Pennsylvania Things to Do

 
by Ewingjr98
 
  •   Things to Do
    by Ewingjr98
  •   Things to Do
    by Ewingjr98
  • Wheatland - home of James Buchanan
      Wheatland - home of James Buchanan
    by mtncorg
  • Typical Amish Transport
      Typical Amish Transport
    by Mikebb
  • The Rotunda
      The Rotunda
    by Tom_Fields
 

Most Viewed Things to Do in Pennsylvania

1.

Liberty Bell   Philadelphia

Liberty Bell, Philadelphia

 63 Reviews  OK, you can't really touch it, but you can get pretty darn close to it and have your picture made with this American icon. The line to get into the building which now houses the Bell was wrapped all... 

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2.

Presque Isle State Park   Erie

Presque Isle State Park, Erie

 15 Reviews  On Erie's waterfront, overlooking Lake Erie and Presque Isle, is Bicentennial Tower. Built in 1995 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the city's founding, it stands 187 feet high. The observation... 

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3.

Penn's Landing   Philadelphia

Penn's Landing, Philadelphia

 24 Reviews  This is a must for any military history buff. A rare look and navel technology of the time between sail and modern fleets. Well maintained and not altered to suit tourist, as it should be. But no... 

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4.

Brig Niagara   Erie

Brig Niagara, Erie

 6 Reviews  This is a great history lesson about the war of 1812. Ride in the brig Niagara,and help put up the sails by hand. The captain gives a talk of the battle for Lake Erie and the hero Comodore Perry. His... 

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5.

Philadelphia Museum of Art   Philadelphia

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia

 65 Reviews  Most famous for the Rocky movies, the Philadelphia Museum of Art apparently also has some sort of art exhibits inside. The museum was in Rocky, Rocky II, and Rocky V, and earned its screen time for... 

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6.

Erie Maritime Museum   Erie

Erie Maritime Museum, Erie

 2 Reviews  This museum on the lakeshore is dedicated to Erie's history as a Great Lakes port with emphasis on Erie's role in the War of 1812. The highlight of the museum is a tour on a recreation of the Brig US... 

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7.

City Hall   Philadelphia

City Hall, Philadelphia

 41 Reviews  The centre of town is dominated by this huge building, that really impressed me. I'm not going to write about it, but strongly advice to follow the link bellow, where all the details are explained... 

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8.

Erie Zoo   Erie

Erie Zoo, Erie

 2 Reviews  Hey, I am kind of an animal person... I don't really agree with keeping animals caged in an environment that isn't natural to them. I do think that in order for knowledge and awareness to occur, there... 

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9.

Independence - Carpenter's Hall   Philadelphia

Independence - Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia

 81 Reviews  Revered by the American, this old (very old, in American scale) building is a landmark in their history, and a reference to democracy. Don't expect astonishing sights, just the authenticity and the... 

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10.

Waldameer Park   Erie

Waldameer Park, Erie

 2 Reviews  Waldameer Park is a nice amusement park for children. Sometimes at amusement parks, people with children find that there are too many rides for adults. This is not the case at Waldameer! In fact, none... 

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11.

ChinaTown   Philadelphia

ChinaTown, Philadelphia

 21 Reviews  Philadelphia Chinatown is a great place to go because it has over fifty different restaurants! I like to often go there with my friends for dinner. Many different types of Chinese food are offered,... 

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12.

Erie Peninsula   Erie

Erie Peninsula, Erie

 2 Reviews  When in Erie, a great thing to do is take a small trip to the peninsula. It is a popular place for walks, swimming, fishing, bike rides, picnics, boat rides, and so on. Also, being a peninsula, it... 

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13.

Reading Terminal Market   Philadelphia

Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia

 28 Reviews  I thoroughly recommend Frank's Wings. The wings are delectably delicious and the cornbread is to die for. The service is fast and efficient. They serve other dishes like perogies and hotdogs but the... 

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14.

Seawolves, Minor League Baseball   Erie

Seawolves, Minor League Baseball, Erie

 2 Reviews  Well, I couldn't really tell you much about this because we actually got rained out of a game, I still had fun. I got to meet the mascot. and take a picture with him, but unfortunately those were in... 

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15.

Center City   Philadelphia

Center City, Philadelphia

 24 Reviews  Just about everything your little heart can desire, from parks, monuments, statues & graveyards. Food stands of every type & style all over the area, dollar stores, restaurants from high brow to just... 

