The Joesph Priestley Memorial Chapel was built as a country church in 1834 by descendants of…read moreJoseph Priestley. It was built as a Unitarian Church whose congregation included descendants of Joseph Priestley's grandson, Joseph Raynor Priestley. The congregation was dissolved in the early 20th century because it was too small to continue. And yet when you look at how small the chapel really is, you think to yourself, "Just exactly 'how' small was this congregation?". The chapel has however been maintained by various groups over the years and in the early 1990s, new Unitarian Universalist Congregation was formed. This time however they outgrew the little chapel. Today a secular, non-profit organization, the Priestley Chapel Associates, operates the chapel. Today the chapel has been lovingly maintained. It really isn't used for religious services much anymore. But you may rent the chapel out for private events such as weddings and memorial services. The chapel also has its "First Sundays Program", a short 40 minute program of music and words. They also have a poetry program, recognizing US Poet Laureates and Consultants in Poetry to the Library of Congress. These events include poetry readings, guest poets, and musical accompaniments. I'm not much into poetry--classic fiction is my game (just ask my mother, the librarian), but am I sorry we weren't here for that. I would have also liked to have heard a recital on the chapel's organ. I did however find the stained glass windows to be quite exquisite. If you're in Northumberland, spend a few minetes at the Chapel, especially after visitng the Joseph Priestley House.

A terrific place to spend a day and an outstanding value…read more My wife and I took a day trip (7/26/26) to visit and would certainly recommend it. We purchased the combo ticket for the cave tour and wildlife experience. Both were excellent. The cave tour is by boat, and we were piloted by a knowledgeable, spirited guide. And the cave is really kind of breathtaking. (We had a noon cave tour) The wildlife park tour is on a bus and again our driver was engaging and fun. The animals are well cared for, and not confined to small cages. They have space to roam and be animals. (Our park tour was 2 pm.... I mention the times so management can credit the guides if they read these reviews and do that sort of thing.) While we went for a couple's road trip, the visitors are definitely mostly families. So there are a fair amount of young ones around. Mostly, they just seemed fascinated with the cave and the animals.

Penn's Cave has been offering guided boat tours for over 140 years and it's easy to see why it's…read morestill such a popular stop. Located in Centre County, PA (which apparently has over 130 caves!), this unique tour takes you through a beautiful limestone cavern entirely by boat. The cave tour lasts about 45 minutes and costs $25 per person. They also offer a wildlife tour by bus, but we only had time for the cave portion. Be aware there's a fairly large staircase you'll need to go down to reach the cave entrance. Something to keep in mind if anyone in your group has mobility issues. Each boat holds around 22 people, but we visited on a quiet Monday afternoon and only had 8 in our group, which made it feel more personal. Our tour guide was excellent and knowledgeable, engaging, and had a sense of humor. He encouraged questions and had thoughtful answers for everything we threw at him. At the end of the cave, you actually exit into a small lake, take a brief spin around, and then head back through the cave to where you started, very cool and peaceful. There's also a gift shop on-site that sells snacks, drinks, and the usual souvenirs. Tours typically depart every 30 to 60 minutes depending on how busy they are, so timing is pretty flexible. All in all, it's a fun, unique experience that's well worth the stop!

I am SO happy I stumbled upon the Echo Dell Indian Echo Caverns during a rainy day in Hershey, PA…read more After visiting the gift shop at Hersheypark and eating some ice cream, I did a quick search for things to do in the area and the Indian Echo Caverns popped up as a tourist attraction very close by. My family and I have never done a cavern before and I've always wanted to see one so we said why not? We got there around 3:15 on a Tuesday and we were able to hop on the next tour. Our tour guide Jack was absolutely fabulous. The way he told the stories about the cave and the history behind it was just so interesting. My kids were very engaged during the entire tour of the caverns. The caverns are absolutely gorgeous. All the different "rooms" had different stories and different formations throughout. I loved seeing crystal lake, the water was beautiful. The different colors of the limestone was so cool. Everything was just so impressive and neat. They also have a pretty large gift shop, a playground, and a small petting zoo. It was pouring rain so we couldn't do any outside activities but that's OK. The caves are a cool 52 degrees so make sure to bring a sweatshirt or light jacket if you get chilly. Also, you can't touch any of the rocks so if you have a little kiddo who can't help themselves just be aware of that. Echo Dell Indian Echo Caverns was such a cool spot to visit and I am so happy we found it while in Hershey! Thanks again to Jack for the awesome tour, it was so much fun.

