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Visit Pennsylvania's Historic Places
More than 1,000 museums and hundreds of historical sites tell of the Commonwealth’s rich, storied, and important past. Gettysburg and Philadelphia are best known, but the entire state is rich with historic preservation—as well as the kind of living history you can only find in a place that treasures its streetscapes and architecture. Pennsylvania boasts 30 National Park Service parks, trails, and landmarks.
And when you’re finished touring, great antique shops and local merchants offer unique, historic, and local merchandise. There are more than 130 farmers and artisans markets in Pennsylvania.
So when you get off the highway in Pennsylvania, you can truly take a trip to Unique!
History & Heritage Blog
Pittsburgh’s Best Distillery and Whiskey Rebellion Trail
08/23/2023 - 1:12pmIn 1791, the federal government imposed its first tax on a domestic product: all distilled spirits. But American whiskey was by far the country’s most popular distilled beverage so what became known as “the whiskey tax” rapidly sparked civil disobedience, violence, tax evasion, and intimidation tactics throughout the western states and the front...
Read MoreFun Things to Do This December in Pennsylvania
08/23/2023 - 9:05amKick-off the Christmas season (and check-off items on your shopping list) at Christmas Village in Philadelphia, where you can sample authentic German food as well as find rare crafts, jewelry, and art work. With more than 80 vendors and a visitation by the original Christkind from Germ...
Read MoreSeason for Timeless Towns: Buck’s County Main Streets
08/23/2023 - 8:41amDuring Christmastime, main streets in Bucks County are not only central to each town’s history, but also—with the plethora of twinkling lights, oversized wreaths, and festive displays adorning historic buildings and quaint businesses—they’re the heart of the holiday season. To find the key to your Christmas spirit this year, visit one of these p...
Read MoreA Vibrant Journey along the Harrisburg Mural Trail
08/21/2023 - 11:45amTo appreciate art that truly lives and is lived with, the Harrisburg Mural Trail in the heart of Pennsylvania’s capitol provides an abundance of colorful public art that one can experience free of charge–not...
Read MoreExplore Gettysburg for the Annual Reenactment & More
08/21/2023 - 11:33amA small town in south-central Pennsylvania suddenly found itself as the site of the Civil War’s climactic battle more than 150 years ago. The rural village, after four days that made it the bloodiest battle in American history, would become some of America’s most hallowed ground. Whether you’re seeking to immerse yourself in the histor...
Read MoreUS Route 40: See History in Full Color
08/16/2023 - 12:08pmThe Historic National Road Byway in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands wasn’t christened “historic” for nothing—the area has an overabundance of historic landmarks, perhaps only matched by the proliferation of spectacular views. As the nation’s first federally funded interstate highway...
Read MorePreserving American History: Valley Forge National Park
08/16/2023 - 12:00pmIn December of 1777, a massive group of rebel soldiers began a grueling affair just 20 miles from Philadelphia. Troops arrived in the thousands to Valley Forge for the 3rd Winter Encampment of the Continental Army and the gathering was tremendous; hundreds of log huts were built, making the location one of the biggest cities in the colonies. Dis...
Read MoreA New Side to Old History at Gettysburg’s Beyond the Battle Museum
06/21/2023 - 6:35pmWhile the lore and literature surrounding the Battle of Gettysburg may seem exhaustive, there is still a “new” side of the battle to explore: the brand-new, state-of-the-art Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum delves into the stories of civilians—not soldie...
Read MoreEnjoy Both the Journey and the Destination on Pennsylvania’s Route 6
03/25/2023 - 11:58amPennsylvania’s Route 6, a beautiful two-lane rural highway that also happens to be the longest highway in the state, was not labeled one of “America’s most scenic drives” by National Geographic without reason. It winds around some of the state’s most breathtaking natural and histor...
Read MoreExplore History at the Ephrata Cloister
02/16/2023 - 9:01amEstablished as a semi-monastic community with a convent in 1732, the pious and celibate members of the religious order led by Johann Conrad Beissel sought religious freedom in one of the only places that offered it in the world: Pennsylvania. Beissel’s celibate Brothers and S...
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