Cosmopolitans and Adventurers Unite in Erie

Some look for inspiring cultural experiences in urban centers and some look for exhilarating outdoor experiences in rural areas—but what if it’s possible to have both at once? In Erie, the cosmopolitan and the countrified meet: between favorite destinations such as the Erie Art Museum and Presque Isle State Park, sojourners to Erie’s shores and streets will find little that is lacking.

The Erie Art Museum, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, contains a curated selection of over 8,000 art objects of local, regional, and even international acclaim. Some of the museum’s current exhibits include “Family Tree,” an exhibit that portrays trees in relationship to human care and conflict; “Painterly Polaroids,” which preserves a series of hand-altered Polaroids of the area captured by artist Nicole Reinhold Martin; and “Photographic Portraits,” which strikingly showcases a large range of the styles and subjects of photographic portraiture. Please note that the museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday, and tickets cost $10 per adult, with discounts available for senior citizens, students, and children.

Presque Isle State Park is not the most visited state park in Pennsylvania without good reason. With its long sandy peninsula reaching into Lake Erie, it provides not only ample beaches for summer sun worshippers, but also it supplies an array of outdoor activities along its beautiful coastline. With opportunities for swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, bicycling, and in-line skating, it would be difficult to exhaust all there is to do at Presque Isle State Park. The state-of the-art Tom Ridge Environmental Center (located in the park) is a hub for education and research, and it is a perfect place to begin one’s exploration of Presque Isle: stop by to learn all about the different life forms that inhabit the 3,200 acres of the peninsula. Come experience the Tom Ridge Environmental Center’s Sharks exhibition or view an environmental film on the 6,500 square foot Big Green Screen Theater.

Wherever you choose to start your exploration of Erie, you will be glad your summer didn’t end before experiencing all the region has to offer.