![Horseshoe-Curve-Altoona-PA-Fall-Foliage-2020 Westbound train passing through the viewing area at the Horseshoe Curve.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Horseshoe-Curve-Altoona-PA-Fall-Foliage-2020-696x392.jpg)
The Horseshoe Curve near Altoona is a must-see destination for train-lovers of all ages!
![A young railfan waves to a passin Norfolk Southern engineer at the Horseshoe Curve.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Horseshoe-Curve-Norfolk-Southern-Engine-Blair-County-Pennsylvania.jpg)
Considered one of the “engineering wonders of the world” at the time of its completion in 1854, it continues to offer railfans an up-close opportunity to experience the thrill of trains passing by along this 2,375 foot-long curved stretch of tracks.
![Norfolk Southern engine rounding the Horseshoe Curve near Altoona.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Norfolk-Southern-Railroad-Horseshoe-Curve-PA.jpg)
Horseshoe Curve FAQs
5 miles west of Altoona, along the Veterans Memorial Highway.
Yes – use GPS coordinates 40.49775, -78.48379 to navigate to the Horseshoe Curve.
To lessen the steepness of the tracks for trains crossing the Allegheny Mountains between Altoona and Johnstown. Rather than try and go straight up or straight down the mountains, the Horseshoe Curve allows for a more gradual ascent/descent.
John Edgar Thomson, chief engineer and later president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, is credited with designing the Horseshoe Curve.
The Horseshoe Curve was built primarily by Irish immigrants using only picks and shovels to carve a ledge into the mountainsides, upon which train tracks could be laid. Mules and carts hauled away the rocks and dirt excavated from the mountainside, and the debris was then used to fill in the ravines on either side of the Horseshoe Curve’s center.
February 15, 1854.
The Horseshoe Curve has both a museum/visitor center, as well as the viewing area to watch trains round the Curve itself.
The Horseshoe Curve is normally open to visitors Wed-Sun from 11 AM – 5 PM. Please check the official website for any announcements about closures related to COVID, weather, etc.
Yes – $8.00 per person ages 2 and up.
No – the Horseshoe Curve is a great spot to watch trains go by and learn about railroad history, but it is not a train station.
Yes – it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966, and designated as an Historic Railroad Landmark in 2004.
Either by taking the 194 steps pictured below on the left, or by riding the funicular/inclined plane on the right. As of October 2020 the funicular is NOT RUNNING due to COVID concerns, so your only option is the 194 steps.
On average about once every half-hour.
The Importance of the Horseshoe Curve
Moving people and freight between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in the early 1800s was no small feat. It involved using canal boats and a series of inclined planes to haul those boats up and down over the mountains, a process fraught with danger and difficulties, especially in the winter months.
![Old sign on exhibit inside the Horseshoe Curve museum.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Horseshoe-Curve-Museum-Sign-Altoona-PA.jpg)
The opening of the Horseshoe Curve in 1854 meant the Pennsylvania Railroad could now move people and goods between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in a mere 15 hours!
![The Horseshoe Curve near Altoona as it appeared in 1934.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Horseshoe-Curve-1934-Public-Domain-Image-1024x171.jpg)
For the times, this was a miraculous achievement, and the Horseshoe Curve was listed alongside the the Panama Canal, the Empire State Building, and the San Francisco Bay Bridge as one of the “engineering wonders of the world”!
While perhaps less important to east-west travel today, the Horseshoe Curve is still a functional, working railroad landmark with many lengthy freight cars passing through every day.
![Westbound train entering the Horseshoe Curve in Blair County PA](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Horseshoe-Curve-Altoona-PA-Fall-Foliage.jpg)
In fact, the trains are so long that a single train often entirely encircles the curve with neither end in sight!
![A single train wrapped around the Horseshoe Curve in Altoona.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Horseshoe-Curve-National-Historic-Landmark-Altoona-PA-Fall-Foliage-October-2020.jpg)
Visiting the Horseshoe Curve
Even someone with only a casual interest in trains will find the history and natural beauty of the place enjoyable.
![Train engine on display next to the Horseshoe Curve.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Horseshoe-Curve-Kittaning-Point-Fall-Foliage.jpg)
At the Visitor Center, viewing the numerous interpretive historical display and collections of memorabilia from over the years is like taking a trip back in time.
![Horseshoe Curve memorabilia on display at the Visitor Center.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Altoona-Curve-Beer-Horseshoe-Curve-Museum.jpg)
While the park-like setting at the train viewing area is a pleasant place to sit and enjoy the views, even when there are no trains passing by.
![The trainspotting area at the Horseshoe Curve in Altoona.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Horsehoe-Curve-Kittaning-Point-Fall-Foliage.jpg)
As mentioned previously, the funicular/inclined plane that you could normally ride between the Visitor Center and train viewing area is not running due to COVID concerns.
![Funicular at the Horseshoe Curve in Altoona.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Horsehoe-Curve-funicular-Altoona-PA.jpg)
So you must climb the 194 steps if you want to get to the train observation area – keep that in mind if mobility issues are a concern.
![Some of the 194 steps to the train viewing area at the Horseshoe Curve](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Horseshoe-Curve-staircase-Altoona-PA.jpg)
Aside from that temporary inconvenience, exploring all the Horseshoe Curve has to offer is an immensely satisfying way to spend an afternoon!