The caverns are very high and big, lots of space so it's cool to see. There are super big…read moreformations, but most are dead, would have been amazing if the flowstone were alive and glistening white, majority was ugly grey and dead. They have farm animals outside you can feed, a jungle gym and swing set. It's a nice area and was a nice time

Josiah Hess Covered Bridge, Circa 1875 at 110 feet long…read more This Burr Truss bridge is located between the towns of Forks and Jonestown; the Josiah Bridge is one of the two dozen historic covered bridges in Columbia County crossing Huntington Creek. The bridge was built by Joseph Redline at a cost of $1,349. This bridge is only open for foot traffic and picnics at the tables provided.

I visited the Cornwall Iron Furnace for the first time during their 345th Charter Day celebration,…read moreand I'm so glad I finally made the trip. This historic site had been on my list for a while, and with the beautiful weather and special event happening that day, it felt like the perfect time to go. Interestingly, I had only learned about the iron furnace a few months ago. I've always been fascinated by history especially the processes behind how things were made so visiting a place like this was incredibly intriguing. Seeing such an important piece of industrial history still standing today really makes you appreciate the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the people who built and operated it centuries ago. My group tour started at 12:45 PM and lasted a little over an hour. One thing I really appreciated was that we got to hear from several different volunteer guides throughout the tour rather than just one person leading the entire time. Each guide shared their own knowledge and perspective about different parts of the furnace and its operation. They were all incredibly informative and made the history easy to understand, even if you're not familiar with iron production. By the end of the tour, I honestly felt like I had learned dozens of fascinating facts about early iron-making, the daily lives of the workers, and how complex the entire process was. Workers often had 12-hour shifts to keep the furnace operating, which really highlights the amount of labor and coordination required. Standing inside the furnace structure itself was a unique experience. Even though it was warm outside, it actually felt noticeably cooler inside the building, which was surprising. You could really see the age of the structure and imagine the incredible amount of work that went into building and maintaining it. A few helpful things to know before you visit: Parking: Because of the Charter Day event, we were able to park directly on the property near the furnace building. However, there is also additional parking across the street and slightly down a hill, which requires crossing the road to reach the site. Restrooms are located inside the Welcome Center, where the gift shop is located. These appeared to be the only bathrooms on the property. Visitor tips: *Wear comfortable shoes, as there are stairs involved during the tour. *No food or drinks are allowed during the tour. *Plan to spend about an hour or a little more if you take the guided tour. Overall, this was a really enjoyable and educational experience. It gave me a much deeper appreciation for the hard work, skill, and innovation that went into early American industry. If you enjoy history, learning how things are made, or exploring unique historic sites in Pennsylvania, visiting the Cornwall Iron Furnace is absolutely worth adding to your list. Highly recommend taking the guided tour you'll walk away learning far more than you expect.

Built in 1742 and in use until 1883, the Cornwall Iron Furnace is "the only surviving intact…read morecharcoal cold-blast furnace in the Western Hemisphere." I absolutely love history and history museums and loved everything about it. My girlfriend, 11-year-old son and I visited on a Saturday afternoon on a trip to Harrisburg and Hershey. We took the tour and definitely got our money's worth ($18 for the three of us which included a AAA discount)! Started with a 15 minute video, then a guided tour by Beth which lasted over an hour, during which we got to see the furnace from all angles. Beth was very knowledgeable and also very patient with my son's many questions. The property also boasts a small museum and gift shop in the building that formerly housed the operation's charcoal. The gift shop is excellent. Among other things they have a range of cast iron products, as well as many cookbooks with suggested uses. This was an excellently run museum that I can definitely recommend to others who enjoy American history.

Had a great time at millworks the evening of August 8, 2026. The staff was polite, friendly, and…read moreprofessional. The cocktails were pricey, but well made. A worthwhile tradeoff!

