This is the perfect little science museum for little kids--I'd say 8 and under. My 3 & 6-year-olds…read morehad a blast playing with all the different areas. I'd say we stayed for about 1.5 hours. If you're in need of an indoor activity for your kids in the State College area, I would recommend this place!

We really enjoyed our visit to the Disconvery Space of Central PA. Our family visits kid-oriented…read morescience and hands-on museums frequently when we travel, so it's nice to see a museum with some new or novel exhibits for kids to explore. This museum works closely with students from PSU who design and implement the exhibits, so it is constantly changing. The kids liked the earthquake building designer, the flood plain, and the geology exhibit. Also, the pressurized tube and ball shooter was a hit. In all, we spent about an hour and 45 minutes exploring and playing. It is well designed, but it is on the small size. Also, it isn't the easiest place to find...look for the State College HS football field, and it is right next door. It does host birthday parties, which would be fun if we lived in the area. Overall, I'm a fan. We'll be back on future rainy visits to State College.

This place is straight out of an episode of the X-Files. I'm from New York City so I've seen some…read moreweird sh*t - and this place creeped me out. Mummified animal remains, letters from serial killers, killer clowns, and a cardboard cutout of Danny DeVito... this museum does not disappoint! While not a full "house" of oddities, I would say it's more like a 1-bedroom apartment of oddities, but this "Whacky World of Weirdful Wonder" is completely FREE! They sell all sorts of strange toys, t-shirts, and trinkets. You can buy unique art pieces such as a "Death Loaf" (a loaf of bread impaled with spikes). Bonus tip: There's a bathroom in the back with a poster of Le Pétomane - a French performer with a unique...er...talent.

This place was amazing! There is a wide assortment of preserved animals, skulls, and artifacts. We…read moreall enjoyed our visit and will check it out again the next time we are in town.

Thanks to our country's National Park Service relics like these are available to view about our…read morecountry's history. The park rangers add to the wealth of knowledge. This was well preserved to give you some history. If the walls could only talk!!

Got my Stamp for the passport!!!…read more Neat little place really nice walkway down to the forest and railhouse

The exhibits in this museum are stunning - don't let the exterior (an old school) fool you…read more Fascinating even if you don't know much about the subject. The current exhibit focuses on patriotic and political coverlets (yes, that was a thing!) in honor of the 250th anniversary of the US. Well worth a couple of hours, and you can eat a great meal at Jean Bonnet's Tavern outside of town where more coverlets are on display.

This museum was really interesting. We enjoyed the combination of technology, art, culture, and…read moredaily life interpreted with the coverlets (which were fascinating and beautiful in and of themselves). The introduction was given by a gentleman who is an exceptional storyteller. This place is definitely worth a visit if you're near Bedford, especially if you're interested in technology, art, history, or textiles. They also have a nice gift shop.

We've always wanted to walk through the Palmer Museum but finally had an opportunity to do so when…read moreit started raining during our summer visit. Palmer is free although you do have to pay for parking which was still inexpensive. The Palmer has a wide variety of art. It's comprehensive without feeling overwhelming. The docents are also very knowledgeable and told us about the history of the museum. (Thank you, Dottie!) The building is only a few years old, and the architecture takes advantage of the adjacent arboretum which is also free and worth a stroll. Leave yourself 60-90 minutes to enjoy all the exhibits.

Palmer Museum of Art…read more I happened upon the Palmer Museum of Art while on a work trip and, to be honest, I wasn't expecting much more than a small university gallery. Instead, I found a surprisingly thoughtful and well-curated collection that easily rivals many regional museums. The museum itself is beautifully designed, bright, modern, and inviting without feeling overwhelming. The galleries flow naturally, making it easy to wander from room to room and spend more time than you originally planned. What struck me most was the range of the collection. From American paintings to contemporary works, the pieces are presented with care and clear interpretation, making the experience enjoyable whether you're a serious art lover or just a curious visitor with an hour to spare. For a museum located on a university campus, the quality of the collection is impressive. Several pieces made me stop longer than expected, and the curation feels intentional rather than simply academic. It's the kind of place where you go in thinking you'll do a quick walk-through and end up lingering. If you happen to be in the area, even for work, it's absolutely worth a visit. The Palmer Museum of Art is a reminder that sometimes the most rewarding cultural experiences are the ones you discover by accident. Topped the museum with a visit at the Creameryas recommended by the docent.

