Pennsylvania (PA)

Pennsylvania State Flag

 

"Keystone State"

"The Chocolate State", "The Coal State", "The Oil State", "The Steel State" and "Quaker State"

Why visit Pennsylvania?

Offers something for everyone whether biking, birdwatching, boating, camping, cultural events, fishing, history, hunting, mountains, museums, shopping, skiing and valleys.

Pittsburgh, PA. Photo Credit: Bruce Emmerling/Pixabay 

At a Glance

• Capital: Harrisburg
• State Bird: Ruffed Grouse
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Mountain Laurel
• State Gemstone: None
• State Mammal: White Tailed Deer
• State Rock: None

Philadelphia City, PA. Photo Credit: Bruce Emmerling from Pixabay 

Fun Facts

• Many Revolutionary War battles were fought in Brandywine, Fort Mifflin, Germantown and Valley Forge.
  
• Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was inspired by the Battle of Gettysburg (Civil War).
  
• Founded in 1781, Bank of North America (Philadelphia) was our nation's first nationally chartered bank. Eventually, merging with Wells Fargo.
  
• Our nation mourned tragic events September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks with United Airlines Flight 93 crash killing 44 (Shanksville).
• From the Ice Ages has the world's largest glacial pothole (Archbald).
• Our nation's birthplace to the firsts: broadcasts, capitol, cable TV, educational public TV station, high speed multilane highway, hospital, library, magazine, newspaper, paper mill, pharmacist and zoo.
• Roots of Quakers (Friends), a historically Christian denomination (Religious Society of Friends/Friends Church).
• Has the oldest (1902) roller coaster, Leap-The-Dips (Altoona).
• Production ranks first for mushrooms, second for apples, third for Christmas trees and layer chickens, fourth for corn (silage), grapes, horses, milk, nurseries and sod. Eighth in our country for winemaking.
• Pennsylvania Dutch are of German distinct and fluently speak German/Swiss. Upon their arrival locals misunderstood the "Deutsch" (meaning German) for "Dutch", instead.
  
• Home to one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world, The Hershey Company (Hershey).
  
• Where several inventions such as Banana Split, Big Mac, Cracker Jacks, Ferris Wheel, Slinky and Tastycakes were created.
• Largest producer of train locomotives, GE Transportation (Erie) in our country.
  
• Betsy Ross, Seamstress sewed the first American Flag (Philadelphia).
  
• The College of Osteopathic Medicine (Philadelphia) the largest medical school in the United States.
• Founded in 1861, Sturgis Pretzel House is the oldest commercial pretzel bakery in our nation. Auntie Anne's Pretzels began as a market-stand in Downingtown.
  
• Red sauce condiment ketchup was founded by H. J. Heinz (Pittsburg).
• Since 1829, America's oldest brewery, D.G. Yuengling & Son (Pottsville) has been making beer.
  
• On New Year's Day the popular televised Mummers Parade (Philadelphia) draws crowds to enjoy elaborate costumes, movable scenery and talented performance routines.
• The popular reusable metal lighter, Zippo is manufactured in the state (Bedford).
• Features 1 National Forest, 20 State Forests, 294 State Game Land and 116 State Parks.
  

New Hope & Ivyland Locomotive Train, New Hope, PA. Photo Credit: Chris Engel from Pixabay 

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Alecia Beth Moore "Pink" (Musician), Bradley Cooper (Actor), Kevin Hart (Actor), late Kobe Bryant (Athlete), Taylor Swift (Musician) and Will Smith (Actor), just to name a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Hoffa (1992), Night of The Living Dead (1967), Rocky (1976), Silver Linings Playbook (2102), Slap Shot (1977), Split (2015), The Blob (1958), The Fault in Our Stars (2013), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2102), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2007) and Witness (1985), just to name a few.
• Reads Set in Pennsylvania: American Rust (written by Philipp Meyer), Duffy's Rocks (written by Edward Fenton), Fever 1793 (written by Laurie Halse Anderson), Greenhorn on the Frontier (written by Ann Finlayson), Snow Angels (written by Stewart O'Nan), Straight Man (written by Richard Russo), The Awakening of Helena Richie (written by Margaret Deland), The Gown of Glory (written by Agnes Sligh Turnbull),The Killer Angels (written by Michael Shaara), The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (written by Michael Chabon), The Piano Lesson (written by August Wilson), The Rolling Years (written by Agnes Sligh Turnbull) and When We Get There (written by Shauna Seliy), just to name a few.

