We went on a dinner cruise and prior to that went up on the bicentennial tower. It provides a great vantage point to see out over lake Erie. Very inexpensive, I believe under seven dollars per person, and we had a great experience visiting and taking photos of the beautiful Lakeside. read more

Nice quick stop to see Lake Erie. The tower has limited parking and we did have to park at the street since it was a busy time but it is only a quarter for 30 minutes. We were in and out in 17 minutes. It cost $6 per adult and they only accept cards. They do sell small snacks and waters as well and clothing. The top view was very nice and the wind felt great with it be July. There were very interesting information posted throughout the tower and on the observation deck. The staff were very friendly as well. read more

Bicentennial Tower - City view from tower - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

We enjoyed the visit there. They had informative plaques about the history of. Erie and how it has changed. The view was amazing! They have steps as well as an elevator and a man up the top who answered questions. read more

We went here when it was really windy outside. The cost is $4 for adults and $2 for kids. It's on the third floor. You can see all of the lake and where the beaches are located. Worth the view. read more

Bicentennial Tower - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Pretty view even with the Canadian smoke. Worst part was the false advertising or the clerk who does not know her dates... sign clearly states grr admission on the first Tuesday of the month yet she charged us and everyone else. Yes, it's crap to have to work on Tuesday, July 4, but ... $6 a person isn't terrible, but it's the principle of it... read more

My best friend I went on a road trip! We stopped here because it was a Pinterest thing! We would have went up but we were cut for time. It was a fairly chilly day. But honestly look at these amazing photos! So if you love scenery and a lake front view. This is right for you ! It's a must see. read more

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Great views from the top! Worth the time to pull over and take a jaunt up to the top. There is a decent amount of free parking right there, and there is a row of meters on both sides of the street further up. A few tips - Bring CASH! Tickets for the tower ($4 for adults) and all concessions are cash only. Take advantage of the posters outside and the few inside by the elevator.. interesting history! And lastly, don't get the hot tea from the concession stand... it's rough tasting. read more

Bicentennial Tower - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

7/5/2019 - I should start off with updates/corrections to the other prior reviews. The price to go up is now $5 for adults and $2 for kids. These days, the first Tuesday of the month costs $0 to go to the top. The tiny concession stand is where you purchase your tickets, and they now accept credit cards (I think they don't take American Express though). If you're lucky, you'll find parking on the wharf. Lastly, I noticed that they did have restrooms in the tower, but I do not know if they're clean or not. Now, on to the good part, the tower. I paid $5, went up, looked down below, took pictures, circumambulated the top, and went back down. It took about 3 minutes to do all that. Then I went down. That was the fastest $5 I've ever spent on an attraction. Nevertheless, it is an experience that I will always remember. The open design of the top is scary. Yet, the views are spectacular if you have $5 to spare. I think that if you're in town, you should definitely check this place out. If you live here or if you're stingy, come here on the first Tuesday (verified as of July 4, 2019) of each month. You can then go to the tippy top for FREE! read more

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Driving by and decided we wanted to check out Lake Erie. We have never been in the town of Erie, so we just randomly picked port Erie. Bicentennial tower is definitely worth the stop and it is an affordable visit. The tower provides a great view of the bay and the town. read more

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Cute little lookout. $4 for adults. Cash only which was odd. Oh well. No food or drinks allowed on the tower. Even Vegas & Chicago arent that strict for the observation towers. read more

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Located at the end of State Street in the area most commonly known as Dobbins Landing is a wharf jutting out into Presque Isle Bay with a 187 foot high tower. It costs three dollars to go up. It was a $1.6 million dollar project sold to Erie to commemorate Erie's 200th birthday and as an inviting tourist attraction. The only thing you seeming really get to see that you can't see from the wharf itself are views of downtown Eire, which to be rather blunt about, isn't much to see. It's a pretty big deal for a rust belt city in economic decline, but compared to other tourist attraction towers, rather pitiful. The area of Dobbins Landing, however, is really very nice with some good restaurants and pleasant surroundings. read more

So it's 3 bucks to go up to the top. It's worth doing once if you've never been. The view is okay, but nothing spectacular. It is Erie so you can't expect too much. read more