For a 4.00 admission fee you can tour the grounds and museum itself. there is a helicopter landing…read morezone, a tank, all kinds of artillerty, howitzers, tank busters, half-tracks, etc. there is also the 28th infantry shrine right next door. it commemorates all the pennsylvania soldiers who were killed in prior wars, wwi, wwii, korea and vietnam. there is a waterfall, a shrine itself, a very nice garden and some walking paths around the area.

What makes a good docent, one who provides a historical interpretation of the facts during the…read moretour. Today I witnessed perhaps the worst docent I have ever had the of being near during a tour. He either misrepresented what he was telling us, implementing his on personal ideas either political or his misunderstanding of what actuality occurred. As a historian, I was appalled by what I heard. He misrepresented facts about WWI, WWII, the Navy, Marines the Coast Guard and the women's role during WWII. His scary representation of where we are in the world today as it relates to nuclear weapons without mentioning where we were during the Cold War was ridiculous. I could go on and on about what he said, but when a docent does not end the tour without asking are their any questions is a strong indicator that he was afraid of questions he might incur. The individual at the main desk told us he was one of the best guides they have. Enough said!

We were driving by when we saw the signage for the Gallitzin Tunnels. Having just come from the…read moreAllegheny Portage Railroad site, we appreciated the meaning of the tunnels and pulled over to check them out. There is some parking available nearby, and you can easily walk out on the side of the bridge facing the tunnel. There are even two small "windows" in the fencing on the bridge so that you can easily view and/or take pictures of the tunnels. There is a real caboose and a wooden play train available in the grassy area next to the parking. The caboose was closed at the time of our visit, but the wooden play train was fun. There was also signage indicating that a museum was available across the street, but it was outside of the posted hours so we did not see that. If you're interested in train history, this is a good stop!

After our visit to the Allegheny Portage NPS it seemed fitting to take a quick swing over to the…read morelandmark tunnels that put them out of business. Thankfully this place has lots of signage all around the area because it's off the beaten path in the middle of a residential area. We showed up right on time as within about two minutes we felt the rumble and saw the headlight of a train getting ready to emerge from the tunnel. We got to the overlook bridge just in time to catch an 80+ car NS trash train right as it came out of the tunnel. Have a sinus issue? Catch this baby from the bridge and you will be cured because not only does it stink as it's going beneath you but the smell continues to waft out of the tunnel for a good ten minutes after the train is long gone. It's sort of a....Gallitzin Dutch Oven. As for the museum, supposedly the hours are Tuesday-Sunday from 12pm-5pm. We were there in the 4pm hour and nothing was open. The caboose still has hours listed from 2011 on the door so naturally that was also closed. It was disappointing that the caboose/museum were not open but it was still a fascinating look at some living history and we were thankful to see the tunnel in action as well.

Wings of War (WoW) is just starting out as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization. We have…read moreacquired a 1941 WWII Cessna T-50 Bobcat that was a Crane MK1 during WWII with the RCAF. The aircraft is currently portrayed as a U.S. UC-78 and will remain in U.S. colors. We believe this aircraft is the oldest, flying Bamboo Bomber in the world. We are actively pursuing nose art for this plane that will link it back to its Canadian lineage. Please go to our FB PAGE and add your ideas there. Call if you want to schedule an appointment to tour the aircraft.

From the owner: Wings of War (WoW) is just starting out as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization. We have…read moreacquired a 1941 WWII Cessna T-50 Bobcat that was a Crane MK1 during WWII with the RCAF. The aircraft is currently portrayed as a U.S. UC-78 and will remain in U.S. colors. We believe this aircraft is the oldest, flying Bamboo Bomber in the world. We are actively pursuing nose art for this plane that will link it back to its Canadian lineage. Please go to our FB PAGE and add your ideas there. Call if you want to schedule an appointment to tour the aircraft.