Bar service was very good but we can't recognize anyone here as the check shows "Bar B". How about…read moreadding names to the tabs? Food was good beginning with the deviled eggs, then the beet salad and the mushroom and truffle oil pizzas. Nice beer and selections though a small pour in the wines (IMHO). We were traveling through town so I booked on Open Table. We decided to stay at the bar and advised two different hosts that we had arrive early but our Open Table reservation was cancelled anyway. Not cool!

What a wonderful way you cross the river just like they did in the old days. The talk with the boat…read morecaptain was awesome to find out how the riverboat works.

Awesome experience taking the ferry across the Susquehanna River with my car (with driver) on board…read moreand one passenger for the grand total of $25 ($20+$5) one way. Next time we will plan to spend a little time in Millersburg before heading over to the other side of the river. We'll probably just do a round-trip next time without the car so we can spend a few hours instead of just the trip across. Very huge and cool campground on the west shore with some ice cream and a store. I plan to learn more about the area and come back again soon.

Very interesting tour of this formidable fortress-like old jail. History of the place quite grim,…read moretreatment of people just horrible, especially the Irish back in the day. But history is important, and they gave a good history of the cruel overlords of the coal mining industry, and the resistance put forward by the Molly Maguires, who fought for fair wages, treatment and justice. Jail operational until 1975. Worth a visit. Correction: Jail operational until 1995.

I still cannot believe that this was an active jail until 1995 and they shut down the dungeon…read more(solitary confinement) in the 1970s. The conditions were truly not extremely modern to any standard of today and I guess this is what was expected when the jail was built over several decades earlier. The opening video which seems like a high school AV club production did explain about the Molly Maguires and the hangings at this jail. We then toured the cells, dungeon, and had free reign to check out the Warden's quarters and kitchen. Didn't take long and you could be in and out in less than an hour or so. Very interesting history. There is one bathroom for public use. The kitchen is supposedly the next major restoration project going to be started. A lot of the displays and signage needs some TLC, too. If you're in law enforcement or into this kind of history, I'd recommend it. They also have a gift shop. $13 each for us today, 8/7/2026.

What a fantastic piece of history, go, stop and read the plaques and take pictures. What an amazing…read morepiece of history

Well maintained space without signs of overt modernization make this place a worthwhile…read moreexploration. Industrial relics exhibit excellent decay and are easily accessible. Short walking trail takes you through the greenspace pebbled with old structures, into small wooded areas, over a bisecting stream, and along forgotten rail tracks. Quiet, and surrounded by development though you wouldn't know it.

I love to visit this library. I'm an author, and the library is small but well equipped. The…read morecomputer room is tucked away out of major foot traffic, and so its a quiet place to write or to get away to find a book to read. The ambience of the library is particularly appealing to me .. it used to be a house and when you walk in you feel welcomed -- they greet you as you enter with welcoming smiles and fresh hot coffee for a buck. Nice library ... one of my favorite in PA.

Quickly now! Why did the small town library close?…read more Someone borrowed the book! --rim shot-- Yeah, it's an old joke and definitely not an accurate description. Truth is, I love books and libraries. I get it from my mother who's been a school lbirarian for close to forty years. The Priestley-Forsyth Memorial Library my be small in size but it's not small in caliber. The library offers literature and programs for people of all ages. Right now they've got a summertime reading program going on for kids. For adults they offer a whole bunch of other services. Want to join a book club? They've got one and you can have a small portion of a book e-mailed to you every day. That way you can decide if you want to check it out. Need help finding a job? They are a part of the Pennsylvania CareerLink Participating Agency and they have free help and tutorial services available. Are you a teacher? The Library has a collection just for teachers. They've also got "Story Bags"--themed collections designed for group use by elementary teachers, reading teachers, etc. Are you a new parent? They've got parenting books and DVDs on all sorts of child rearing topics. Pretty impressive huh? O' but there's more than that. The building has a very colorful history too. It was built circa 1825 and it was orignally a a tavern and stage coach stop. Known as the Cross Keys Inn, travelers could stop on their way to Scranton or Erie and have a hot meal, a pint of ale, or even a bed for the night. Joseph Priestley's great-grandson purchased the building in 1864 and he converted it into his home and medical practice. In 1924 Mrs. Frances Priestley-Forsyth donated the house for use as a public library. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Priestley-Forsyth Memorial Library is a part of Access PA, which allows cardholders to borrow from most public libraries in the Commonwealth. Think I could use my Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh card here?