We’ve all read about the horrors of the Civil War but it is often easy to forget the toll these battles took on the local citizens. Once the troops moved on, it didn’t mean that it was over for the townspeople. Instead, the armies left their injured and dead men and horses behind, along with …
Located along the banks of Pennsylvania’s Lake Erie is one of only thirteen trolley parks left in the United States. Meaning “woods by the sea” in German, Waldameer Park is the fourth oldest park in Pennsylvania and the tenth oldest park in the nation. When you head to any amusement park, one of …
It’s a tragic story that’s steeped in mystery and whispers of foul play. The incident happened 165 years ago, but the echos of the Lost Children of the Alleghenies still linger. On April 24, 1856 George and Jacob Cox went missing. The children, ages 7 and 5, were the sons of Samuel and Susannah …
For me, one of my favorite Christmas displays is the creche. There are so many variations of the nativity scene located in various places, but did you know the Pittsburgh Creche is particularly special? When you first see the creche, which is located in the plaza of the US Steel Tower, you will notice its …
Tucked away on a side street in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Strip District is St. Patrick Catholic Church. From the outside the church is rather unassuming. It has a small, narrow tower and a simple brick exterior. A statue of St. Patrick stands out front. The building’s simple exterior belies the unique treasure that lies …
**Update: Sadly, I have to update this post to say that in the summer of 2021 Conneaut Lake Park lost their Tumble Bug when its mechanism was scrapped. The cars, however, were saved and apparently sold to a collector who has aspirations to rebuild the ride. I would love to again update this post to …
*Note: Special thanks to Fedele Musso, who took most of the vintage photos from the 1980s when the park closed. I was able to come across Mr. Musso’s photos on Ebay and purchased them for use in my own collection. While they are watermarked with the blog’s name so they cannot be stolen, they were …
Overall, I haven’t been hugely impressed with some of the “improvements” that have been made on Pittsburgh’s North Side (ahem, Allegheny Center, gag). Anyway, thankfully someone had the foresight to save some of that area’s true treasures including the Carnegie Library of Allegheny, the Allegheny Post Office, and Buhl Planetarium. Buhl Planetarium is one that …
If you are a first-time visitor to Hershey it’s my guess you are probably making the trip in order to experience the town’s one-of-a-kind connection to chocolate. There are tons of fascinating things to do in the Harrisburg and Hershey area, but if it is your first time in the area the chocolate attractions are …
My boys have always been fans of railroads (If we are being honest, so have I). Maybe it’s genetic since my father is also a railfan and I grew up making model railroads and learning about steam engines with him. Naturally, when we had the opportunity to visit the Everett Railroad in Hollidaysburg, we all …
There is a lot of excitement in the air these days with the upcoming Mr. Rogers movie. Fred Rogers was such an iconic figure here in Pittsburgh that you can find tributes to his legacy in many different places around the area. One of my favorites is the Mister Rogers Neighborhood exhibit at the Heinz …
Tucked away in a heavily wooded section of Idlewild is a life-size tribute to the late Fred Rogers in ride form. I’m talking about Mister Rogers Neighborhood of Make Believe. During my freshman year of college in 2003, Mr. Rogers passed away from stomach cancer. I felt a special connection to Mr. Rogers, who was …
