Maintained by the National Park Service, the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site in Cambria County lets visitors explore one of Pennsylvania’s most important historic railroading sites.
This 36 mile-long track was the first railroad built across the Allegheny Mountains, allowing for canals on the eastern and western sides of the state to be connected, cutting the travel time between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia from weeks to just days.
Using an ingenious system of 10 inclined planes, 10 stationary steam engines, and a series of rails, cables, and pulleys, canal boats carrying freight and/or passengers could be loaded on flatbed train cars and winched up and down over the mountains, similar to how a modern day ski lift operates.
For 20 years, from 1834 until 1854, the Allegheny Portage Railroad was considered a technological marvel, playing a critical role in opening the lands west of the mountains to settlement and commerce.
With the completion of the nearby Horseshoe Curve in 1854, the Pennsylvania Railroad was able cross the Allegheny Mountains solely under the power of steam locomotives, cutting the travel time from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh to just 13 hours, rendering the Allegheny Portage Railroad obsolete.
Today, visitors can explore the “glory days” of the Allegheny Portage Railroad at the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site near Altoona.
Directions | Hours | Admission Fees
The Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site is located at 110 Federal Park Road, Gallitzin, PA 16641
Buildings are open Fridays through Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
There is no entrance fee at Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site.
What You’ll See at the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
The Visitor Center is the best place to start your visit to the Allegheny Portage Railroad, and admission is FREE to this taxpayer-funded historic site.
Inside the Visitor Center you’ll find various exhibits and models, including a life-size replica of a canal boat, a locomotive, and artifacts from the Allegheny Portage Railroad.
A small theatre in the Visitor Center plays a 20 minute movie, which depicts what it was like to work and travel on the Allegheny Portage Railroad.
There are plenty of hands-on and interactive exhibits inside the Visitor Center to interest young and old alike.
Engine House Number 6
A short walk along a beautiful boardwalk will take you from the Visitor Center to Engine House Number 6, a replica of what the original engine house here looked like, perched at the top of Incline Number 6.
Inside Engine House Number 6, you’ll find replicas of the stationary steam engine, gears, brakes, and assorted levers and cables that kept the train cars and canal boats in motion.
You’ll also find a series of interpretive exhibits and models inside the engine house, giving you a better understanding of the technical aspects of the Allegheny Portage Railroad.
The Lemon House
A short distance from Engine House Number 6, you’ll find the Lemon House, a historic tavern built by Samuel and Jean Lemon in 1834 to accommodate railroad travelers and workers with food, drink, and lodging.
The first floor of the Lemon House has been restored to what an 1840s tavern might have looked like.
In addition to the bar area, there is a beautifully-decorated formal parlor…
and a period-correct dining room.
The Incline 6 Trail
If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you can hike down (and then back up) the 1/3 mile long Incline 6 Trail.
A sign at the trailhead tips you off to the payoff for your efforts – a chance to explore the Skew Arch Bridge.
The Skew Arch Bridge was built OVER the Allegheny Portage Railroad, so that wagons could still use the Huntingdon, Cambria, and Indiana Turnpike without interruption.
This masterwork of cut stone construction was built with the “skew” in it to accommodate a bend in the turnpike road.
Canal boats riding the rails up and down Incline Number 6 would have passed right under the Skew Arch Bridge.
A model back in the Visitor Center depicts what the Skew Arch Bridge would have looked like when the Allegheny Portage Railroad was still operational.
Standing at the bottom of Incline Number 6 also gives you an idea of the danger involved if the cables pulling the train cars/canal boats up and down the mountain broke, which they occasionally did.
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PA’s Top Railroad-Themed Attractions | A Visitor’s Guide highlights the best train rides in Pennsylvania, railroad museums, model railroads, and historic rail sites across Pennsylvania, all based on my firsthand visits.
Nearby Attractions
17 Must-See Attractions in Cambria County showcases more remarkable sights and experiences near the Allegheny Portage Railroad.
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