![A westbound Norfolk Southern train passing through the Horseshoe Curve near Altoona in October 2020.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Westbound-Norfolk-Southern-Train-Horseshoe-Curve.jpg)
Nearby Attractions
The Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum in Blair County celebrates the lives of both railroad workers and railroading communities in central Pennsylvania.
![Exterior of the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum in Blair County Pennsylvania.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Altoona-Railroaders-Memorial-Museum-Blair-County-Pennsylvania.jpg)
Unlike many “train museums” that focus primarily on engines and cars, the Railroaders Memorial Museum focuses primarily on the men and women who kept the engines running and the cars rolling.
![Exhibit showing some of the various jobs performed by employees of the Pennsylvania Railroad at the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Altoona-Railroaders-Memorial-Museum-railroad-workers-exhibit-Blair-County-PA.jpg)
The Everett Railroad offers captivating steam train excursions from its nostalgic station in Hollidaysburg, Blair County.
![This collage features four images from a steam train excursion on the Everett Railroad in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. The top left photo shows a steam locomotive emitting plumes of smoke at the station, with the "HOLLIDAYSBURG" sign visible. The top right image displays a bright red caboose with "EVERETT RAILROAD 91517" on the side. The bottom left picture captures a line of passenger cars at the station, decorated with Christmas greenery and a festive tree in the foreground. The bottom right photo shows the train passing under a bridge, with steam enveloping the cars, creating a dynamic scene of movement and activity.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Everett-Railroad-Steam-Train-Excursion-Blair-County-PA-1024x768.jpg)
The Allegheny Tunnel (known originally as the Summit Tunnel) in nearby Gallitzin was the longest railroad tunnel in the world at the time of its completion, at 3,612 feet.
![A westbound Norfolk-Southern train exiting the western portal of the Allegheny Tunnel in Gallitzin.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Gallitzin-Tunnels-Park-Norfolk-Southern-Engines-Spetember-2021.jpg)
Completed at the same time as the Horseshoe Curve (1854), the Allegheny Tunnel is still in use to this day, and the Gallitzin Tunnels Park next to it is a popular spot for railfans to congregate and watch trains enter and exit the tunnel.
![Tunnels Park and Museum in Gallitzin, PA.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Tunnels-Park-Gallitzin-Cambria-County-PA.jpg)
The Allegheny Portage Railroad near Altoona is one of the most historic railroading sites in Pennsylvania!
![Looking up Incline Number 6 towards Engine House Number 6 at the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site near Altoona Pennsylvania.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Allegheny-Portage-Railroad-Incline-Six-near-Altoona.jpg)
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 from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia from weeks to just days.
![Drawing of how Engine House Number 6 looked during the time the Allegheny Portage Railroad was in operation.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Allegheny-Portage-Railroad-near-Altoona-Engine-House-6-Historical-Drawing-public-domain-image.jpg)
The Staple Bend Tunnel in Cambria County has the distinction of being the first railroad tunnel built in the United States!
![The ornate western portal of the Staple Bend Tunnel.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Staple-Bend-Tunnel-Western-Portal-Cambria-County-PA.jpg)
Constructed as part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad (between the top of Incline 1 and the bottom of Incline 2 near Johnstown), the Staple Bend Tunnel is now operated as part of a rail trail by the National Park Service.
![The brick lined entrance to the Staple Bend Tunnel along the former Allegheny Portage Railroad in Cambria County.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Staple-Bend-Tunnel-brick-lined-interior-Cambria-County-PA.jpg)
The 5 Best Railroad Overlooks Near Altoona is your guide to even more excellent “trainspotting” destinations near the Horseshoe Curve.
![Train approaching the Cassandra Railroad Overlook in Cambria County Pennsylvania.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Cassandra-Railroad-Overlook-Norfolk-Southern-Locomotive-November-2021-Cassandra-PA.jpg)
Chimney Rocks Park in nearby Hollidaysburg offers several fantastic overlooks of yet another great Blair County railroad town!
![Autumn in Blair County at Chimney Rocks.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Chimney-Rocks-Upper-Overlook-Blair-County-PA.jpg)
Tytoona Cave is part of a 6.8 acre Nature Preserve between the cities of Tyrone and Altoona in Blair County.
![Exploring Tytoona Cave in Blair County Pennsylvania.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Exploring-Tytoona-Cave-Near-Tyrone-Blair-County-PA.jpg)
The abandoned lime kilns at Canoe Creek State Park were once a destination serviced by the Pennsylvania Railroad, as it picked up lime produced there and hauled it to the steel mills in Pittsburgh.
![Fall foliage around the lime kilns at Canoe Creek State Park.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Abandoned-Lime-Kilns-Canoe-Creek-State-Park-October-2021.jpg)
The ghost town of Scotia near State College was another destination the Pennsylvania Railroad once serviced, as it hauled iron ore mined there to Andrew Carnegie’s steel mills in Pittsburgh.
![View from above of the ore washer remains at Scotia.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Scotia-Ore-Washer-Ruins-SGL-176.jpg)
The East Broad Top Railroad offers steam train excursions from its Rock Hill station in Huntingdon County.
![A collage of four photos showcasing the East Broad Top Railroad in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. The first image captures a steam locomotive with billowing smoke at sunset. The second shows a conductor aboard the locomotive. The third depicts the train amidst a winter landscape with white smoke against the hills. The last image is of an open passenger car traveling through a lush green forest.](https://pabucketlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Riding-the-East-Broad-Top-Railroad-Huntingdon-County-PA.jpg)
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