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16.

Betsy Ross House   Philadelphia

Betsy Ross House, Philadelphia

 27 Reviews  It is believed that Betsy Ross lived here from 1773 to 1785, and it was in this house she created the first flag of the United States. I love historic homes, and it was very interesting to be able to... 

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17.

South Street   Philadelphia

South Street, Philadelphia

 15 Reviews  Parked at New Market Garage around the corner from Cafe Nola on a Saturday night, after I had a wonderful meal (I highly recommend Cafe Nola, the food and the staff were great!) I proceeded to take a... 

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18.

Olde City   Philadelphia

Olde City, Philadelphia

 11 Reviews  On a nice evening, especially a Friday evening, its nice to come to this part of town to just stroll around. Its full of little restaurants ( all kinds) , stores, coffee places, icecream , desert... 

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19.

Elfreth's Alley   Philadelphia

Elfreth's Alley, Philadelphia

 22 Reviews  Elfreth's Alley is commonly regarded to be the oldest continuously inhabited street in America. Most of Colonial Philadelphia looked like this: cobblestone lanes between the major thoroughfares, small... 

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20.

Christ Church   Philadelphia

Christ Church, Philadelphia

 25 Reviews  Christ church (pic 1) is a protestant Episcopal church that was built in 1754 in Georgian style (replacing the old wood and brick church) and it is one of the historic churches in US. Many famous... 

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21.

Muetter Museum   Philadelphia

Muetter Museum, Philadelphia

 11 Reviews  I got to visit the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia a couple of months ago. It has lost of amazing, interesting and freaky things on display. I wrote a post with some photos (not allowed in the museum... 

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22.

Benjamin Franklin Bridge   Philadelphia

Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Philadelphia

 9 Reviews  Once in Old City Philadelphia, particularly near the river, it's pretty hard to miss the Ben Franklin Bridge -- the bluish monolith spanning the Delaware River into Camden. When completed in 1926, it... 

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23.

Rittenhouse Square   Philadelphia

Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia

 8 Reviews  Rittenhouse Square, along with Washington, Franklin, Logan, and City Hall Squares, is one of five public spaces established by William Penn in his original plan for the city of Philadelphia.... 

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24.

Love Statue   Philadelphia

Love Statue, Philadelphia

 6 Reviews  A Philadelphia landmark, th LOVE statue is located in picturesque JFK plaza. In spring, the sunny park filled with flowers and the mist from the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial Fountain, it's a great... 

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25.

Eastern State Penitentary   Philadelphia

Eastern State Penitentary, Philadelphia

 17 Reviews  The details: Eastern State Penitentiary, Location 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130. A note about the location, this is just north of City Center, not far from the Philadelphia Art Museum.... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Brookville, Pennsylvania

by Basaic

Brookville is a fairly small town located in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Just off Interstate 80 and on Pennsylvania Highway 28. Population is over 4000. Brookville has a nice historic district with a number of buildings of historical and architectural interest, some of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Highlights include the Jefferson County Courthouse and the Carrier House. Brookville is also home to the Jefferson County History Center. I also liked the monument and memorials dedicated to veterans. Brookville is just South of the Allegheny National Forest.

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Bradford, Pennsylvania

by Basaic

Bradford is a decent sized town located near the New York border in Western Pennsylvania. Population is about 10,000. Bradford has a nice historic district with a number of buildings of historical and architectural interest. Several of them, like the City Hall and a few of the churches, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Veterans Square, a small park with some monuments to the veterans of different wars, is on one end of Main Street. There is also a monument to area police officers killed in the line of duty by the Police Station. Bradford is also a short distance Northeast of the Allegheny National Forest.

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Searight Tollhouse National Landmark

by Basaic

The Searight Tollhouse is named after the nearby town of Searight, which was named for a prominent citizen of the town William Searight. Searight owned a popular tavern along the National Road. The National Road was authorized by the US Government in 1806. It began in Cumberland, Maryland and stretched to Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia). The National Road is the only highway that was built entirely by the Federal Government. The expense of running the road proved to be very expensive and the government turned it over to the states. Pennsylvania built 6 tollhouses, one every 15 miles or so, including the Searight Tollhouse which was completed in 1835. The usage of the road declined when the railroad came to Western Pennsylvania in 1850 and more during the Civil War. Tolls were collected until 1905. The National Road followed the general route of what is now US Highway 40. The...

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Johnstown Flood National Historic Site

by Basaic

One of the worst natural disasters in US history happened on the afternoon of 31 May 1889. The South Fork Dam, holding back Lake Conemaugh, gave way after a night of heavy rain causing the death of 2000 people and the injury of thousands more. The town of Johnstown was devastated. The flood resulted from poor planning and poor construction of the dam, coupled with greed and self-interest. The Johnstown Flood National Historic Site tells the stories of greed and heroism, immortalizing the people and events that occured on that historic day. For more information see my Johnstown Page.

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Friendship Hill National Historic Site

by Basaic

Abraham Alfonse Albert Gallatin is one of the most important people involved in the early development of the United States that you probably never heard of. Gallatin was born in Geneva, Switzerland on 29 January 1761. He emigrated to the newly formed United States at the age of 19. Gallatin had simple dreams, a nice home, a family, maybe a little adventure. Throughout his life he always had his dreams just out of reach then tragedy stepped in. He married the love of his life, Sophia Allegre, only to have her die 5 months later. He got his nice home but rarely got to spend time there. Gallatin did not seek fame or fortune; but he was the architect of, and was involved in some of the most important events in the early development of our country. He was elected a US Senator in 1793 but was disqualified from the office within a year for problems with his citizenship (the first person kicked...

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Fort Necessity National Historic Site

by Basaic

Fort Necessity was a small wooden palisade fort that was hastily built in an area called the "Great Meadows", in 1754. The fort was a part of the ongoing struggle between the British and the French for control of the Ohio River Valley. The French had a large fort, Fort Duquesne, near Pittsburg. Fort Necessity was built by a regiment of Virginia frontiersmen (under the command of a young British officer, Lieutenant Colonel George Washington) in response to Fort Duquesne. Later that year Fort Necessity was attacked by a larger force of 600 French soldiers and 100 Indian allies. This is the only time Washington ever surrendered to another armed force. Today the Fort Necessity National Historic Site consists of a recreation of Fort Necessity and the restored Mount Washington Tavern. Other parts of the park include: Jumonville Glen (a battlefield where the French commander Jumonville was...

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Flight 93 National Memorial

by Basaic

I visited the Flight 93 National Memorial shortly before the grand opening of the new facilities. They were pretty much complete but since construction was still ongoing, access was restricted. The museum was also not completed. This site commemorates the location where the passengers on Flight 93 caused the plane to crash in a field in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania instead of the intended target the U. S. Capitol Building. The new improved facilities opened on the 10th anniversary of the crash; 11 September 2011. For more information see my Shanksville Page. P. O. Box 911, Shanksville, PA 15560 (814) 893-6322 www.nps.gov/flni

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Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS

by Basaic

The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 was a boon for merchants and traders in New York but took business away from businessmen in Philadelphia. Wanting to improve their accessibility to markets farther west, Pennsylvania authorized the Main Line canal system between Philadelphia and Pittsburg. This necessitated building aqueducts, tunnels, reservoirs, dams, 276 miles of canal and 82 miles of railroad tracks. The biggest obstacle, however, was the Allegheny Mountains. To solve the problem of how to get goods and passengers over the mountains and back to the canals, they built a series of five inclined planes up the mountains and five more back down. Goods and passengers were unloaded from boats onto railroad cars and towed by horses up and down the inclines. The horses were later replaced by locomotives. The Allegheny Railroad National Historic Site preserves one of these inclines, an...

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Visit Independence National Historic Park

by Basaic

Inside downtown Philadelphia are several buildings, artifacts, and displays concerning the formation of the United States of America and the men who had the vision and formed this republic. Here you can see Independence Hall; the Liberty Bell; City Tavern and many other locations important to our history. The park is well worth a visit and will take a full day (or two) to see.For full information see my Independence National Historic Park Page (coming soon).

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Amish in their everyday life

by KalamazooJohn

I lived in Lancaster County for 17 years, though not recently, and I think if you want to mingle with the Amish, going to an auction is a great idea. Check online for all kinds of auctions, the farm related ones will be best. Amish go to them and bring cash, so you will see them in their element.

Fun things to do in Pennsylvania

Top 3 Hotels in Pennsylvania

Alexander Inn  Philadelphia

 8 Reviews and 508 Opinions  The staff were friendly, knowledgeable & helpful. Room 204 was clean and comfortable. King bed was... 

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Omni William Penn Hotel  Pittsburgh

 4 Reviews and 480 Opinions  Another night in Pittsburgh another Priceline bargain on a four-star hotel in the center of the... 

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Comfort Suites Gettysburg  Gettysburg

 3 Reviews and 315 Opinions  We were only there one night, but the desk personnel were friendly and helpful. the room was clean... 

 Hotels in Gettysburg

1,892 Hotels in Pennsylvania
 
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Reviews and photos of Pennsylvania attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Pennsylvania sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Pennsylvania
  1. Philadelphia Things to Do
  2. Pittsburgh Things to Do
  3. Gettysburg Things to Do
  4. Lancaster Things to Do
  5. Hershey Things to Do
  6. Erie Things to Do
  7. Harrisburg Things to Do
  8. State College Things to Do
  9. New Hope Things to Do
  10. Allentown Things to Do
  11. Intercourse Things to Do
  12. Bushkill Things to Do
  13. Gettysburg National Military Park Things to Do
  14. King of Prussia Things to Do
  15. Ricketts Glen State Park Things to Do
  16. Scranton Things to Do
  17. Wilkes-Barre Things to Do
  18. Johnstown Things to Do
  19. Clarion Things to Do
  20. Mount Pocono Things to Do
  21. Reading Things to Do
  22. Delaware Water Gap Things to Do
  23. York Things to Do
  24. Jim Thorpe Things to Do
  25. Altoona Things to Do
  26. Williamsport Things to Do
  27. Kutztown Things to Do
  28. Marshalls Creek Things to Do
  29. Lewisburg Things to Do
  30. Tannersville Things to Do
  31. Lucinda Things to Do
  32. Kennett Square Things to Do
  33. Presque Isle State Park Things to Do
  34. Hazleton Things to Do
  35. Milford Things to Do
  36. Valley Forge National Historical Park Things to Do
  37. Lititz Things to Do
  38. East Stroudsburg Things to Do
  39. Skytop Things to Do
  40. Carlisle Things to Do
  41. Strasburg Things to Do
  42. Punxsutawney Things to Do
  43. Chambersburg Things to Do
  44. Worlds End State Park Things to Do
  45. Doylestown Things to Do
  46. Slippery Rock Things to Do
  47. Bedford Things to Do
  48. Meadville Things to Do
  49. Cook Forest State Park Things to Do
  50. Harmony Things to Do
  51. Somerset Things to Do
  52. Valley Forge Things to Do
  53. Fort Necessity State Park Things to Do
  54. West Chester Things to Do
  55. Ambridge Things to Do
  56. Phoenixville Things to Do
  57. Scotrun Things to Do
  58. Edinboro Things to Do
  59. Bellevue Things to Do
  60. Gettysburg National Historical Park Things to Do
  61. Indiana Things to Do
  62. Mill Run (Fallingwater) Things to Do
  63. Pymatuning State Park Things to Do
  64. Uniontown Things to Do
  65. Bethlehem Things to Do
  66. Franklin Things to Do
  67. Easton Things to Do
  68. Johnstown Flood National Memorial Things to Do
  69. Macungie Things to Do
  70. Villanova Things to Do
  71. Hermitage Things to Do
  72. Bradford Things to Do
  73. Pen Argyl Things to Do
  74. Tamaqua Things to Do
  75. Wellsboro Things to Do
  76. Blakeslee Things to Do
  77. Malvern Things to Do
  78. Washington Crossing Things to Do
  79. Sharon Things to Do
  80. Lahaska Things to Do
  81. Ohiopyle Things to Do
  82. Rausch Creek Things to Do
  83. Brookville Things to Do
  84. Ephrata Things to Do
  85. Dushore Things to Do

More Cities in Pennsylvania

 

Questions and Answers

shrikamu profile photo

Q:  Is it possible to do a day trip to see the Amish villages from Mt. Laurel, NJ by car? I realise that the drive is about 2 hrs. ... 

travelmad478 profile photo

A: Yes, this is certainly possible although it would be more comfortable to stay overnight. Please, avoid things like Amish Village...you can easily experience life in... 

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