252 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Pennsylvania - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mütter Museum

America's most famous museum of medical oddities, and home to the remains of Einstein's brain.

Added by mbison

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eastern State Penitentiary

World's first "penitentiary," meant to be humane, drove men insane.

Dylan

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mount Moriah Cemetery

An abandoned cemetery lies in ruins as the surrounding forest swallows it whole.

Luke J Spencer

Added by Luke J Spencer

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

A layered tribute to the work of mosaicist Isaiah Zagar.

Aristes, Pennsylvania

Centralia

A toxic ghost town sitting atop a massive coal fire.

Dave

Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

The Sonorous Stones of Ringing Rocks Park

Mysterious rocks that ring musically when struck.

Dylan

Hellam, Pennsylvania

The Seven Gates of Hell

Hellam Township is reputed to feature seven remote gates, which when passed through in the right order, open an entrance to hell.

Added by Darmon Richter

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wagner Free Institute

A rare view of a preserved Victorian science museum.

michelle

Added by michelle

See All 252 Things to Do in Pennsylvania See All 252 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Pennsylvania

Potato Doughnuts

Gastro Obscura

Potato Doughnuts

The first American doughnut chain used spuds.

Gastro Obscura

Added by hfritzmartinez

Shoofly Pie

Gastro Obscura

Shoofly Pie

Mornings in Amish country once called for pie-cake and coffee.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Pumpple Cake

Gastro Obscura

Pumpple Cake

Called the turducken of desserts, this multilayered cake hides two pies inside.

Gastro Obscura

Added by mjlindsay

Clear Toy Candy

Gastro Obscura

Clear Toy Candy

A Victorian favorite is hanging on in Pennsylvania.

Gastro Obscura

Anne Ewbank

Added by Anne Ewbank

See all 20 things to eat in Pennsylvania See all 20 things to eat in Pennsylvania

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Awful Awful	10 June 26, 2019	2958	June 26, 2019
Map of New England Oddities	8 July 12, 2019	805	July 12, 2019
Sponge Candy	2 May 29, 2019	566	May 29, 2019
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The Darwin D. Martin House	4 May 31, 2019	382	May 31, 2019

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Stories
About Pennsylvania

Though the Amish reject much modern technology, phones have made their way into the community.

A Hopping Hotline Brings the Amish and Mennonites Together

The dial-in conferencing service is a popular hub for theology chat and tractor-related recommendations.

by Kelsey Osgood

The Easter egg tree custom, pictured here in Saalfeld, Germany, gained some ground in the United States.

How Easter Egg Trees Almost Became an American Tradition

Like the Christmas tree, they were probably a German import.

The old pressed plants can help crack contemporary climate and environmental puzzles, if you know where to look.

A Day in the Life of a Pennsylvania Plant Detective

Researchers are comparing age-old herbaria with muddy riverbanks to track decades of ecological change.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

August 28, 2018

Rohman's Inn between 1930 and 1945.

The Historic Pub That Holds Its Own Olympics

Rohman's Inn is the last relic of a buried-and-gone amusement park.

Investigating Pennsylvania's Very Particular Penchant for Potato Chips

Turns out there is an unusually high concentration of snack-food producers in this state.

by Dan Nosowitz

October 24, 2017

Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, is nowhere near the shore, nor New Jersey.

Why There's a Jersey Shore in the Middle of Pennsylvania

Hundreds of miles from the ocean, this Jersey Shore maintains a far quieter existence.

by Eric Grundhauser

August 15, 2017

A later engraving of the Valley Forge encampment.

A Stash of 30 Hidden Bayonets Was Discovered in Valley Forge

“No one has ever found this many together.”

by Sarah Laskow

An opossum.

Man Sets Fire to Scare Marsupial, Man Burns Down House

"Officials say the man had problems with bees also."

by Erik Shilling

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