6 Pennsylvania Road Trips for Fall

History, architecture, rolling farmland and scenic back roads all come together at six stops through Pennsylvania. From the stories and exhibitions at the Heinz History Center and Hagen History Center to the groundbreaking design of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, each stop offers a different glimpse into the state’s past and character.

Heinz History Center | Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh’s story unfolds across six floors of interactive exhibits at Pennsylvania’s largest history museum. Step into the original entryway and living room set from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” see the world’s oldest jeep and visit the “Heinz” exhibit featuring an 11-foot-tall ketchup bottle made from more than 400 individual Heinz bottles. 

The museum’s newest exhibit, “Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages,” takes visitors 80,000 years into Earth’s prehistoric past with full-scale skeletal replicas of ice age animals, including a mastodon, giant beaver, short-faced bear and smilodon. Explore exhibits highlighting regional innovation, technology and sports culture, or research local history in the Detre Library & Archives, home to the David McCullough Archive and The Kennywood Park Records. Before leaving, visit the museum shop for Heinz-flavored lip balm, pickle beanies or a Mister Rogers mug. 1212 Smallman St., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222, 412/454-6000, heinzhistorycenter.org

Hagen History Center | Erie

Discover 200 years of Erie County history at the Hagen History Center, where four buildings with more than 18 exhibits share the region’s stories. 

Tour architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s original San Francisco office, located inside the Frank Lloyd Wright Field Office Museum. The relocated, 2,700-square-foot space guides visitors through Wright’s history complete with never-before-seen artifacts, videos and interactive media.

Walk through the Carriage House library’s collection of more than 5,800 19th-, 20th- and 21st-century books before touring the 15,000-square-foot historic Watson-Curtze Mansion — a Medina sandstone home built in 1891 that features 24 rooms, 12 fireplaces, a ballroom, a solarium, mosaics and stained-glass windows.

Visitors can also tour the 1858 Wood-Morrison House, built by a man who served on the U.S. Navy’s first iron-hulled warship. Learn about Navy officer Oliver Hazard Perry and how he earned the title “Hero of Lake Erie” in the center’s newest exhibit. Additional historic properties include the King-Mertens Archives Building and the Girard campus historic landmarks: the 1858 Yellow House and the neighboring 1861 White House. 356 W. Sixth St., Erie, Pennsylvania 16507, 814/454-1813, hagenhistory.org

Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad | Titusville

Travel back 150 years to the birthplace of the modern oil industry aboard the Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad. This three-hour, round-trip excursion winds through Oil Creek State Park’s autumn landscape aboard vintage Pullman cars from the 1930s pulled by a historic diesel locomotive. 

Along the way, passengers learn about Pennsylvania’s oil boom, including the people and historic locations that established the region as the center of early oil production. See Oil Creek Valley from the open-air Gondola Car, or reserve a seat in the Wabash, a first-class car with air conditioning, comfortable cloth-covered seating and a tour guide. 

Keep an eye out for groundhogs, deer, bald eagles and the occasional black bear. Mail a postcard or letter from the 1927 Railway Post Office Car, the only one still in operation in the United States. Book a stay at The Caboose Motel beside Perry Street Station, where historic caboose train cars have been converted into overnight accommodations. 409 S. Perry St., Titusville, Pennsylvania 16354, 814/676-1733, octrr.org; The Caboose Motel,  814-827-5730

Fallingwater | Mill Run

Fallingwater, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, turns 90 in 2026, giving visitors another reason to experience one of America’s most celebrated homes during peak fall color. The renowned masterpiece blends art, architecture and nature. 

Designed in 1935 as a private weekend house for the Kaufmann family, the 9,300-square-foot home’s dramatic floating terraces extend above a waterfall on a Bear Run Nature Preserve stream. Visitors can experience guided tours of the main house and 4,990-square-foot guest house, explore 20 miles of surrounding woodland trails and capture the familiar view of Fallingwater from the overlook after the tour. 

Whether visiting for the architecture, history or natural setting, Fallingwater offers a memorable autumn escape in which modern design and nature work in tandem. Check out the many programs and events held throughout September and October that celebrate the anniversary year, such as the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra and a classical guitar benefit recital by Stephen Morrison. Poet and essayist Sheila Squillante offers a weekend writing program as part of the lineup. 1491 Mill Run Rd., Mill Run, Pennsylvania 15464, 724/329-8501, fallingwater.org

Port Farms | Waterford

A day at Port Farms Fall Harvest Festival offers plenty of ways to celebrate the season.  

The more than 25 family-friendly attractions include a 12-ton corn box, paintball, pedal carts and an American 250-themed, 5-acre corn maze. Plus, visitors can get close to farm animals, including a new mini donkey and mini pony. 

After working up an appetite, head over to the family-friendly, on-site Poverty Knob Farmhouse Ales brewery for craft beer, food and live music. Try the spinach artichoke fire-roasted flatbread and wash it down with the farm’s signature Oktoberfest or popular apple cider slush float. 

One of the brewery’s most popular menu items, The Cattleyard sandwich layers shaved sirloin, bacon jam, roasted red peppers, smoked Gouda, cheddar, mixed greens and aioli on sourdough and comes with shoestring fries. Combining classic fall activities and exciting entertainment, all ages can embrace the charm of Pennsylvania’s countryside at Port Farms Fall Harvest Festival. 2055 Stone Quarry Rd., Waterford, Pennsylvania 16441, 814/796-4500, portfarms.com

Covered Bridges Driving Tour | Columbia & Montour Counties

Take the back roads and discover 25 historic covered bridges on a self-guided driving tour through the countryside of Columbia and Montour counties. The region is home to the third-largest collection of covered bridges in the country. That includes the famous 1884 Twin Covered Bridges, officially known as the East and West Paden Bridges built to span Huntington Creek. West Paden features a Burr arch and East Paden a queen post design. Built in 1850 for $750 by Peter Ent, the pair is one of only two sets of twin covered bridges in the nation.  

Receive a free brochure and detailed driving map that guides you along the scenic drives to each location and shares the stories behind the bridges. Look for the limited-edition covered bridge puzzle of the 1881 Sam Wagner Bridge arriving at the welcome center in October. Multiple locations. For more information about the tour, visit the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau, 121 Papermill Rd., Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania 17815, 800/847-4810, heartofpa.com

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