The Erie Maritime Museum was a fun activity and am glad we checked it out. We were lucky to catch…read morethe last tour of the day for the US Brig Niagara which was definitely the highlight for me. It's impressive to see such a historic ship up close and learn about the sails and pulley system . Inside the main museum, be sure to set aside time for the theater video, which provides great context, and don't miss the upstairs exhibits--they're well worth exploring. The museum does a great job showcasing maritime history, and I would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

The Flagship Niagara League is a nonprofit that operates the Erie Maritime Museum and the U.S. Brig…read moreNiagara ship. The Erie Maritime Museum opened in 1998, and it is currently located inside the former generator station of the Pennsylvania Electric Company (PENELEC). The museum has exhibits for the War of 1812 and the Battle of Lake Erie as well as for the USS Michigan/Wolverine. The U.S. Brig Niagara warship is a replica of the one that Oliver Hazard Perry sailed during the Battle of Lake Erie against the British in 1813. In advance of my visit, I purchased tickets for my husband and me through the website. The cost was $85 per person to sail on the U.S. Brig Niagara and to tour the museum. (Customers may choose to tour only the museum for $10 or less, depending on age.) We had to sign online waivers. On the day of our sailing, we arrived early to tour the museum. We saw items such as maps of Lake Erie, diving helmets, swords, tools for shipbuilding, a cannon, ropes with different types of knots, etcetera. We also watched a short movie about the Battle of Lake Erie. The employees in the gift shop did not talk to us much, but other employees elsewhere in the museum helped us to find the meeting spot for the sailing. On the ship, we sailed for two hours from the bay and into the lake, and then we turned around to return to shore. The employees were training students to pull ropes to reposition the sails. The customers were allowed to help a little if we wanted, such as pulling ropes when told to do so, but we obviously were not allowed to climb up high to the sails. Employees inserted gunpowder into a cannon and shot it loudly into the lake. Tip: The temperature on the water is colder than the temperature on the land, so be sure to dress warmly enough. During my sailing, the temperature on land was in the 50s and on water was in the 40s. My husband and I felt cold in our hoodies and jackets, and so did the other customers.

I stopped at the Hagen History Center on my way through Erie since I wanted to check out the Frank…read moreLloyd Wright office that they have on exhibit. The Hagen is located in a couple of buildings near Gannon University. Fairly recently the Hagen acquired the FLW office that he used in San Fransico near the end of his career; the Hagen built a special building to house the office along with other exhibits. While the FLW office has been on display other places, at the Hagen you are actually able to go into the office and look around, which is a real treat. To start the Hagen has a number of displays before you enter the office giving information on Frank Lloyd Wright, his designs and even identifies the buildings in the region that you can tour. The office itself is relatively small, just a compact reception area, 3 workstations and a small office that Wright used to meet with clients. The office has the feeling of being a Wright design, clean lines, natural materials, and innovation. An interesting element of the installation is that the Hagen has placed photos of what the office looked out to in the windows so you get an idea of how it looked in San Francisco. The Wright office is less spectacular than most Wright designs, it had to fit into a commercial building and was more of a satellite office for work in California. It is a nice visit if you are in the area or are a Wright completist. I did check out some of the Erie history exhibits on the second floor of the building, they seemed to be well presented and a nice look at various elements of Erie history. I was happy I stopped and checked out the Wright office at the Hagen, but it is not worth a special trip and there are much better examples of Wright buildings in the Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York that I would recommend you tour. This might be a great start if you are taking a trip through Erie to see Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob or doing the Buffalo Wright tour.

OH what fun ! stumbled upon this place right next to the Erie Art Museum - the place i never got…read moreinto beyond the front door( -see my other reviews ) The historical Society is on the top floor and looks a bit like a cluttered library stuffed full of books and, well, stuff ! The people inside saw me browsing and quickly came to ask if they could help and explained their hours etc they were very nice to me ! the Cashier's House is also in this building and even though it was in the middle of "moving within the building" they let me tour on my own anyways LOL it is a three story house and i accidentally went to the third floor unattended to have a look around no one seemed bothered by that even tho sightseers were supposedly not to go there the elevator took me right up there so...why not look around LOL ! ? not that security is lax cause there appeared to be cameras all about and on each floor - i wonder if anyone noticed me ? LOL LOTS of fun artifacts in the Cashier's House Victorian stuff to make is appear like a lived in home of that time period .... beside that there is a small Maritime museum of shipwrecks and an interesting but small room of Telephone history in Erie LOL LOTS of stuff in there it seemed well organised lots of old phones and phone books switchboards and wires and cables and insulators what a delight ! all in all a great visit for me even if i was the only one there for a good hour and oh yes .... the front desk guy let me in for free cause they were renovating the Cashier's House - i bet i never get THAT price again ! LOL !

Beautiful museum with great art and an inspiring atmosphere…read more We attended on a free Friday night and saw their Spring exhibit. A lot to offer and it was filled with people enjoying the opportunity to visit. Wine and cheese served with crackers and custom sugar cookies. Enjoy the photos!

