Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    The Lawson Center

    4.5 (2 reviews)
    Closed 1:00 pm - 5:00 PM

    Services - The Lawson Center

    Venue rental

    The Lawson Center Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - The Lawson Center

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration
    Photo of Greg S.
    5
    187
    32

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Marqus R.
    1831
    4485
    26319

    8 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Roger Tory Peterson Institute - Curator, Maria Ferguson, discussing a recent exhibit.

    Roger Tory Peterson Institute

    (4 reviews)

    Stunning building surrounded by nature and a must see for any nature enthusiast. I visited during…read moreDoors Open Jamestown and was really impressed with the friendly staff and how beautifully the collections were displayed. RTPI is a museum, and also has a gift shop and looks like it could be used for special events too. The museum is home to the largest collection of Roger Tory Peterson's work. Roger Tory Peterson illustrated field guides on identifying birds. He was also a talented photographer. The majority of the museum featured nature photography by Thomas D. Mangelsen which were very interesting to look at as well. The upstairs is accessible by stairs and elevator, and there was an interesting video playing about spiny soft shell turtles living in the Chadakoin River in Jamestown. Overall I really enjoyed the 40 minutes we spent here, and I would love to come back again one day!

    If you have a thirst for knowledge of the outdoors, nature, wildlife, the flora, fauna or…read moreparticularly of birds, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute is the place. Not only does it store a wealth of information, it's one of the most drop dead gorgeous of structures both in design as well as in décor. Named after world famed ornithologist, author and naturalist, Roger Tory Peterson, a native of Jamestown, New York, it is this institute that personifies his life's work in which he not only won every major award in his field but also furthered it with such striking innovations as the Peterson Identification System, known for its clarity with specific delineations of bird markings. In my mind, Roger Tory Peterson was the greatest, most gifted ornithologist and naturalist ever and, just one heck of a nice guy; a perfect gentlemen in the most classical sense of the term who I was fortunate enough to have personally known and spoken with on numerous occasions as we both resided not that far from each other and shared similar heritages as well as interests. The displays and art work layouts of this institute couldn't have been better done, many of which are in fact breath taking and others mentally impacting such as a display of the once thriving passenger pigeon that were so numerous in numbers their flights blackened the skies but now, as a result of what was actually commercial hunting and conservational ignorance, now totally extinct. So, if you have any naturalist or ornithological interests, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute is a must.

    The Historical Society of Erie County

    The Historical Society of Erie County

    (2 reviews)

    I stopped at the Hagen History Center on my way through Erie since I wanted to check out the Frank…read moreLloyd Wright office that they have on exhibit. The Hagen is located in a couple of buildings near Gannon University. Fairly recently the Hagen acquired the FLW office that he used in San Fransico near the end of his career; the Hagen built a special building to house the office along with other exhibits. While the FLW office has been on display other places, at the Hagen you are actually able to go into the office and look around, which is a real treat. To start the Hagen has a number of displays before you enter the office giving information on Frank Lloyd Wright, his designs and even identifies the buildings in the region that you can tour. The office itself is relatively small, just a compact reception area, 3 workstations and a small office that Wright used to meet with clients. The office has the feeling of being a Wright design, clean lines, natural materials, and innovation. An interesting element of the installation is that the Hagen has placed photos of what the office looked out to in the windows so you get an idea of how it looked in San Francisco. The Wright office is less spectacular than most Wright designs, it had to fit into a commercial building and was more of a satellite office for work in California. It is a nice visit if you are in the area or are a Wright completist. I did check out some of the Erie history exhibits on the second floor of the building, they seemed to be well presented and a nice look at various elements of Erie history. I was happy I stopped and checked out the Wright office at the Hagen, but it is not worth a special trip and there are much better examples of Wright buildings in the Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York that I would recommend you tour. This might be a great start if you are taking a trip through Erie to see Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob or doing the Buffalo Wright tour.

    OH what fun ! stumbled upon this place right next to the Erie Art Museum - the place i never got…read moreinto beyond the front door( -see my other reviews ) The historical Society is on the top floor and looks a bit like a cluttered library stuffed full of books and, well, stuff ! The people inside saw me browsing and quickly came to ask if they could help and explained their hours etc they were very nice to me ! the Cashier's House is also in this building and even though it was in the middle of "moving within the building" they let me tour on my own anyways LOL it is a three story house and i accidentally went to the third floor unattended to have a look around no one seemed bothered by that even tho sightseers were supposedly not to go there the elevator took me right up there so...why not look around LOL ! ? not that security is lax cause there appeared to be cameras all about and on each floor - i wonder if anyone noticed me ? LOL LOTS of fun artifacts in the Cashier's House Victorian stuff to make is appear like a lived in home of that time period .... beside that there is a small Maritime museum of shipwrecks and an interesting but small room of Telephone history in Erie LOL LOTS of stuff in there it seemed well organised lots of old phones and phone books switchboards and wires and cables and insulators what a delight ! all in all a great visit for me even if i was the only one there for a good hour and oh yes .... the front desk guy let me in for free cause they were renovating the Cashier's House - i bet i never get THAT price again ! LOL !

    Eldred World War II Museum - Girl power won the war

    Eldred World War II Museum

    (3 reviews)

    "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -George Santayana…read more This is a museum in the tiny town of Eldred Pa, right along the new york - pennsylvania state line. Its dedicated to the history of WWII and the collection of artifacts and materials from that time period. They do have large collection of badges, insignias and uniforms from all combatants during the war. Eldred was the site of a munitions factory that ran non-stop from 1942 to mid-1945 that produced bombs and shell casings that were used in the war on the Allied side. It has a library where you can go around and check out books and maps if you're really interested in a certain topic. It is a great place to go if you have a Social Studies project to do and you want to go check it out. plus theres a cool tank half-bursting out of the wall, haha.

    We were very surprised to find this gem of a museum when visiting family in the area, who had never…read morebeen there. Much larger than expected, the collection includes somewhere between 60,000 and 70,000 artifacts from World War II, all donated or on loan. Obviously focusing on military history, the museum is comprehensive, well thought out, and displays are well-presented. highlights include vehicles and a submarine periscope from World War II, many displays honoring locals who served (putting a human face on the conflict, uniforms, weapons, and other memorabilia. The Holocaust room is separated, so parents could make a decision as to when their children are ready to see it, and is very thorough and well done. The associate curator and the two volunteers present were super friendly, helpful, and informative. At a time when those who fought this war are passing on, the events are an abstraction to many children, and anti-Semitic, fascist or neofascist elements are once again on the rise in Hungary, Western Europe, and even our own United States, this museum does important work.

    The Lawson Center - museums - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...