Places to Visit in Pennsylvania
Where the country was founded, where the chocolate is made, and a lot of quiet farmland, forest and river valley in between.
See things to do »Your Pennsylvania Travel Guide
The places to visit in Pennsylvania cover more ground than most first-time visitors expect. Philadelphia, in the southeast corner, is where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed. Pittsburgh, about 300 miles west, is a hilly city of bridges and rivers that traded steel mills for museums and hospitals. Between them lie the Amish farms of Lancaster County, the battlefield at Gettysburg, the company town of Hershey and the forested ridges of the Appalachians, and to the north are the lakes and resorts of the Pocono Mountains and the beaches of Lake Erie.
Philadelphia is where most trips start. Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell stand a block apart in a national park in the old city, and within walking distance are Elfreth's Alley, the Museum of the American Revolution, Reading Terminal Market and the restaurants of Rittenhouse Square. The Benjamin Franklin Parkway leads out to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, whose steps were made famous by a boxing movie, and Valley Forge, where Washington's army spent the winter of 1777-78, is half an hour northwest.
Head west on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the country opens up. Lancaster County has the oldest Amish settlement in the country, where horse-drawn buggies share the roads with tour buses and farm stands sell shoofly pie. Gettysburg, an hour southwest, preserves the 1863 battlefield where the Union turned back Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North, and Abraham Lincoln gave his address a few months later. Hershey, near the state capital at Harrisburg, smells faintly of cocoa and has an amusement park built by the chocolate company for its workers.
Pittsburgh, where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio, is best seen first from the top of the Duquesne Incline. The city has the Andy Warhol Museum, the Carnegie museums and a lively food scene, and two Frank Lloyd Wright houses, including Fallingwater, sit in the Laurel Highlands about 90 minutes southeast. In the northeast, the Poconos draw families to indoor water parks and lake houses, and fall visitors to the foliage around Jim Thorpe and the Delaware Water Gap. In the far northwest, Erie sits on a sandy peninsula that curves into Lake Erie.
This Pennsylvania travel guide splits the state into six areas, each with our notes on what is worth your time and live, bookable tours and tickets. Separate pages cover where to eat, from cheesesteaks to Amish smorgasbords, and the annual events worth planning around. Distances are real here: Philadelphia to Pittsburgh is about five hours by car, and Erie is another two hours north. For help putting a trip together, ask our travel specialists for a free quote.
Explore Pennsylvania by Area
Top-Rated Things to Do in Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania Food, Region by Region
Philadelphia has its cheesesteaks, roast pork sandwiches and Reading Terminal Market, Pittsburgh piles fries and slaw inside its sandwiches, and Lancaster County serves Pennsylvania Dutch cooking family style. Our dining guide lists places in each region, all checked as open.
Festivals and Events in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia opens the year with the Mummers and the Flower Show, summer brings Musikfest in Bethlehem and the Little League World Series in Williamsport, and October fills the Poconos and small towns with foliage festivals.
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Pennsylvania — FAQ
What are the best places to visit in Pennsylvania for a first trip?
Philadelphia for history and food, Lancaster County for Amish farm country, Gettysburg for the battlefield and Hershey for chocolate and rides. With more time, add Pittsburgh and Fallingwater in the west or the Poconos in the northeast.
How many days do I need to see Pennsylvania?
A week covers Philadelphia, Lancaster, Gettysburg and Hershey comfortably, since they are all within about two hours of each other. Pittsburgh and Erie are on the other side of the state and need three or four more days.
What are the best things to do in Pennsylvania with kids?
Hersheypark and Hershey's Chocolate World, the Strasburg Rail Road and Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster County, the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Kennywood near Pittsburgh and the indoor water parks of the Poconos are all family favorites.
When is the best time to visit Pennsylvania?
Late spring and fall. Summer is warm and busy at the amusement parks and lakes. Fall foliage usually peaks in the northern mountains in early October and in the southeast by late October. Winters are cold, with skiing in the Poconos and Laurel Highlands.
Can I get a free Pennsylvania travel guide by mail?
The state tourism office, visitPA, offers a free printed travel guide on its website, and most county visitor bureaus mail their own guides. This site is an independent online guide.
Do I need a car to travel around Pennsylvania?
In Philadelphia and Pittsburgh you can manage on foot and transit, and Amtrak connects the two cities along with Lancaster and Harrisburg. To reach Amish farms, Gettysburg's battlefield, the Poconos or state parks, you need a car or a tour.