Pennsylvania Autumn Season. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay 

Good to Know

• Has a large Amish & Mennonite population.
  
• Amish refer to us as "English".
  
• Hex Signs commonly found on barns is a Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art with ancient beliefs to their meaning in colors and points.
  
• King of Prussia Mall (KOP) is the largest on the East Coast.
  
• The Smethport to Eldred Driving Tour exploring Military History is most scenic between mid October - early May.
  
• Copperhead, Eastern Massasauga and Timber Rattlesnake are poisonous.
  
• In wooded areas, be mindful of Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and West Nile Virus carried by mosquitoes.
• Never photograph Amish given their religious beliefs.
  
• There's a 5% tax on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.
  
• All 121 State Parks are Free Admission.
  
• Foliage Season is in October, best mid to late month.
• Splash Lagoon, is the largest waterpark on the East Coast.
  

Cliveden of the National Trust (Chew House) - Battle Reenactment, Philadelphia, PA. Photo Credit:  David Mark/Pixabay 

Subject to humidity, floods, landslides, nor'easter, power outages, snowstorms, tornadoes and wildfires. 

• Coldest Month: January
• Hottest Month: July
• Peak Season: June - August

Can you hear Philadelphia's chant, "Fly, Eagles Fly! On the road to victory! (Fight! Fight! Fight!) Fight, Eagles fight! Score a touchdown 1, 2, 3! (1! 2! 3!) Hit 'em low! Hit 'em high! And watch our Eagles fly! Fly, Eagles Fly! On the road to victory! E-A-G-L-E-S! Eagles!" 

("The Eagles' Victory Song" was created by Charles Borrelli & Roger Courtland)

Falling Water (Frank Lloyd Wright Design), Mill Run, PA. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay

Settle the debate, who offers the best Philly Cheesesteak, Gino's Steaks or Pat's King of Steaks?