Great museum. Parking and finding entrance is a little hard to figure out from being out of town…read more They have details on their site but I still had some trouble. Definitely worth a visit if you're not sure.

Great hands on play for kids!…read more This place was a great experience for my kids aged 5 to 8. The free parking lot is right across the street from the entrance making it easy to navigate. After entering the main floor has a few small hands on art based activities. I highly recommend starting on the top floor and working your way down. The top floor has so much to do and we ran out of time before we could check everything out. The museum was clean and well organized. Lots of hands on activities for all age levels. Every kid will find something to enjoy. The shopping experience was one of their favorites. We spent about two hours but could have easily stayed longer.

I went to this Kids Museum with the family and I was impressed. It's a great place to take your…read morekids of all ages. I have a 5 and 3 year old that are very active. The variety of activities they have and the simplicity of most of the play areas is what makes it such a good spot for the kids. Highly recommend if you're looking for something to get out and do with the kids. The place is huge and has 3 floors

Cute shop in downtown Erie that houses art from local and abroad artists. Jewelry, pairings,…read moreceramics, glass work and more. They recently celebrated their fifteenth anniversary. Friendly staff answered questions about the shop and Erie in general.

Glass art is one of my favorite forms of art. The gallery did not disappoint me. So much to see…read more I loved the jewelry to the pottery to the blown and stained glass. We visited on a Friday evening where wine, cheese, crackers and cookies were served. Quite a few people were in attendance, it was great to be out and about with others taking advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the arts.

Free and fun This…read morewas our first stop for exploring Erie. Highly recommend since they have a little visitor center area with maps and things to do in the area. Plus a fun nature center. The center highlights ship wrecks in Lake Erie, history, animal ecosystem, art and nature play. They also have a kids play area. Don't forget to climb the tower to oversee several stories above. The volunteers here were great. We learned about rocks in the area. Plus she gave us the hint about the volunteer boat tours.

This place is really great! It's a free nature museum offering video, hands-on play for kids, and…read moresome interesting history of the whole Lake Erie and local PA areas. Thanks to Tom Ridge for your enthusiasm and dedication to environmental education! Thanks to Erie for making this vision come alive! The location is perfect for exploring more of the local scenery, too! If nature is only part of your interest - it's really close to Waldemere amusement park. Unlike Six Flags or the sorts, you can purchase rides one by one and avoid the expensive all-day pass style park system. If camping, fishing, volleyball, or swimming float your boat - check out the shore along Lake Erie on Presque Isle (just keep driving a bit past TREC) and spend the day on the beach!

Lincoln Librarians are the best, most helpful and our Erie County Public library outranks IN, WV…read moreand TN in acquiring new books for JUV and nonfiction historical and current events.

Great staff- lacking leadership at the top level. The situation involving Pride Month was extremely…read moreunfortunate and sad!

You might be surprised to know that even though my husband and I are well into our forties, the…read morehighlight of our visit here was actually the playground area. They have these amazing slides and my very adult husband fully embraced his childish side and had to try them out. Was he waiting in line with small children for the experience? Yes. Did he go down one of the slides too fast and take a spill? Yes to that too! Did we still have a really fun time? Absolutely. It was pretty busy when we visited but once you start walking around you understand why. It's a great place to spend some time. There's an open green space and we saw lots of paths and trails that you could walk on. There's plenty of room for people to spread out and just enjoy their day. We didn't even know that the slide area would be there, but it definitely brought out our inner child and gave us a good laugh. This location is great for kids, families, couples or anyone that wants to enjoy a nice day outside and I definitely recommend trying the slides, but don't go down it like a water slide with your hands crossed in front of you or you'll pick up to much momentum and have a hard time stopping (or so I've heard lol) and make sure to hold on to the rail so you can slow yourself down at the bottom!

We had an amazing afternoon exploring LEAF, the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park. All I can…read morereally say is what a treasure. Was in town for the day and decided to check it out and ended up spending about 2 hours here. My partner and I enjoyed the views, scenery, paths, and layout. It is October 12, 2023 and the weather was nice with added to a wonderful fall experience. Highly recommend checking it out.

I was last in Erie in November - extreme cold and 5 feet of snow. Came back for summer and found a…read more95 degree day with never ending sun. This city is built on grit. Nothing closer is better. You have Waldameer Amusement Park, Peninsula with Beaches, downtown with restaurant, shopping, 2 water parks, custard stands everywhere and a Max and Erma's. What more do you need? Hotels everywhere and a chocolate called sponge candy. Get a bag of Smith hotdogs to take home - Erie thing- and enjoy your visit.

Erie, Pennsylvania is a wonderful city. Home to my favorite State Park, Presque Isle, the Tom…read moreRidge Environmental Center, Erie Art Museum, Erie Film Society/Film Office, Waldameer Park, Splash Lagoon, the Whole Foods Co-op, Perry Square, Erie Zoo, numerous breweries, restaurants, food trucks, and attractions, U.S.S. Flagship Brig Niagara, the observation tower, and so much more . . . I love Erie . . . It's on the move, and going upwards, and onwards . . . Cheers Erie!