Summer is the season for day trips and exploring new places. But when you’re planning excursions, the costs can quickly add up.
Good news for your wallet: PA Local is here to help! This guide includes 29 museums and historic sites across Pennsylvania that you can visit at no cost — plus an iconic one that charges just $1.
They range in size — some can be toured in half an hour, while others can fill half a day — but they’re all a bargain. So when you make plans for your next trip around the commonwealth, be sure to add some of these spots to your itinerary.
🧪 For a science-themed outing
When you think of Philadelphia museums, its massive art galleries and history collections likely come to mind. But there’s also a solid handful of free science-oriented options to round off a day in the City of Brotherly Love. The Wagner Free Institute of Science houses thousands of fossils and minerals; the Science History Institute offers an hour’s worth of exhibits on 500 years of scientific practices and discoveries; and the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center offers a quick look at the region’s watershed.
At Penn State University in State College, there’s multiple science offerings: the Frost Entomological Museum, a small collection focused on Pennsylvania arthropods, and the EMS Museum & Art Gallery, where you can view materials related to earth and mineral science.
In Erie, you can enjoy some time outdoors at Presque Isle State Park before stopping by the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, which boasts interactive exhibits.
And if you find yourself with a free evening in Pittsburgh, the Allegheny Observatory seasonally offers two-hour tours geared toward adults. (Reservations are required, and you have to stay with your guide the whole time.)
📚 To learn about history
Pennsylvania is old, so there’s history to be found in nearly every corner.
In Philadelphia, you can visit the Liberty Bell for free and tour Independence Hall for $1. If you want to see something a little less mainstream, there’s the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, a house where the famous author and poet once lived (currently closed for renovations but scheduled to reopen late summer), or the Temple Shoe Museum, a small collection of footwear-related exhibits you can view by appointment only. The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is another free option, and you can easily spend a few hours there.
Just outside of Philly, there’s Valley Forge, where Washington’s army stayed for a winter during the American Revolution. It has a museum exhibit at the Visitor Center. War history buffs in the Philly suburbs can also stop by the Bucks County Civil War Museum in Doylestown during its small window of public hours on Saturdays.
Fayette County is home to Fort Necessity National Battlefield, the site of the first fight in the French and Indian War. There’s an interpretive and education center on site focused on both the battle and the National Road, America’s first federally funded highway.
In Berks County, the Conrad Weiser Homestead — once home to an 18th century German immigrant who served as a liaison for the Pennsylvania government in its dealings with Native American tribes including the Iroquois and Lenape — sits on 26 acres and has three tourable buildings.
If you’re a train lover, head to Scranton to check out Steamtown, a historic site and museum that focuses on the early days of American railroads and the people who kept them chugging. Or you can check out Harris Tower in Harrisburg, where a group of enthusiasts maintains a seasonal railroad museum. It’s open Saturdays between the last weekend in May and the end of October.
Another seasonal option is the Appalachian Trail Museum in Cumberland County. This volunteer-run museum tells the story of the popular hiking trail since its beginnings a century ago.
And we can’t forget about Gettysburg. You’ll obviously want to see the Civil War battlefield and its museum and visitor center — but did you know you can also tour the nearby farm of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower?
🎨 If you like art
Art lovers who find themselves in the Lehigh Valley are in luck, because the Allentown Art Museum started offering everyday free admission in 2022. Exhibits range from Renaissance and Baroque art to Tiffany glass.
In Pittsburgh, you can see the Frick Art Museum’s permanent collection, with its Chinese porcelain and Flemish tapestries, for free. (If you want to see any special exhibitions, you’ll have to pay.) Thirty miles southeast in Greensburg, the Westmoreland Museum of American Art features paintings, sculptures, and gardens, and it offers free guided tours most Saturdays.
For the modern-day renaissance person, a tour of the state capitol in Harrisburg is a great option. You’ll learn about history and government, and your guide will also show you the building’s breathtaking art while briefing you on the Pennsylvania artists who made it.
And if you happen to be spending some time on or near a college campus, you may very well be able to see some art for no charge. To name a few options, you’ll find the Berman Museum at Ursinus College; the Phillips Museum of Art on Franklin & Marshall’s campus; the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania; the Palmer Museum of Art on Penn State’s main campus; and the University Museum and Kipp Gallery at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. (Note: Some of these museums are only open while their home colleges are in session, meaning they might not be the best summer pick. Make sure you check operating hours and dates when planning your visit.)
You might also be able to see art on display right in your own community during a First Friday event. Although these monthly evening events often aim to give artists the opportunity to sell their work, you can usually just look and appreciate it at no cost. Some places also offer free activities or live music. Communities big and small host First Fridays — for example, Lancaster, Meadville, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Wellsboro, and many more.
Did we miss your favorite free museum in Pennsylvania? If so, let us know what it is and why it’s awesome.
