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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

Season for Timeless Towns: Buck’s County Main Streets

08/23/2023 - 8:41am

During 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...

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A Vibrant Journey along the Harrisburg Mural Trail

08/21/2023 - 11:45am

To 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...

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Explore Gettysburg for the Annual Reenactment & More

08/21/2023 - 11:33am

A 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...

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US Route 40: See History in Full Color

08/16/2023 - 12:08pm

The 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...

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Preserving American History: Valley Forge National Park

08/16/2023 - 12:00pm

In 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...

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A New Side to Old History at Gettysburg’s Beyond the Battle Museum

06/21/2023 - 6:35pm

While 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...

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Enjoy Both the Journey and the Destination on Pennsylvania’s Route 6

03/25/2023 - 11:58am

Pennsylvania’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...

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Explore History at the Ephrata Cloister

02/16/2023 - 9:01am

Established 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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Find Your Flavor of Happy in the Summer Traditions of "Happy Valley"

05/30/2022 - 11:30am

If Pennsylvania’s “Happy Valley” was deemed happy even in the financial fluctuations of the Great Depression, how much more happiness is there to be discovered today in vibrant Penn State and its surrounding regions? Find your happy in an array of longstanding Penn State traditions, beloved by locals and visitors alike.

When it comes to “...

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Experience Pittsburgh: The Gateway to an Enriching Holiday Season

12/13/2021 - 6:19pm

Discover ways to enhance your mind rather than merely indulge your appetites this holiday season by mining the rich and varied history of Pittsburgh, the legendary “Gateway to the West.” Located at the convergence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and critical in the production of steel and coal in the last century and a half, it mi...

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