When the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940, it ran 160 miles through seven tunnels, most of them begun in the 1880s for a railroad that was never finished.
Around 60 breweries sit near the stops we cover in Pennsylvania. 26 of them are brewpubs with a kitchen, which off the motorway is often the useful part. The kitchen figure is a floor: the source lists some full restaurants as production sites.
Brewpub locations from Open Brewery DB (MIT)
We have written 4 guides to places in Pennsylvania, plus 1 stop along the way.
A sandy peninsula that keeps trying to become an island, a warship raised twice from the lake bottom, and a riot over train tracks.
Road trip guide
A homemade Statue of Liberty stands on an old railroad piling in the Susquehanna just upriver, put there in secret one night in 1986 by a dozen men.
Road trip guide
A city that built a whole park named after a pretzel and still can't settle its own cheesesteak argument.
Road trip guide
A skyscraper built as a Gothic cathedral for a university, three rivers meeting at a fountain, and a brewery inside a deconsecrated church.
Road trip guide
Step into the rooms where the United States took shape.
LandmarkPublic land, water and snow — the places that are the reason for the drive.
26 National Park Service sites in Pennsylvania. We have written guides to only a few of these — the rest are here so you can see what is in the state.
*Check before you go. Entrance fees, seasonal road closures, timed-entry reservations and whether a site suits your family are set by each park and change through the year. Follow the link and check with the park itself.
Park register from the National Park Service (public domain)
125 state parks we know of in Pennsylvania. We have not visited these and have no guide to them — this is a list of what exists, so you can look one up.
*Check before you go. Opening hours, entry fees, campsite availability and whether a park suits your family are not in this data and change with the season. Several of these are day-use only. Please confirm with the park before setting out.
State park locations from Wikidata (CC0)
8 lakes in Pennsylvania that we have checked. These are the ones from our research that we could check against an official page — not every lake there is. We have not been to these; this is what the official pages say, so you can look one up.
Water level and surface managed by the Corps of Engineers
Run by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (water level); Allegheny National Forest (PA recreation sites)
Run by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (dam); PA DCNR (Beltzville State Park)
Swim beach closes for high bacteria; algal bloom status posted
Run by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Philadelphia District)
Run by PA DCNR (Moraine State Park)
Run by PA DCNR (Nockamixon State Park)
Run by Brookfield Renewable
Swim in designated areas in daylight, with caution; check beach guard advisories
Run by ODNR (Pymatuning State Park, Ohio shore); PA DCNR (Pymatuning State Park, PA shore, not checked)
Hydrilla present (treatments). PA DEP HABs: pa.gov
Run by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Baltimore District)
*Check before you go. Every lake here links to the official page we checked it against. 2 of these state a price we read off that page on the date we checked. Fees, seasons, water levels, algal advisories and ramp closures change without notice and belong to the agency that runs the water. A blank is something we did not confirm, not something the lake lacks. Never assume a lifeguard. Whether a beach is staffed turns on the season, the day, and which agency runs that particular beach — two beaches on one lake can differ. If that matters to your family, confirm it with the agency before you set out.
7 in Pennsylvania that we have checked against the agency that runs them, by town.
First beach on Pennsylvania's sandy peninsula
Run by State park/beach
Beach house with changing rooms
Run by State park/beach
Shallow water and playground, nationally ranked lake beach
Run by State park/beach
Beach house and volleyball courts
Run by State park/beach
Ramp to water and beach wheelchairs available
Run by State park/beach
ADA ramp to water's edge and changing areas
Run by State park/beach
Shaded picnic grove behind the beach
Run by State park/beach
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. We add the safety information we can confirm, and not every beach publishes it: a blank here is something we could not confirm, never a “no”. Never assume a lifeguard. Staffing turns on the season and the day, so check with the agency before you plan a swim. Fees, dog rules, closures and water-quality advisories change without notice and belong to the agency that runs the beach — every name above links to its own page.
18 in this state.