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: 1762 Waterworks, Albert Gallatin House, Allegheny County Courthouse & Jail, Allegheny Portage Railroad of the Pennsylvania Canal, Andalusia, Andrew Wyeth Studio & Kuerner Farm, Asa Packer Mansion, Augustus Lutheran Church, Bedford Springs Hotel Historic District, Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey, Benjamin West Birthplace, Beth Sholom Synagogue, Bomberger's Distillery, Bost Building, Braddock Carnegie Library, Brandywine Battlefield, Bryn Athyn Historic District,  Buckingham Friends Meeting House, Bushy Run Battlefield, Cambria Iron Company, Carlisle Indian School, Carrie Blast Furnaces 6 & 7, Cedarcroft, Chatham Village, Conrad Weiser House, Cornwall Iron Furnace, David Bradford House, David Bradford House, Delaware & Hudson Canal, Delaware Canal, Drake Oil Well, Dwight D Eisenhower Farmstead, East Broad Top Railroad, Edward G Acheson House, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Ephrata Cloister, F Julius Lemoyne House, Fallingwater, Fonthill Mercer Museum & Moravian Pottery & Tile Works, Forks of the Ohio, Fulton Opera House, Gemeinhaus-Lewis David de Schweinitz Residence, Gen Friedrich Von Steuben Headquarters, George Nakashima Woodworker Complex, George Taylor House, Gifford Pinchot House, Graeme Park, Grey Towers, Gruber Wagon Works, Harmony Historic District, Harrisburg Station & Trainshed, Henry Antes House, Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District, Honey Hollow Watershed, Horseshoe Curve, Humphry Marshall House, I. N. & Bernardine Hagan House, Isaac Meason House, James Buchanan House, Joseph Priestley House, Keim Homestead, Kennywood Park, Leap-The-Dips, Lightfoot Mill, Lukens Historic District, M Carey Thomas Library, Matthew S Quay House, Meadowcroft Rockshelter, Merion Cricket Club, Merion Friends Meeting House, Merion Golf Club, Mill Grove, Milton S Hershey Mansion, Minisink Archeological Site, N. C. Wyeth House & Studio, Oakmont Country Club, Old Economy, Old West Dickinson College, Pearl S Buck House, Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, Pulpit Rocks, Robert Fulton Birthplace, Schaeffer House, Searights Tollhouse, Simon Cameron House, Smithfield Street Bridge, St Mark's Episcopal Church, Staple Bend Tunnel, Stiegel-Coleman House, Summerseat, Terence V Powderly House, The Printzhof, Union Canal Tunnel, Valley Forge, W. A. Young & Sons Foundry & Machine Shop, Washington's Crossing, Washington's Headquarters, Waynesborough, Wharton Esherick House & Studio, William Brinton 1704 House, Woodmont and Woodville.
• Museums: AACA Museum, Allentown Art Museum, America On Wheels Museum, American Helicopter Museum & Education Center, American Swedish Historical Museum, Anthracite Heritage Museum, Appalachian Trail Museum, Asa Packer Mansion Museum, Barnes Foundation, Bicycle Heaven, Bloomsburg Children's Museum, Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, Brandywine River Museum of Art, Carnegie Museums, Carnegie Museum of Art, Children's Museum of Lancaster, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania, Drake Well Museum & Park, Eastern State Penitentiary, Electric City Trolley Museum, Ephrata Cloister, Erie Art Museum, Erie Maritime Museum, Everhart Museum, expERIEnce Childrens Museum, Fireman's Hall Museum, Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center, Glencairn Museum, Harmony Museum, Heinz History Center, Houdini Museum, Independence Seaport Museum, Indian Steps Museum, Jennie Wade House, Johnstown Flood Museum, Liberty Bell Museum, Mack Trucks Historical Museum, Mattress Factory Museum, Mercer Museum, Michener Art Museum, Mid Atlantic Air Museum, Mister Ed's Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium, Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, Mummers Museum, Museum of the American Revolution, National Canal Museum, National Museum of American Jewish History, National Toy Train Museum, National Watch & Clock Museum, No 9 Coal Mine & Museum, North Museum of Nature & Science, Old Economy Village, Palmer Museum of Art, Penn Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, Pennsylvania Military Museum, Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Please Touch Museum, Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Reading Public Museum, Renfrew Museum & Park, Rodin Museum, Sanderson Museum, Schisler Museum & McMunn Planetarium, Science History Institute, Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Southern Alleghenies Museum, Steamtown National Historic Site, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, The African American Museum in Philadelphia, The Andy Warhol Museum, The Demuth Museum, The Fabric Workshop & Museum, The Franklin Institute, The Frick Pittsburgh, The Hershey Story Museum, The Mütter Museum at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, The National Civil War Museum, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center, Wagner Free Institute of Science, Woodmere Art Museum and York County History Center.
• Popular Attractions: Allegheny National Forest, Bartram's Garden, Beltzville State Park, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Betsy Ross House, Big Pocono State Park, Blue Cross RiverRink, Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, Brandywine Valley, Bucks County, Bucks County Wine Trail, Bushkill Falls, Caledonia State Park, Camelback Mountain, Camel Beach, Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark, Carousel Water & Fun Park, Carpenters' Hall, Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul, Chanticleer, Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, Choo Choo Barn, Clyde Peeling's Reptiland, Codorus State Park, Colonies of Amish & Mennonites, Comcast Experience, Conneaut Lake Park, Crayola Experience, Crystal Cave, Delaware Canal State Park, DelGrosso's Amusement Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Dilworth Park, Dingmans Falls, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Dutch Springs, Dutch Wonderland, East Coast Waterworks, Elfreth's Alley, Erie Zoo, Flight 93 National Memorial, Fonthill Castle, Fort Ligonier, Frank Lloyd Wright's Kentuck