It's a rare joy when your entire family wants to go with you to a dusty courthouse or spooky graveyard.  While you're busy hunting down grampaw's lost treasure, there is plenty to keep disinterested spouses and family members busy in Clarion County.

What to Do in Clarion County, hosted by a PA Visitors' Bureau, has addresses and phone numbers for many of the locations listed below.  It also has a large number of suggestions that aren't included here.

• Arcade:  Reed Entertainment, Strattanville
• Bowling:  Strattanville & Knox
• Canoeing:  Cook Forest Canoe Rentals Company, Cooksburg
• Country Club:  Foxburg Country Club
• Golf:  There are several courses in the area.  Clarion Oaks Golf Club and Hi-Level Golf Course are Chamber of Commerce members.
• American Golf Hall of Fame, Foxburg, 412-659-3196
• Gyms:  There are a few in the county, including Core Fitness Studio in Kossuth.
• Manufacturing:  H. B. DeViney Company, New Bethlehem, makes peanut butter.  Char-Val Candies, also in New Bethlehem, creates hand-made candy.
• Miniature Golf:  Wolf's Camping Resort, Exit 53 (formerly 7) on Interstate 80
• Movies:  Destinta Theater (Clarion Mall)
• Music:  On the fourth Saturday of each month in the Callensburg area, don't miss the live music and covered-dish supper at Willis Elliott's pavilion on Mt. Zion Road.
• Railroad:  Knox, Kane & Kinzua Railroad (814-927-6621) has passenger rides from Marienville, through the beautiful Allegheny National Forest, to the Kinzua bridge.  Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad takes passengers on tour using historic equipment.  The Clarion Model Railroad Club is located at 515-C Main Street in Clarion.
• Skating:  Roller and ice rinks are in the county.
• Theatre:  The Verna Leith Sawmill Theater, at Cook Forest.  Read an article about the Sawmill Theater and Arts & Crafts Center.
• Vineyards:  Laurel Mountain Vineyard, 814-257-8797; Windgate Vineyards & Winery (Smicksburg, 814-257-8797)
• Zoo:  The Farmer's Inn, near Cook Forest (814-752-2942) has a petting zoo and animals on display.  Willis Elliott, who lives near Callensburg, has a collection of exotic animals on his farm.   Although he doesn't advertise it, many people stop by to "visit" the animals.

Cook Forest Area:  Depending on the season, hiking, skiing, horseback riding, canoeing, and most other "woodsy" activities are available.  This information page gives some information about the park.  Additionally, these sites are popular:

• Sawmill Art Center:  classes, theater
• Wet 'n' Wild Acres:  kiddie amusements, water slide
• Parker's Indian Trading Post:  panning for gems
• Double Diamond Deer Ranch:  tours and education
• Cook Forest Fun Park:  amusement park

Emlenton (Venango County):  The Emlenton Mill, the marvelous expansion bridge on I-80, turn-of-the-century buildings, antique shops, and boutiques make Emlenton a popular destination for tourists.

Titusville:  The Drake Well Museum (814-827-2797), located in Oil Creek State Park, has an interesting local history collection.

Other cities:  Pittsburgh is about a two-hour drive away.  Erie is about an hour-and-a-half drive away.