PA Bucket List

Did you know that the American Philatelic Center, headquarters for the largest, non-profit organization for stamp collectors in the world, is located right here in Pennsylvania? The American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte is the home of both the American Philatelic Society and the American Philatelic Research Library, making it the epicenter of the stamp collecting hobby in the United States! Part...

If you're looking for directions to Boggs Run Vista in Clinton County, you're in the right place! Boggs Run Vista is an off-trail scenic overlook in the Sproul State Forest, and has been called one of the finest vistas in the PA Wilds. And while the vista is off-trail, it isn't overly difficult to reach, and I'm going to give you...

If you're looking for information on touring the long off-limits Black-Coffey Caverns, you're in the right place! Black-Coffey Caverns is the only cavern system in Pennsylvania accessed through the basement of a private home! But where most basement steps lead to a laundry room or some unused exercise equipment, the basement steps in this home lead to an amazing underground world! And...

If you're looking for information about the Blue Rock Swinging Bridge in Elk County, you're in the right place! The Blue Rock Swinging Bridge is a 40 foot-long suspension bridge suspended 12 feet above Little Toby Creek, on State Game Lands 44 in Elk County. The bridge is named after the ghost town of Blue Rock, which once existed on the...

If you're looking for information about Curtin Village and Eagle Ironworks in Centre County, you're in the right place! Curtin Village is a beautifully-preserved and restored 19th century iron plantation, composed of the iron master's mansion, the iron furnace, and the workers village. The grounds at Curtin Village are open for self-guided tours year-round. On the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each...

Friendship Hill National Historic Site preserves the western PA home and estate of Albert Gallatin, often described as "America's Swiss Founding Father". Gallatin was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1761, emigrated to America in 1780, and purchased 400 acres in western PA in 1786, where he built the home he dubbed Friendship Hill. Gallatin's record of public service to his adopted...

You can't understand the industrial history of Pennsylvania without understanding the history of coal mining in the state, and the Tour-Ed Coal Mine and Museum is a great place to learn all about it! Located 20 minutes north of downtown Pittsburgh, the Tour-Ed Coal Mine and Museum features both an underground trip into a real coal mine, and a museum...

If you've ever wondered what a residential neighborhood in Philadelphia looked like during the time of George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Betsy Ross, then you've got to check out Elfreth's Alley. Elfreth's Alley in Philadelphia is the oldest continually-inhabited residential street in the United States! The first houses on the alley were built in 1702; those still standing today were built...

The abandoned Lake Leigh Dam at Ricketts Glen State Park is a towering remnant of an ill-fated hydroelectric project that thankfully failed! Had the project been successful, it would have fundamentally changed the character of an area that became one on Pennsylvania's most spectacular state parks. Today the dam is slowly being reclaimed by Nature, but the abandoned ruins are still...

If you're looking information about the Big Valley Antique Center near Milroy in Mifflin County, you're in the right place! The Big Valley Antique Center features nearly 150 vendors, spread out over 2 floors and 40,000 square feet of shopping space. Hours and Directions Big Valley Antique Center is open 7 days a week, from 10 am - 5 pm. The store is...