Knob, Franklin Square, Frick Park, Gettysburg National Cemetery, Gettysburg National Military Park, GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Great Wolf Lodge, Harrah's Heinz Memorial Chapel, Hershey Gardens, Hersheypark, Hickory Run State Park, Hollywood Casino, Idlewild Park, Idlewild & SoakZone, Independence Hall, Independence National Historical Park, Indian Echo Caverns, Jennerstown Speedway, Julius Sturgis Pretzel Co, Kalahari, Kennywood, King of Prussia Mall, Kinzua Bridge State Park, Kitchen Kettle Village, Knoebels, Lake Erie Speedway, Lakemont Park, Lancaster Central Market, Land of Little Horses Performing Animal Theme Park, Laurel Caverns, Laurel Highlands, Lehighton, Lehigh Gorge State Park, Lehigh Valley Zoo, Lernerville Speedway, Liberty Bell, Living Treasures "Wild" Animal Park, Longwood Gardens, Love Park, Mahoning Valley Speedway, Maple Grove Raceway, Market Square, Marsh Creek State Park, McConnells Mill State Park, Mohegan Sun, Montage Mountain, Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, Mountain Speedway, Mount Hope Winery, National Aviary, Nay Aug Park, Nazareth Speedway, Nissley Vineyard, Nockamixon State Park, North Park, Ohiopyle State Park, One Liberty Observation Deck, Parx Casino, Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park, Pennsylvania Dutch, Perelman Building, Philadelphia Insectarium & Butterfly Pavilion, Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, Philadelphia Park, Philadelphia Zoo, Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, PNC Park, Pocono Downs, Pocono Raceway, Point State Park, Presque Isle, Presque Isle State Park, Presque Isle Downs, Promised Land State Park, Pymatuning State Park,Raccoon Creek State Park, Raystown Lake, Reading Terminal Market, Renningers Antique & Farmers Market, Ricketts Glen State Park, Rittenhouse Square, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, Rocky Steps, Sandcastle Waterpark, Schenley Park, Sesame Place, Shawnee Mountain Ski Area, Shofuso Japanese House & Garden, Skyrush, South Street, Splash Lagoon, Spruce Street Harbor Park, Sri Venkateswara Temple, Strasburg Rail Road, SugarHouse Casino, The Amish Farm & House, The Amish Village, The Count's Splash Castle, The Meadows, The Oval, The Rivers, The Rosenbach, The Sherman Theater, Turkey Hill Experience, United States Mint, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Waldameer Park, Waldameer & Water World, Walnut Street, Washington Square, Weaver's Lebanon Bologna, WildRiver Water Park, Wissahickon Valley Park and  ZOOAMERICA.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Adamstown, Allentown, Achbald, Bethlehem, Bradford, Brandywine Valley, Erie, Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Intercouse, Johnstown, King of Prussia, Kutztown, Lancaster, Manayunk, New Hope, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Poconos, Reading, Scranton, Valley Forge, Wilkes-Barre and York.
• Special Events: (January) Mummers Parade, Orchid Extravaganza, Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry & Applied Spectroscopy, Setsucon, (February) African American Children’s Book Fair, Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show, Lunar New Year, Philadelphia Auto Show, Philly Theatre Week, Wing Bowl, (March) Patrick’s Day Parade, Philadelphia Flower Show, Philly Craft Beer Festival, qFLIX Philadelphia, Spring Blooms, Zenkaikon, (April) African American History & Cultural Showcase, Cherry Blossom Festival, Easter Promenade, El Carnaval de Puebla, Fairmount Avenue Arts Crawl, Parks on Tap, Penn Relays, Penn Relays Carnival, Philadelphia Antiques & Art Show, Philadelphia Black Pride, Philadelphia Science Festival, Philly Wine Week, Rites of Spring Festival, Tekko, Tiny Room for Elephants, (May) Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, Brandywine River Museum of Art Antiques Show, Broad Street Run, Celebration of Black Arts, Devon Horse Show & Country Fair, Festival of Fountains, Italian Market Festival, Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby & Arts Festival, Latino Film Festival, Mexican Week, Philadelphia International Children’s Festival, Philly Beer Week, Philly Tech Week, Pride Fest, Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival, South Street Spring Festival, Strawberry Festival, Student Exhibition, (June) Creation Festival, Fete Day, Juneteenth, Manayunk Arts Festival, Miss Pennsylvania's Outstanding Teen, ODUNDE Festival, PrideDay LGBT Parade & Festival, Roots Picnic, Sci-Fi Valley Con, SouthSide Film Festival, Three Rivers Arts Festival, Wawa Welcome America!, West Chester University Poetry Conference, Wings Over Pittsburgh Air Show, (July) Blobfest, PlayPenn, Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta, Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, The Peach Music Festival, (August) BlackStar Film Festival, Greater Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival, Musikfest, Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show, NuevoFest, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Philly Naked Bike Ride, Purple Door, Street Festival, XPoNential Music Festival, (September) Bloktoberfest, Downingtown Fall Fest, Fringe Festival, Great Allentown Fair, Milford Writer's Workshop, Mushroom Festival, Oil Valley Film Festival, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Pittsburgh Fashion Week, Scarecrow Festival, Terror Behind the Walls, Wildcat Comic Con, (October) Confluence, DesignPhiladelphia, HarvestFest, Midtown Village Fall Festival, Mural Arts Month, NEARfest, Old City Fest, OutFest, Philadelphia Film Festival, Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival, Philadelphia Open Championship, Revolutionary Germantown Festival, (November) Apple Festival, Christmas Village, Franklin Square Holiday Festival, Hartwood Celebration of Lights, Philadelphia Marathon, Pittsburgh Light Up Night, Thy Geekdom Con and (December) PSAC Football Championship Game.
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Independence Hall

Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, PA. Photo Credit: Bruce Emmerling/Pixabay 

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