Bicentennial Tower - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

What a great little stop. Adam and I stopped here on a road trip for a stretch and some beautiful views and we were not disappointed. You have to go to the bottom of the tower to get your ticket which is $4.00 that is cash only. Once you get your ticket you can go to the elevator and take that right up to the top. At the top there will be someone who knows all about the history and can answer any questions your have. There are also plaques along the tower that gives you some history and shows you some places in the distance. It is nice to see the views. The city isn't large so you don't get this amazing downtown view but you do get to see a lot out in all directions. The water is beautiful and worth the view. At the end of the day, we were happy to have gone here and suggest it. It is a great place to take in the scenes. Don't expect anything amazing that is worth a day trip. It is a beautiful 30 minute stretch break. read more

Bicentennial tower is a 187 foot observation tower, located in downtown Erie, across from Presqu'Isle State Park. You can see thw whole city of Erie from up top, it costs 3 dollars per person to get it, theres an elevator ride to the top, where there are plaques and markers that tell you about the city's past. We watched a Coast Guard ship dock and let people off. It was pretty fun. theres a souvenir shop, clothing, an art gallery, etc. There was some parking close by, we came and got a good spot, then like 15 minutes later they were all filled up!!! read more

Bicentennial Tower - coast guard cutter docked - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

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GREAT spot for the sunset .. and plenty to see and do.

You will get gorgeous views of the lake from the top of this tourist attraction in downtown Erie. Definitely something to do once but never again. It's $4 per person to get up here and you typically would only spend about 5 minutes. You can get just as great of a view from the skybridge at the Sheraton hotel next door. read more

Bicentennial Tower - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

I believe its the highest point in the city, I don't know if its higher than Saint Peters but it would come close. Also you can't go into the tower of Saint Peters either. From here you can see all of the Bay and a fair part of the bay front. Was it worth the money we paid, sure because my kids loved it. Would I pay to do it again, I don't think so as its one of those things that you don't really need to do again. Was it a good idea to put this in Erie? Yes, I do believe it was because it gives you a scope of just how Erie has grown up over the last 20 years. I think it will be a landmark for the next 100 years and after that it won't be the tallest I'm sure. I would love to have the seats if there was a battle of the bay with old ships shooting back and fourth but you can't have everything. read more

So it cost $4 each to go to the top, IMO very much a rip-off but anyways........it does afford fantastic views of Lake Erie and Presque Isle and makes a great photo op as well. You can see all the way down State Street as well. If you haven't done it once, you should, however, once is enough for me (and I think most people in general). There is parking available right next to the tower but it's pretty crowded it seems most of the time. read more

This is a neat little spot. There's people fishing and walking around and enjoying the lovely view. There was even a wedding while I was there. They were taking pictures and getting on a boat. This was my first time and firsts stop in Erie. There are restaurants around the area and some little shops. There is a concession area at the bottom of the tower. Parking wasn't to bad. My only real complaint is that there was garbage laying around which was sad. read more

The view from the tower is nice enough, though wouldn't recommend traveling out your way for it. The teen-aged girl who sold us the tickets (after some coaxing from the back room) offered no receipt or even physical tickets for the $4 'cash only' purchase. Hmmmm.... Overall, nice people, nice place, just not a travel destination. Mike M. read more

Maybe this just doesn't excite me because it's here where I live. It's nice to go up and have a look around, but here's a hint: if you can save the trip up to the top of the tower for the first Monday of the month, it's free. read more

I love climbing the stairs to see the gorgeous views of Lake Erie! There is also an elevator if you dont want to take the stairs. But for my money $4, is a steal for the views you get to experience. Also at the top there are little posts with history snippets so you can read about the area while taking in the sights. The Tower is a great landmark in Erie and a great meeting place. I grew up hanging out by here with friends and this last trip home to visit my mom, I took my boyfriend to the top. You can see Perry Monument and the Bay on one side and on the other you see downtown Erie and the docks. Its amazing to see how much the city is changing and right now with construction of new hotels on the docks you can watch it change before your eyes. This is a great place to visit with families and friends and to make it even better, grab a cone or a Smiths Hot Dog and sit and enjoy the lake. read more