Best Pennsylvania Attraction (2017)

Visitors to Presque Isle State Park are in for a singular Pennsylvania experience: the state’s only formidable shoreline, which boasts a number of beaches. Beach 11 is the park’s most sheltered, and therefore most serene. Its shallow water is a safe option for visitors with little ones and boasts views of the Erie skyline. Beach 6 on the other hand, is a draw for young people, with its concession stands and volleyball courts. The flipside, it is often the most crowded.
Photo courtesy of Presque Isle State Park

Knoebels, the nation's largest free-admission amusement park, offers rides, games and attractions geared toward visitors of all ages. Spread across 45 acres, the park includes 63 rides, a 900,000-gallon Crystal Pool, 26 midway games, two arcades and over 30 places to grab a bite to eat.
Photo courtesy of Knoebels Amuseument Resort

Pine Creek Gorge, better known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, measures more than 50 miles long and over 1,000 feet deep. The area is popular not only for its spectacular views, but also for its abundant wildlife, including numerous species of migratory and breeding birds.
Photo courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services (CMS)

Encompassing 20,500 acres of Pennsylvania's Laurel Ridge, Ohiopyle State Park welcomes millions of visitors each year.The Youghiogheny River Gorge sets the scene for some of the best whitewater rafting in the Eastern United States.
Photo courtesy of Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau

Located within Pittsburgh's Schenley Park, the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens centers around a steel and glass Victorian greenhouse, built in 1893. The plant collection on display spans the globe, including a fragrant Orchid Room, colorful Outdoor Gardens and living pieces of art known as Bonsai.
Photo courtesy of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden

Among the tragedies of September 11, 2001 was the heroic loss of the 40 passengers onboard the highjacked Flight 93. This national memorial, opened in 2015, commemorates the lives lost while interpreting the events of that Tuesday morning in the Visitor Center Complex.
Photo courtesy of NPS-Schwartz

The oldest Amish settlement in the United States can be found in Lancaster County. Within Pennsylvania Amish Country, thousands of people maintain a centuries old lifestyle, complete with windmills and horse and buggies. Visitors can tour the scenic countryside, shop for handmade Amish crafts and indulge in some comforting Pennsylvania Dutch cooking.
Photo courtesy of Discover Lancaster

The massive Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Creek Valley comprise more than 1,000 acres of gardens, woodlands and meadows divided into numerous indoor and outdoor named gardens. When it’s chilly outside, indoor options include a Banana House, Mediterranean Garden, Orchid House and Orangery, while outside, visitors can explore Canopy Cathedral, Flower Garden Walk, Rose Arbor, Peirce’s Woods and the Idea Garden, where home gardeners can find inspiration.
Photo courtesy of B. Krist for Visit Philadelphia

Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1895, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History ranks among the best natural history museums in the country. Its 20 exhibition halls includes favorites like Dinosaurs in Their Time, Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems, PaleoLab and the Hall of North American Wildlife.
Photo courtesy of James Tiffin Jr. / Flickr

Fallingwater, perhaps Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous architectural masterpiece, was designed and built in 1935 as a private residence for Pittsburgh department store owner Edgar J. Kaufmann, Sr. Known for its organic architecture, the house sits above a natural waterfall and was made from natural materials quarried from the property.
Photo courtesy of Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau