Pennsylvania, Fun Activities To Do If You Are Planning Your Next Vacations

The East coast of America is filled with rich national history and landmarks that have defined the country for centuries. While cities like New York and Boston get a lot of the fanfare, allow us to bring up an oft-overlooked corner of the country to your attention: Pennsylvania. You simply cannot have a conversation about the history of America without bringing up the Keystone State.

When planning your next vacation, consider some of these activities that make Pennsylvania a surprisingly pleasant getaway!

The Liberty Bell

If you want to see one of the true symbols of this great country, there is no place better to start than in the heart of Philadelphia. The Liberty Bell is an American icon and represents when this country claimed its independence. It is believed to be one of the bells that were rung after the signing of the Declaration of Independence back in 1776.

While the bell used to be located in Independence Hall, today it is protected at the Liberty Bell Center located in Independence National Historic Park.

The Liberty Bell is made of 70% copper, 25% tin, and 5% various other metals. It weighs 2,080 lbs and is inscribed with various passages from the King James version of the Holy Bible. You can visit the Liberty Bell seven days per week except for on most holidays. The best part about visiting this iconic symbol of America? Admission is absolutely free and is a great way to get in a little historic education while on your trip!

PA Entertainment

Pennsylvania isn’t just about history though! The residents of the Keystone State know how to entertain and be entertained as well. From the theater district in Philadelphia to the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, the state of Pennsylvania is a hot spot for culture and entertainment. Not up for live shows or museums? Pennsylvania also offers an active casino scene for both brick and mortar and online casino sites.

Back in 2017, Pennsylvania was one of the first states in this recent push to legalize sports betting and online gambling. After a long day out exploring Pennsylvania, a fun way to wind down back in your hotel room is to play some legal online casino games. When planning your trip to Pennsylvania, PA online casinos are another option of an activity to do at night if you enjoy discovering new games.

Online gambling is perfectly legal in Pennsylvania, which still is not the case for other states around the country. This makes it an attractive travel destination for neighboring states that do not have the ability to play casino games online.

All you need to do is make sure you are of legal age in Pennsylvania, which is 21, and have an active internet connection that is based within the state. From there you can enjoy finding new online casino games on your mobile device or computer!

Pennsylvania Sports

You will likely find it difficult to name a fanbase that is more loyal to its teams than Pittsburgh or Philadelphia. The two major cities in the state have a ton of both college and professional franchises to cheer for. Attending a local sports game is something I always enjoy doing to experience the hometown crowd in other cities.

If you do plan on attending a game, make sure you make arrangements for tickets ahead of time as some teams are difficult to see if you show up on the day of the game and expect to be able to buy tickets at the arena.

Philadelphia is widely known for its fiercely loyal sports fans. Whether it is the Eagles of the NFL, the Flyers of the NHL, the Phillies of the MLB, or the 76ers of the NBA, Philadelphia has a lot of choices for games to go watch.

A fair warning if you plan to attend a game and cheer for the other team: Philly fans are notorious for being unwelcoming to rival fans. Heck, Eagles fans even booed Santa Claus one year during a cold December game. If Santa isn’t welcome in Philly, what chance do rival fans stand in the city of Brotherly Love?

Pittsburgh is a blue collar town with some of the most successful franchises in all sports. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a storied NFL franchise, while the Pittsburgh Penguins have been blessed with some of the greatest players in NHL history including Sidney Crosby, Jaromir Jagr, and Mario Lemieux.

The Pirates of the MLB play at one of the most beautiful stadiums in all of the sports at PNC Park, which overlooks the rivers and has downtown Pittsburgh’s skyline in the background.

Gettysburg National Military Park

Getting back to some American history, pay your respect to our veterans at the Gettysburg National Military Park. The monument and park are to pay tribute to the battle of Gettysburg, which was a turning point in the US Civil War. It was the bloodiest battle of the war and led to the famous words of President Abraham Lincoln during his Gettysburg Address. It is estimated that the battle of Gettysburg saw about 50,000 casualties, and it remains the largest loss of American life in a war on US soil in the history of the country.

While at the park you can attend numerous tours that are held by staff, which include the battlewalk and campfire tours. You can also watch the Living HIstory program which will fire real artillery and demonstrate some of the weaponry and conditions that were used during the Civil War. You can even go on a horseback riding through the nearby trails or pay respects at the National Cemetery.

Today, you can visit the Gettysburg National Military Park which is located about two hours outside of Philadelphia. Like the Liberty Bell, the Gettysburg National Park is a national monument so admission for visitors is free. The park is open seven days per week and also welcomes class tours for educational purposes.