Terrain-park-focused Poconos area
Poconos area paired with Big Boulder
Small hill near State College
Near Gettysburg; Vail-owned
Highest skiable peak in PA; upside-down layout
Poconos family area near Delaware Water Gap
Small ski hill at luxury Nemacolin resort
Laurel Highlands family resort
Harrisburg-area hill; Vail-owned
Lehigh Valley resort with hotel
* no current source confirms a summer bike park here. Check their site before you plan around it.
Closest big hill to DC; Vail-owned
Small north-central PA hill
Highest vertical in PA; bike park
Small Philadelphia-area hill
Scranton resort with summer waterpark
Big Laurel Highlands resort; Vail-owned
* no current source confirms a summer bike park here. Check their site before you plan around it.
Poconos resort with indoor waterpark lodge
Steeper NE Pennsylvania mountain
This is a list of what is there, not a recommendation of any of it. 2 entries are marked with an asterisk: no current source confirms the summer bike park, and the note under it says so. We do not list rentals: our source marked every ski area in the country “likely” to have them and confirmed none, so there was nothing to publish. Most hills do rent gear — ring ahead rather than take that from us. Opening dates, lift schedules and trail conditions move every year and we hold none of them, so check before you build a day around it. Every name above links to the operator’s own site.
2 in this state.
Historic funicular carries bikes to in-town trails
Big-vertical Pennsylvania park, rocky and fast
This is a list of what is there, not a recommendation of any of it. Opening dates, lift schedules and trail conditions move every year and we hold none of them, so check before you build a day around it. Every name above links to the operator’s own site.
3 in this state.
Continues south as Torrey C. Brown Trail into Maryland
Gentle downhill through a whitewater gorge
Pennsylvania Grand Canyon gorge ride
This is a list of what is there, not a recommendation of any of it. Opening dates, lift schedules and trail conditions move every year and we hold none of them, so check before you build a day around it. Every name above links to the operator’s own site.
Gated attractions with a front door, a ticket and a car park.
20 across Pennsylvania, by town.
Reptile zoo; tickets via FareHarbor
* We could not confirm: admission not captured. Check their site before you go.
Wildlife seen by guided bus tour; closed Thanksgiving
* We could not confirm: prices not captured. Check their site before you go.
423 W 38th St
Safari bus tours with limited availability
* We could not confirm: hours/admission not captured. Check their site before you go.
Drive-thru safari only on select April/November weekends
Next to Hersheypark
* We could not confirm: hours/admission not captured. Check their site before you go.
Closed major holidays; 288 PA-711
* We could not confirm: New Castle location listed on Wikipedia not shown on official site. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: admission not captured. Check their site before you go.
Wolves viewable only on tours/events
* We could not confirm: tour schedule/prices not captured. Check their site before you go.
Tickets bought online
* We could not confirm: admission not captured. Check their site before you go.
Big cat rescue that opens to visitors in summer
* We could not confirm: hours/admission not captured. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: official site blocked automated fetch. Check their site before you go.
Members do not need advance reservations (implies non-members may)
* We could not confirm: admission not captured. Check their site before you go.
700 Arch St (North Side)
* We could not confirm: admission not captured. Check their site before you go.
Includes aquarium; listed on both AZA and ZAA accreditation lists
* We could not confirm: admission not captured. Check their site before you go.
Groundhog exhibit associated with Punxsutawney Groundhog Club
* We could not confirm: details not captured. Check their site before you go.
Tickets via FareHarbor
* We could not confirm: hours/admission not captured. Check their site before you go.
300 Lackawanna Ave
* We could not confirm: hours/admission not captured. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: hours/admission not captured. Check their site before you go.
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. 7 of these carry an accreditation we confirmed against the accrediting body’s own register. Where there is no badge we did not confirm one — that is not a judgement on the place, and a good many municipal, state and university sites belong to no register we check. 17 entries are marked with an asterisk: we could not confirm part of what is listed, and the note under it says which part. Opening times, prices and seasons change without notice, so check the operator’s own site — every name above links to it.
15 across Pennsylvania, by town.
Halloween Haunt select nights through Nov 7, 2026.
Old bushkillpark.com redirects here; 2026 opening weekend May 23.
Halloween events Oct 31-Nov 1; Christmas events from Nov 27.
Indoor water park resort; fall calendar shows select open days.
