Pennsylvania
The Keystone State
Founding history, two great food cities, and mountains that go gold in October.
When to go
The best time to visit Pennsylvania is May through June or September through October, with October the pick for Poconos and Laurel Highlands foliage and September the best all-around city month.
Pennsylvania splits its best self between two windows. May and June bring mild 70s F (21 to 26C) days to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, blooming gardens at Longwood, and Amish Country at its greenest before summer humidity settles in. September and October are the return leg: crisp air, harvest festivals, and fall color that peaks in the Poconos and the Laurel Highlands in mid October, sliding into late October around the cities.
This is one of the most complete states in the Northeast: Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell anchor America's founding story, Gettysburg preserves its most consequential battlefield, Fallingwater sits over its waterfall in the Laurel Highlands, and Lancaster County's Amish farms roll on as they have for centuries. The cities carry the off-months, with Philadelphia's museum mile and food halls and Pittsburgh's improbably scenic three-rivers setting. Skip January and February if you can, when gray cold settles in, though even that has an exception: a certain groundhog draws tens of thousands to a tiny town every February 2.
The claim to fame
What Pennsylvania is known for
Season by season
The Pennsylvania year
Spring
A gentle, flowery ramp-up. April can be damp, but May and June deliver the year's freshest stretch: Longwood Gardens in bloom, green Amish farmland, and comfortable city walking before the humidity arrives. Strong value before summer vacation pricing.
Summer
Hot, humid, and family-heavy. Cities push 88F (31C) with real humidity, while Hersheypark, the Jersey-adjacent Poconos lakes, and battlefield visits run at full capacity. Fine if summer is your window; mornings and evenings do the heavy lifting.
Fall
The best of the state. September cools the cities into their best month; October turns the Poconos, the Pennsylvania Wilds, and the Laurel Highlands gold, typically peaking early to mid October up north and mid to late October south. Foliage weekends book out in the mountain towns.
Winter
Cold and gray, with lake-effect snow in the northwest and ski areas doing modest but cheerful business in the Poconos and Laurel Highlands. The cities' museums and food scenes hold up; Groundhog Day and holiday displays provide the season's odd charms.
The hit list
What to actually do
- 01Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell · Philadelphia
The room where both the Declaration and Constitution were debated and signed. Timed tickets for the Hall are free but limited; reserve ahead in season.
- 02Gettysburg National Military Park · Gettysburg
The Civil War's turning point, best understood with a licensed battlefield guide in your own car. Give it a full day and stay for Little Round Top at dusk.
- 03Fallingwater · Mill Run, Laurel Highlands
Frank Lloyd Wright's house over a waterfall, arguably America's most famous residence. Tours sell out; book weeks ahead and pair with nearby Kentuck Knob.
- 04Lancaster County Amish Country · Bird-in-Hand, Intercourse, and Strasburg
Working farms, roadside stands, and buggy-speed backroads. Go on a weekday, skip the kitsch, and let the landscape do the talking. Most Amish businesses close Sundays.
- 05The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rocky Steps · Philadelphia
A top-tier collection behind the most-run staircase in cinema. The Barnes Foundation two blocks away is its equally essential sibling.
- 06Reading Terminal Market · Philadelphia
One of America's oldest and best public markets: roast pork sandwiches, Amish baked goods, and a hundred lunches under one roof.
- 07Hersheypark and Chocolate World · Hershey
Coasters plus chocolate immersion in the town Milton Hershey built. Summer is peak; the Christmas Candylane season is a cult favorite.
- 08The Duquesne Incline · Pittsburgh
Ride the 1877 cable car up Mount Washington for the best city panorama in America: three rivers, 400 bridges, and a skyline that surprises everyone.
- 09Longwood Gardens · Kennett Square, Brandywine Valley
More than a thousand acres of world-class gardens and fountains. Spectacular in spring bloom, at the fountain shows of summer, and in holiday lights.
- 10Pine Creek Gorge, the PA Grand Canyon · Wellsboro, Pennsylvania Wilds
A 47-mile gorge with rim overlooks and a rail-trail along the bottom. Early October color here is the state's best-kept scenic secret.
Timing anchors
Events worth planning around
Traveling as a family
With kids in tow
- ◆Hershey is the family anchor: the park, free Chocolate World tour, and gardens fill two days, and fall or Candylane visits beat July lines.
- ◆In Lancaster County, the Strasburg Rail Road steam train and the Choo Choo Barn model layout are reliable hits with young kids, and buggy rides make the culture tangible.
- ◆Philadelphia's history core is surprisingly kid-friendly in small doses: the Liberty Bell is quick, the Franklin Institute's walk-through heart is the closer, and soft pretzels solve most morale problems.
Quick answers
Pennsylvania FAQ
What is Pennsylvania known for?
America's founding history in Philadelphia, the Gettysburg battlefield, Amish Country, Fallingwater, Hershey's chocolate empire, Pittsburgh's steel-to-tech renaissance, cheesesteaks and soft pretzels, and October mountain foliage.
When is the best time to visit Pennsylvania?
May through June and September through October. October is the mountain-foliage pick, September the best city month. January and February are the coldest, grayest stretch, redeemed mainly by Groundhog Day and the Flower Show.
When does fall foliage peak in Pennsylvania?
Roughly north to south through October: the Pennsylvania Wilds and Poconos peak early to mid month, the Laurel Highlands mid month, and the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas mid to late October. It shifts a bit every year, so check state foliage reports.
Is Amish Country open on Sundays?
Mostly no. Amish-owned shops, stands, and many attractions close Sundays for worship and family. Plan Lancaster County for a weekday, when you will also share the roads with working farms rather than tour buses.
Nearby