Discover a distinct variety in Pennsylvania’s Alleghenies

Located within the heart of Pennsylvania’s Alleghenies, Altoona/Blair County offers a distinctive variety of authentic experiences from extensive railroading history and heritage, to an expanding performing and visual arts scene, and classic family fun, all of this immersed within and surrounded by outstanding outdoor recreational green spaces.

Unique, iconic sites are plentiful and include America’s only interactive railroaders museum at the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum, and the World Famous Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark. This engineering marvel, Blair County’s geographic sense of place, was built by immigrants by hand in 1849 to traverse the Allegheny Mountain range during America’s westward expansion; the observation area provides an excellent opportunity to view trains climbing the mountainside literally in the shape of a horseshoe.

Because Altoona was such a crucial railroad center throughout the 19^thand 20^th centuries, the city was a target of the Nazis during World War II. In addition, Fort Robedeau, America’s western-most Revolutionary War site, was built to protect lead miners providing lead for ammunition purposes during the War. This historical site is located within Sinking Valley, one of the richest agricultural regions in Pennsylvania. Baker Mansion, the only Greek-Temple style home in Pennsylvania, serves as the main site of the Blair County Historical Society, and has undergone an extensive interior renovation using authentic furnishings and décor.

America’s longest continuously performing community orchestra, the Altoona Symphony Orchestra, performs mostly within the Mishler Theatre, an elaborate Beaux-Arts theatre, which was built in 1906 and is featured on the National Register of Historic Places. Operating as the nation’s longest-running museum satellite system, with a collection of more than 7,500 works of art, the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art’s Altoona site consists of three unique galleries housed in beautifully upgraded space formerly occupied by a local department store.

Classic family fun includes Slinky Action Zone, an indoor fun center with its entrance being the world’s largest Slinky, located in the hometown of the original Slinky, recently renovated with a two-tier laser tag arena, the latest digital games, and a microbrewery on property. In addition, there is the renowned Tilt Studio with an exclusive bobsled ride, over 100 arcade games, and more as well as Urban Air Adventure Park, a large-scale indoor trampoline center hosting open jump, climbing walls, and more where fun takes flight!

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Top all of this off with such excellent outdoor opportunities as Pennsylvania’s highest skiable mountain at Blue Knob All Seasons Resort offering a true Alpine experience as well as a renowned mountaintop golf course and rigorous mountain bike trails, a visit to Canoe Creek State Park, one of “Twenty Must See State Parks” in Pennsylvania with abundant water and land-based recreation, and the historic, iconic Blair Limestone Kilns. The kilns are situated along the alignment of the September 11^th National Memorial Trail evolving into an unbroken 1,300-mile system of roads, trails, and greenways that link the three 9/11 memorials in NYC, DC, and PA, running right through the heart of Blair County’s three trail towns.