Gaze Into the Past: Historic Pennsylvania

History buffs know: Pennsylvania is ripe with opportunity to be truly immersed in the places where countless notable events took place.

Whether it's the world's first general-purpose electronic computer, America's first zoo, one of the most important battles of the Civil War, or the creation of the U.S. itself, the Keystone State has seen it all.

As 2026 welcomes the celebration of America's 250th birthday, join us on this exploration of just some of the historic wonders waiting to be found by groups in Pennsylvania.

Photo courtesy of PHLCVB.

Millions are drawn each year to Gettysburg, and for good reason. You can't tell the story of America without it! From the Battle of Gettysburg (the bloodiest battle ever waged on American soil) to President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, it's an undeniably storied place. Groups could partake in a number of activities here: Battlefield bus tours through Gettysburg National Military Park led by licensed guides; a visit to Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center; learn about Gettysburg history before, during and after the battle at the Beyond the Battle Museum, get up close to tanks, Jeeps and other military transport vehicles at the World War II American Experience; and more. A notoriously haunted destination, a Gettysburg paranormal tour should also be on your group's radar.

Don't forget to visit Gettysburg's charming downtown, where groups could shop for antiques in Civil war-era buildings, dine by candlelight in a tavern as old as the U.S. and more. Want some planning help? Destination Gettysburg is available to give groups the tools they need to plan a monumental trip.

Photo courtesy of PHLCVB.

Voted the most walkable city in the U.S., the historic significance of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's capital city, knows no bounds. As the site of the first and second Continental Congresses in 1774 and 1775, the City of Brotherly Love is home to the nation's "most historic square mile," featuring significant sites in America's founding. Groups will want to visit Philadelphia's Old City neighborhood which includes Independence National Historical Park—home to Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence was signed), the iconic Liberty Bell, Congress Hall, Elfreth's Alley (one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in the nation) and more.

Photo courtesy of Destination Gettysburg.

Groups can also visit the Museum of the American Revolution and the National Constitution Center; peruse over one million archaeological and anthropological artifacts at The Penn Museum; and step inside the first institution built by a major municipality to preserve, interpret, and exhibit the heritage of African Americans at the African American Museum. Don't forget to also stop by the Philadelphia Zoo—the country's first. And remember: The PHLCVB is your go-to planning source for all things Philly.

For a look inside America's first penitentiary, a visit to Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is a must on your historic Pennsylvania itinerary. The site, which previously housed bank robber "Slick Willie" Sutton and "Scarface" Al Capone, today aims to preserve the historic and expansive site while also advancing public understanding of the criminal justice system and its impact on the lives of those affected by it in order to inspire a more just future. There's no better place to examine why America has the one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world and reflect upon how that fact has disproportionately impacted poor and disenfranchised communities.

Photo courtesy of Lehigh Valley®, DiscoverLehighValley.com.

Groups who visit Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site can take advantage of both audio and guide-led private tours, critically-acclaimed art installations and award-winning exhibits. The site even has special seasonal offerings groups will love, such as Summer Nights and Halloween Nights, along with visits to Al Capone's former cell.

Convenient, easy to access and affordable, groups will want to make note of the historic offerings of Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania. Among the area's popular historic attractions is Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where groups could partake in guided tours led by docents in period 1700s-era Moravian dress and learn about this population's culturally significant influence on modern life. Groups who want to explore the history of the former Bethlehem Steel will enjoy a walk along the Hoover Mason Trestle, an elevated 1/3-mile walkway built along the railway that once hauled iron ore to Bethlehem Steel's blast furnaces. Additional can't-miss historic stops in the area include the Martin Guitar Museum, the Crayola Experience, the National Museum of Industrial History, the National Canal Museum, the Mack Trucks Historical Museum and more.

Nestled right in the center of the state is the Happy Valley region, home to a number of notable cities like Bellefonte, Penns Valley, Bald Eagle Valley and Philipsburg. It's also where groups will find the bustling university town of State College and Penn State!

Photo courtesy of Erin Davis.

Among the area's historic offerings are tours of Centre Furnace Mansion (furnished to reflect the 1800s time period when the Moses Thompson family resided there); Local Historia's self-guided Underground Railroad and Black history tours in Bellefonte; Boalsburg's Pennsylvania Military Museum (originally a machine gun training ground during World War I and later the 28th Infantry Division National Shrine); and the Pasto Agricultural Museum, which preserves the history of farming through displays of tools and technology of rural life before the advent of electricity and engines.

Other Can't-Miss Historic Pennsylvania Sites ...

• Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater (Mill Run)
• Freedom Corner (Pittsburgh's Hill District Neighborhood)
• Hersheypark (Hershey)
• The Pagoda (Reading)

Written by Sarah Suydam, Managing Editor for Groups Today.

This article originally appeared in the Mar/Apr '25 issue of Groups Today.

Main photo courtesy of Jeff Fusco.