The old Chester County courthouse is located at the corner of Market and High streets and dates back to the late 1700s, when the borough was still a fledging community. It is open from 8am to 4pm with free admission, though there is a box for donations to the West Chester Historical Society. There are currently some renovation projects going on in the courthouse, so call ahead to make sure they are open.  Proceed north on High Street to the Chester County HistoricalSociety, which has an ever-changing series of exhibits about the county.  It is also the site of the West Chester Film Festival each April.

Chester County Day is another local tradition that is worth attending. On the first Monday of October, many residents in the area go out to visit local historic homes, many of which are over 200 years old. It is nearly impossible to see all of them in this one day, even though the open house tour only covers one section of the county each year. This event is actually quite famous and attracts thousands of tourists from around the country and Canada every year.

QVC, a major home shopping network and one of the largest such retailers in the country, broadcasts its shows from their studio at 1200 Wilson Drive in West Chester. Its studios are open for tours, but call ahead (800-600-9900) to verify dates and times. There is also a small retail store in the studio park, but it is quite small and contains very limited merchandise in comparison to what they offer through their television network and web site, QVC.com.