The Atlas Obscura Guide To Pennsylvania

422 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Pennsylvania

Updated November 26, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Pennsylvania

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Ronald Reagan Eating a Potato Pancake

A bronze statue to commemorate the former president's visit to a local Polish-American festival.

Addams Family Silhouettes

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Charles Addams Fine Arts Hall

This fine arts hall honors the mastermind behind our beloved creepy and kooky Addams Family.

M4A1(76)W Sherman tank. Nearly 50,000 Sherman tanks saw service in World War II and Korea. Accepted in 1944, this later version featured a larger gun and more secure ammunition storage.

Boalsburg, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Military Museum

A history of the U.S. military, with a focus on Pennsylvania's contributions.

Grampian, Pennsylvania

Bilger's Rocks

Rocky outcrops containing overhangs, caves, fissures, clefts, and alcoves that invite exploration and scrambling.

Workout bench set up with a classic DCL artwork above

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Death Comes Lifting

A Gothic gym and community space that encourages fitness for misfits.

Landis Brothers' House.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Landis Valley Museum

This museum focuses on the history and culture of the German settlers in Pennsylvania.

Schnecksville, Pennsylvania

Bison of Trexler Nature Preserve

An American industrialist hoped this nature preserve could help save the North American bison.

Starrucca Viaduct circa 1920

Susquehanna, Pennsylvania

Starrucca Viaduct

Constrained by time and topography, this civil engineering landmark was constructed 100 feet above Starrucca Creek over the course of a single year.

See All 422 Things To Do in Pennsylvania

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Pennsylvania

Fried cheese curds are pure crunch and nostalgia.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fox & Son Fair Foods

Find your state fair food favorites all year long.

Welcome to the Chocolate Kingdom.

Sharon, Pennsylvania

Daffin's Chocolate Kingdom

Check out the 125-pound chocolate reindeer in the back of this candy shop.

Part of the mushroom crop.

Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

The Woodlands at Phillips Mushroom Farms

Visit a fourth-generation farm and museum dedicated to everyone's favorite fungi.

The interior is a perfect example of turn-of-the-century shop design.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Shane Confectionery

Step into a pastel time capsule where candy is truly dandy.

See all 21 Places to Eat in Pennsylvania

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

6 Fascinating Medical Marvels in Pennsylvania

In the 1700s and 1800s, Philadelphia was the center of medical scholarship in the United States. The city not only attracted the brightest minds, but also the most curious cases and characters. From the oldest quarantine facility in the country to a museum that memorializes a traveling dental circus, here are six places to marvel at the trials, errors, and triumphs of medical history in Pennsylvania.

Displays at the Weaver Dental Museum include a jumble of dentures.

Explore Pennsylvania

Museums 50

History 40

Architecture 39

History & Culture 33

Statues 22

Abandoned 21

Art 20

Collections 20

Sacred Spaces 20

Railroads 18

Sculptures 18

Monuments 17

Places To Stay 3

Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

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Stories About Pennsylvania

Creeping in the dark woods is a hideous beast—but don't say that to its face.

Appalachia’s Ugliest Cryptid Drowns In Its Own Tears

A new festival looks to draw out and soothe the squonk in all of us.

October 22, 2024

Punxsutawney Phil has predicted a longer winter nearly every Groundhog Day.

A Primer on Both Groundhogs and Hedgehogs

Just in time for their moment in the sun (or not).

January 26, 2024

Chris Scott writes that peach cobbler figured in his "happiest food memories," just as it does for many Southern children.

The Sweet and Sour Origins of Amish Soul Food

In Pennsylvania Dutch Country, African Americans have created a distinct and delicious cuisine.

by Sam Lin-Sommer

February 6, 2023

Punxsutawney Phil is far from the only weather-predicting marmot on Groundhog Day.

The Alternative Groundhogs Vying for Punxsutawney Phil's Weather Forecasting Job

Don't forget about Big Al the Alligator and Scramble the Duck's predicting powers either.

by Jennifer Byrne

February 2, 2023

A baled Christmas tree is loaded at the Omni Farm in West Jefferson, North Carolina.

What’s the Real Christmas Tree Capital of the World?

At least a half dozen communities in North America have claimed the title.

by Justin Franz

December 7, 2022

The still-operating Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado is part of one of America's longest-lived narrow gauge networks.

The Historians Saving America’s Pint-Sized Railroads

From Maine to Alaska, narrow gauge is all the rage, including one of the most historic, Pennsylvania’s East Broad Top.

by Justin Franz

Groundhog Day weather predictions in 1975.

When Groundhog Was on the Menu in Punxsutawney

From picnics to club dinners, the critter has a long culinary history in Pennsylvania.

by Diana Hubbell

February 1, 2022

Podcast: The Pennsylvania Firefly Festival

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

October 21, 2021

Lists Featuring Pennsylvania

Blue Sky Mausoleum.

Darwin Martin House Complex.

Skylights on the exterior porch made of red cypress.

A restored Wright house on the Burnham Block.

A 12-Stop Road Trip of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Most Surprising Designs

A UFO-inspired church, a futurist gas station, and more deep cuts.

Including Blue Sky Mausoleum, The Darwin D. Martin House, and Kentuck Knob

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