Such an amazing collection! I could spend the entire day here. Don't miss this place.read more

Interesting place, with quite a few pieces of history. It was a collection of a bunch of different…read moregenerations of American history, not just civil war.

When I saw on social media that the Pennsylvania State Museum was offering Pay As You Wish…read moreadmission throughout July in celebration of America's 250th birthday, I figured it was the perfect excuse to revisit a place I hadn't been in...about 23 years. I vividly remembered visiting as a kid, especially the planetarium, and since the museum is scheduled to close for major renovations beginning in August, it felt like the right time to see it one last time before the transformation. Normally, adult admission is only $6, but during July visitors could choose what they wanted to pay. My choice? $0. Thank you very much! I arrived around 1:30pm on a Saturday afternoon and easily found parking right outside the museum. The weather was beautiful, so I expected most people were outside enjoying the sunshine rather than spending the afternoon indoors. That worked out well for me because the museum never felt crowded, making it easy to explore at my own pace. At the admissions desk, the employee explained that only the second and third floors were open and that the planetarium had already closed in preparation for the upcoming renovations. I'll admit...that was a bit of a bummer. The planetarium was one of the things I remembered most vividly from childhood, and I had been looking forward to experiencing it again. But...you get what you pay for. And in this case, I paid exactly zero dollars. I spent about an hour and a half wandering through the exhibits, and while I enjoyed taking my time, I found myself a little underwhelmed. The highlight of the visit was, without question, standing beneath the towering 18-foot William Penn statue once again. Seeing it as a forty-something adult immediately brought back memories of seeing it as a kid, and that little wave of nostalgia alone made me smile. My biggest disappointment, though, was the number of replica artifacts throughout the museum. I understand that replicas certainly have a place, especially when preserving fragile originals, but I found myself wishing there were more authentic historical objects on display. For me, that's part of what makes museums special. I can see photos and reproductions online. Standing in front of something that actually witnessed Pennsylvania's history is an entirely different experience. I'm not sure whether many of the original artifacts have already been removed because of the upcoming renovations or whether this has always been the museum's approach. Either way, it wasn't what I expected. I also noticed that several exhibit areas were extremely dark, making it difficult to read some of the informational panels. I'm not sure whether that was intentional or simply part of preparing the museum for renovation, but it definitely affected the experience. Overall, I'm glad I went. I satisfied my curiosity. I revisited a piece of my childhood. And I was reminded that Pennsylvania has a fascinating story to tell. That said, I probably don't need to visit again until the renovations are complete...maybe. I'm genuinely hopeful the upcoming improvements will better showcase the history, innovation, creativity and natural beauty of the Keystone State. As a lifelong Pennsylvanian, I'd love to see our state museum become the kind of place that leaves visitors walking out saying, "Wow...I had no idea." When it reopens, I'll consider giving it another chance. Maybe. If they bring back another Pay As You Wish promotion? There would be a stronger chance I'd check it out again.

I love museums, so on a weekend trip to Hershey and Harrisburg, I made the stop with my girlfriend…read moreand 11-year-old son. We found parking right outside of the museum - $8 for two hours. The State Capitol building is right next door, so it would be easy to combine the two and make a whole day of it. We went to the NJ State Museum in Trenton last spring, and this museum was a lot better. It helps that they charge admission in PA, whereas they do not in NJ, and the money is used to create a clean, informative and well-curated museum. Like NJ, this is a hodgepodge museum of all things related to Pennsylvania, including companies and products created in the state, its Native American and prehistoric histories, notable PA residents, and of most interest to my son, animal dioramas to rival those in the Mammal Halls of the Museum of Natural History in NYC. This museum is big with a ton of interesting things to read and see. For a Saturday in November, it was not that crowded at all. Overall, it's definitely worth seeing at least once and definitely worth the very cheap cost of admission.