Seasonal; site previews 2027 coaster.
Open Fri-Sun through Nov 1, 2026 for Halloween.
Happy Hauntings final weekend Oct 30-31; winter event from Nov 14.
Halloween events Oct 31; Christmas event Nov 14-Jan 3.
HallowBOO! last day Oct 31, 2026.
Indoor water park resort.
Indoor water park resort.
Outdoor water park at Camelback Resort; promoting 2027 passes.
Site says park now closed for the 2026 season.
Site says the 2026 season has ended.
Phantom Fall Fest ends Nov 1; Holiday Lights from Nov 13.
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. 5 of these run a season rather than opening year round. Opening and closing dates move every year and we hold none of them, so check the park’s own calendar before you build a day around it. Prices, hours and ride closures change without notice — every name above links to the park’s own site.
6 producers in Pennsylvania that we have checked. These are the ones from our research we could check against their own site — not every producer there is. We have not been to these; this is what their own sites say, so you can look one up.
Lehigh Valley-area estate winery open weekends.
255 Winter Mountain Dr., Andreas, PA 18211
Lehigh Valley winery founded in 1985.
9850 Newtown Rd, Breinigsville, PA 18031
Rye whiskey distillery in Bristol; a separate Mill Street tasting room is near the waterfront.
925 Canal Street, Building 4, Door 16, Bristol, PA 19007
Brandywine Valley winery making wine since 1982; also runs Penn's Purchase tasting room in Lahaska.
632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, PA 19317
Lehigh Valley winery making wine for over 30 years.
7627 Grape Vine Dr, New Tripoli, PA 18066
Strip District distillery with a food menu designed to pair with its spirits.
2401 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
*Check before you go. Every producer here links to its own site, which is where we read these details on the date we checked. Opening hours, tour times, tasting fees and who may come in change without notice and belong to the producer. A blank is something we did not confirm, not something they lack. None of these say anything about children, so do not plan around it without asking them.
What is worth stopping the car for, from the formally designated to the frankly odd.
1 in Pennsylvania, by town.
A museum about the U.S. Constitution with a live theater show, a hall of 42 life-size bronze statues of the signers that visitors can walk among, and one of 14 known surviving original printed copies of the Constitution; children 5 and under are free.
Run by National Constitution Center
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Opening times and prices here are quoted from each operator’s own page on the date we read it, and both change without notice. Every name above links to that page.
Big sculptures welded from car parts, dressed up for holidays
Read on the page we checked
1949 five-story shoe-shaped house; exterior from road, overnight stays bookable
Read on the page we checked
Roughly 12,000 elephant figurines plus homemade fudge
Read on the page we checked
45-foot steel clothespin from 1976 in Center City
Read on the page we checked
Movie-prop statue; run the steps for the classic photo
Read on the page we checked
Sleep in one of 38 converted cabooses in Amish country
Read on the page we checked
These are things you can go and look at, not a recommendation of any of them. Oddities move, get sold and quietly disappear more than anything else we list, so check anything you are driving a long way for. Where this list says we did not find a price or opening times published, that is exactly what we mean. A blank is not “free” and not “always open”. Some sit on private land and can only be seen from the road — please do not go onto anyone’s property. Every entry links the page we read it off.
22 across Pennsylvania, by town.
Opened in West Fairmount Park as Robin Hood Dell West.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Events are listed by the month they usually fall in, because that is what we hold — we do not publish dates, and a month is not a promise. Check the organiser before you plan around one. 14 entries are marked with an asterisk: we could not confirm part of what is listed, and the note under it says which part. Opening times, line-ups and ticketing change without notice, so check the venue’s or organiser’s own site — every name above links to it.
Before you set off.
Federally designated scenic byways and All-American Roads, with the places we publish along each one in the order you meet them.
Spring has changing temperatures, showers, and cooler mountain mornings.
Summer is warm and often humid.
Fall brings crisp days and cold late-season mornings.
Winter is cold, with snow, ice, and wind possible.
Adjust for your route. Northern uplands and the Poconos need warmer layers than southeastern city stops. Pack snow-ready footwear for winter highland routes.
Climate background: NOAA State Climate Summary