10 top museums in the Pennsylvania Alleghenies
By Sarah Taylor
Museums provide a window into a world of fascination. They allow people in the present to take a trip to the past. They encourage people to, once again, become the learners of life and deepen their understanding of the arts, history and industries.
Museums also support 726,000 jobs in the United States, and contribute over $12 billion per year in tax revenue to federal, state and local governments according to the Museums as Economic Engines study, conducted by Oxford Economics. The study showed that museums contribute roughly $60 billion to the United States’ economy each year.
They similarly also contribute to the economy in the Alleghenies, where travelers and locals alike enjoy access to a bevy of amazing museums that feature everything from art to agriculture. Here are a few of our favorites.
Palmer Museum of Art – University Park, Centre County
What’s better than spending hours strolling, delving into the artistic visions of various masterpieces? Doing it all for free! The newly opened Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State has free public admission, although a $7 donation is suggested. The monumental collection opened on June 1st this year, providing a larger facility than its predecessor. With over 11,000 art pieces, the Palmer Museum is a must-visit in the Alleghenies.
Columbus Chapel & Boal Mansion Museum – Boalsburg, Centre County
The tour of the Boal Mansion Museum lasts roughly an hour and centers around the nine generations of the Boal family, including George Boal, one of the founders of the Farmers High School, which later transformed into Penn State University. The Columbus Chapel hosts the “most important Columbus collection on the North American continent.”
Castle Halloween Museum – Altoona, Blair County
One of the most unique museums in the Alleghenies has brought in visitors from as far afield as Japan and New Zealand. This year-round, nonprofit house museum is decked out with all kinds of haunted, spooky and festive objects. Guests must book appointments ahead of visiting. Interested visitors can call (814) 940-1031 to schedule their two-hour personalized tour, learn the history of Halloween and spot the 35,000 spooky items collected over 50 years.
The Gallitzin Tunnels Park & Museum – Gallitzin, Cambria County
Railroad fanatics claim this as a must see stop! Here, visitors can watch trains pass through the highest and longest tunnels on what used to be the Pennsylvania Railroad. The railroad museum features numerous artifacts from the time period, as well as an informational video that plays in a small theater. The caboose is the highlight, with historians constantly on duty, ready to educate visitors on the transition of railroads from the past to the present.
Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art – Altoona, Bedford, Johnstown, Ligonier and Loretto
This organization’s mission of preserving and advancing American art by making it accessible to people in central Pennsylvania reigns true. As one museum organization with five locations, the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art provides many programs and activities to the region, while also hosting over 7,500 works from local and international artists. All five locations are open to the public free of charge, although the Johnstown location is open by appointment only.
Pasto Agricultural Museum – Pennsylvania Furnace, Centre County
A hidden gem of Penn State, the Pasto Agricultural Museum documents over 6,000 years of agricultural history, particularly within the Pennsylvania region. Over 10,000 people walk into the museum each year and leave knowing more about the science and history behind agriculture and how the industry formed the region as it’s known today.
Isett Heritage Museum – Huntingdon, Huntingdon County
Deemed as “one of the most unique museums in Pennsylvania,” the Isett Heritage Museum is the brain child of Melvin and Beulah Isett, who spent their lives collecting artifacts from around Huntingdon.
Now, the museum houses over 40,000 local artifacts. The tour begins in the 1940s renovated barn, then moves to two other buildings filled with vintage glassware, soap box derby cars and antique cars, along with various other memorabilia. The museum provides a chance to escape back in time.
Penn State All-Sports Museum – University Park, Centre County
Considering that Penn State home football games have generated over $87 million per year in visitor spending, it makes sense that people love the Nittany Lions, and the Penn State All-Sports Museum lets everyone experience the WE ARE legend. The museum takes its guests back into the proud blue and white history of its athletics program.
McCoy House – Lewistown, Mifflin County
Located in rural Pennsylvania, this house was the birthplace of Major General Frank Ross McCoy, who served in the Spanish-American War. Inside this post-revolutionary house are memorabilia of the McCoy family during the Victorian Period plus permanent collections from The Mifflin County Historical Society.
Pennsylvania Military Museum – Boalsburg, Centre County
The Pennsylvania Military Museum is dedicated to educating people about five different periods: the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. The museum’s interior exhibits of tactics, small arms, sea power, air power and logistics are designed to tell the story of Pennsylvanians during these times.
Need more?
Although not museums, these two destinations deserve an honorable mention: the beautiful Arboretum at Penn State, which features 11 different gardens, and the Flight 93 National Memorial, a solemn place of honor and remembrance for all the brave souls whose sacrifice on 9/11 saved many others.
The Alleghenies region is filled with so many opportunities to discover new things! Whether you’re from the Alleghenies region, driving through for a quick stop, or planting your roots, be sure to set some time to see all that the Alleghenies has to offer.
Sarah Taylor is a communications professional studying telecommunications at Penn State University. She can be reached at sarah.st.taylor@gmail.com.
