlet patterns, a predecessor to the system used on early computers centuries later. This was much faster than the earlier looms used for producing coverlets and enabled much more complex designs. Much more interesting than I would have thought, well worth the time and price of admission.

01dale

Wonderful museum with a dedicated focus and amazing collection of coverlets. Located in a repurposed school building, the museum has plenty of room to spread out and showcase coverlets from around the area and the northeast. The museum staff is extremely knowledgeable, and they also advised us to visit the renovated Bedford Springs Resort, which we did, and late booked a vacation the following summer.

malinpgh

My travel companion was golfing, most other attractions were not yet open for the season, and now I'm grateful for both so as to send me to this lovely little museum. I believe I was the first visitor of the day and so received the most informative tour from one of the proprietors. I happened upon the museum during the second week of an exhibit of coverlets from a collector in the mid-West - lucky me! I had no idea how much I didn't know about weaving, looms, the revolution that was Jacquard, gender discrepancies, fabric dyeing. I am a fan of the January Pennsylvania Farm Show and always watch the Sheep-to-Shawl and the weavers, but now I will watch with a whole different awareness. This museum was the highlight of my trip to Bedford. Visit the gift shop for regionally woven items too!

Eileen543

Visiting this museum was delightful and fascinating. A great learning experience about our American heritage. The collection is extensive and in great condition. the museum proprietors are generous tour guides and passionate about coverlets. Don't miss it.

ModTravel111

Great tour from the founder of the museum - we learned so much and have a new appreciation for the American coverlet. Who knew?!

TraciM702

I love finding small museum such as this one - and as a 19th century historian, this place was amazing. The staff was welcoming and willing to share their vast knowledge. The exhibits were interesting and displayed well. I cannot recommend this place enough for anyone who enjoys material culture and history.

JasonGlisson

My wife and I were in Bedford for our anniversary, and stayed directly across the street from the Coverlet Museum. I had mentioned visiting the museum since the reviews were off the charts. After looking for other things to do, we decided to give the museum a try. We were greeted by one of the caretakers and tour guides; an older gentleman from Hungary. He ended up being such a delightful man with a great sense of humor. He was such an amazing tour guide with tons of information on coverlets. Now, I'm not normally interested in textiles and such things. However, I'm a web developer, and I do know that punch cards are the early beginnings of computers. He talks extensively about the development of the punch card system and how that is directly related to weaving and coverlets. I was so impressed by the presentation. If you're anywhere near Bedford, this place has to be on your list of stops.

AuntieFlo

While researching activities in Bedford I found a listing for this museum. I was in Bedford for the Fall Foliage Festival and had time to visit the museum. Fortunately, I had a private tour with a very knowledgeable guide who seemed to know EVERYTHING about the coverlets and how they were made. The coverlets themselves were so intricate. For pieces that were 150 years or more old, the colors were bright. I appreciated the displays that showed the same pattern done in different colors. I found out that they displays change. I'm thinking of a return trip to see the next display. The museum is within a few blocks of downtown Bedford.

Patravler56

We visited the "National Museum of the American Coverlet" in Bedford, PA on Oct 12 2013, during Bedford's Fall Foliage festival. We were amazed. Here is a museum to an art form that flourished in America from the 1700's to 1860. They have beautiful examples of the woven marvels. The change the display four time a year because they can show all they have at once and also have exhibitions of private collections at different times. It is a must see from those interested in early American craftsmanship.The guides are extremely knowledgeable and excellent presenters.It was well worth the ten dollar admission.We will be going back again!

mowogray

My travel partners and I learned of this gem through our B & B hostess in town. We ambled down through the main streets of Bedford PA until we reached the National Museum of Coverlets. Amazing! I am sure many of you as have I seen coverlets but really never knew of their history and the value of these treasures that are in so many of our homes. Our guide, a kindly gentlemen, Lazlo, shared many interesting points of how the coverlet came to be over time and the introduction of the punch card system by Jacquard, which in turn became the basis of many of our beginning computer programs. It is a small museum hosted by a charming couple who have the desire to spread the word on coverlets. Their gift shop has many items to take home as gifts or memory keepsakes. It is well worth the time to visit.

P7726RBrichards

My husband and I first visited the National Museum of the American Coverlet in 2012 because we had some time to kill before our nearby hotel room was ready. From the time we stepped inside, the fascination started. Our tour guide shared so many interesting stories with us. My husband and I stayed in the museum for over an hour ... and returned in 2013 with more people! The museum isn't just about coverlets, it tells the story of survival, business, invention, family roles, and more. The bonus: once you leave, you will not only know what a coverlet IS, you will be able to spot one from a mile away!

Food_and_Wine_Mavin

The people who run the museum are extremely knowledgeable. Make sure you have about an hour, and then tour the place with them.