Pennsylvania Travel Guide
Independence Hall, Philadelphia. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Pennsylvania holds the founding documents of the republic. Philadelphia's Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell are the essential American pilgrimage; the city's food scene, from cheesesteaks to the Reading Terminal Market, is underrated nationally.
Gettysburg's battlefield is the great Civil War site. Lancaster County keeps Amish farm life visible from the road. Pittsburgh rebuilt itself from steel into a city of bridges, museums and one of America's best urban comebacks.
Destinations in Pennsylvania
FallingwaterFrank Lloyd Wright's 1935 waterfall house; book months ahead.
Independence Hall and the Liberty BellThe 1776 signing room and the cracked bell; free timed tickets.
Gettysburg battlefieldThe 1863 turning point; the museum and the auto tour.
Philadelphia Museum of ArtThe Rocky steps and one of America's great collections.- Reading Terminal MarketThe 1893 market hall: Amish pretzels, roast pork, Bassett's ice cream.
- Amish country, LancasterFarm roads, covered bridges and the Central Market.
- PittsburghThe Duquesne Incline, the Strip District and 446 bridges.
Hover a state to explore it. Click a city pin to open its guide.
Top Cities & towns in Pennsylvania
Regional food
- Philly cheesesteak (ribeye, Cheez Whiz or provolone, Amoroso roll)
- Scrapple (the Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast meat)
- Shoofly pie (the molasses pie of Amish country)
Getting there
Philadelphia (PHL) and Pittsburgh (PIT) are the gateways. Amtrak links Philadelphia to New York and Washington in under 2 hours. Amish country and Gettysburg need a car.