Kecksburg Space Acorn: A Glorious Relic of the Weird That's Now Just Mildly Unsettling…read more Ah, the Kecksburg Space Acorn--Western Pennsylvania's answer to "What if aliens crash-landed but had a thing for mid-century Soviet capsule design?" This glorious, bronze-ish, nut-shaped enigma has been a staple of small-town extraterrestrial lore since 1965. Back then, it was top-tier conspiracy fuel: a UFO? A Nazi Bell experiment? A time-traveling UPS drop gone terribly wrong? Nobody knew! And that was the fun of it. But now, in a world where the Pentagon casually confirms UFOs like they're announcing a new flavor of Mountain Dew, the Kecksburg Acorn has lost a bit of its mystique. I mean, sure, it's still weird, but in a "huh, neat" way rather than an "I-need-to-wear-my-tinfoil-hat-today" way. The replica sits proudly in town, a monument to the time the government showed up, took whatever it was, and said, "Nothing to see here, folks!" (Classic.) Now, let's talk about the real treasure: the tiny, blink-and-you'll-miss-it gift shop across the street. But wait, it's not just any gift shop--it's tucked away in the back room of a tavern, like a speakeasy for alien merch. The room has the vibe of a place where you might accidentally buy a cursed doll, but instead, you'll find Kecksburg t-shirts, stickers, and possibly a few items that may or may not be bugged by the NSA. It's delightfully dingy, with just enough weird energy to make you feel like maybe you're about to learn a government secret from the guy at the bar drinking a Yuengling at noon. Verdict? 10/10, would gawk at the Space Acorn again. Go for the UFO lore, stay for the barroom gift shop, and keep an eye on the sky--because if something else crash-lands here, you'll want to be the first to say, "I told you so."

This is by far one of the most beautiful things in all of Johnstown. Which begs to differ, how can…read moresomething so beautiful have such a deadly past? The Stone Bridge has been in Johnstown since 1887-1888, built to span the Conemaugh River so that the railway could make its way to and through Johnstown. It is a thing of beauty. Johnstown, much like Pittsburgh, is laid out with two river converging to form a third. A steep hill to the one side of Johnstown with their own inclined plane. At the meeting place of the two to form the third is a park named Point Park as well, possibly the best vantage point to view this bridge. Another good spot is Festival Park which lies across the Little Conemaugh River. I'm sure some of you may have heard about the Great Johnstown Flood of 1889. This bridge withstood that massive wall of water that pounded the city. Good, right? What it also withstood was all the houses, farms, trees, vehicles, debris, and people pushing against the bridge along with all that water. What wasn't great was what happened after that, in an attempt to remove that mass of items ended up starting a massive fire. Altogether combining for the deadly past part. Along with the 1889 flood, this also withstood many more floods as well, notably are the 1936 and 1977 floods that devastated the area as well. Enough with dwelling on the past. What they have done to it now can be summed up with the following. Michael Brosig, co-chair of the Stone Bridge Committee, said, "The significance of the Stone Bridge is that it stood its ground against the flood waters and altered the future of Johnstown completely and forever. It created the backdrop for the event that put Johnstown on the map. Restoring the South facade of that structure and casting LED lighting on it will certainly showcase the triumph of the human spirit in a spectacular style for all to see, enjoy and be proud of their heritage." And a triumph it is. The lighting on the bridge changes often, they have a calendar of what event they will be lighting for in case you plan on stopping by to view it. Each setting of display is beautiful. Such a great asset for the city of Johnstown to have.

This is a great, newly remodeled library! There is something…read moregoing on all the time for people of all ages at this library. There are programs for young kids, tweens, teens and adults. Some for all ages as well. The have a great multipurpose room for the programs, but also do some of them right in the library. The Children's room is on the smaller side, but they have a lot to offer. In addition to computers, they have a variety of toys like blocks, legos, dolls etc. They also often have a little scavenger hunt to find a certain character or item. Such a fun idea because it gets kids looking through the shelves and might help them find a new treasure. They have a great selection of books, audio books, DVDs and other media. You can also check out admission for places like the History Center and West Overton Village which is a neat perk. Friendly, accommodating staff and an overall wonderful place to spend some quiet time.

The long awaited Grand Opening of newly renovated library has arrived. The wait was worth it. The…read morerooms are brighter, quieter, and designed for efficiency while still providing all of the extras of which we have been dreaming.

A gem of a space in the heart of Delmont. Even though the…read morespace is on the smaller side, it is packed with a lot of great resources and titles. They also have a wide variety of programming for people of all ages. I enjoy that they have a community garden and encourage learning about and participating with it. They generally have some puzzles out for adults (or really any age) that want to participate in the communal effort. They have many computers available for use. One of the more unique features are the kits that they have available for kids. They are bags that have a variety of books and activities for kids to participate with to immerse themselves in a particular subject. Their summer reading program has TONS of programming with events during the day and evenings and weekends as well. Free and convenient parking. Librarians are cheerful and eager to help. A great place to find a new favorite book or author!

There is a good selection of books as well as a lot of toys for kids + puzzles for adults to…read moreassemble at the location. You can also do an inter-library loan if the book you want isn't available at this location, but is at another connected library in the county. The librarians here are very knowledgeable, and everyone working there seems to love what they do!

I'm rating this more as a place to go see if you are in Greensburg as apposed to actually going…read morethere to take care of any business or be in a trail. This building is beautiful! While it is impressive on the outside, just wait until you see the inside, amazing! It's hard to believe that such a breathtaking place exists in Greensburg. You have to walk through some medal detectors in the front entrance (Courthouse Square) right off the corner of N. Main Street and Otterman Street. After that you are in the annex which is nothing special at all. Once you are past the medal detectors turn immediately left walk to the end of the hall and turn left into the actual old building (the court house). Walk in front of the steps and look up at that dome and all the detail on the walls, ceilings, floors, and lighting. It is really something to see. Even the tile work on the floor is impressive. I used to work in this building and would regularly walk over to this area just to look around. Watch out though, you are not allowed to take pictures inside.

The librarians are the nicest around! They have always been so kind and helpful to me. My niece…read moreloves their kids area and open play! The library is always clean and tidy. I've taken part in many of their programs and activities as well. Always so much fun! Definitely recommend!

I am very pleased with the amenities and facilities at the local library. I am presently heavily…read moreusing the library for research on a topic and I am not left wanting. All of the books that are not at the facility ship in less than two day. Materials are in good order and the computers are adequate.

This is your typical roadside Americana kitsch. Heed my warning, do not make a trip just to see…read morethis as you will be disappointed. I mean if you happen to be in this area and happen to decide to view it, by all means. But, for the life of me, do not make a special trip to view this. It is nothing more than a tourist trap without the frills. (I am not being mean by saying that, but unless you come during their festival, there is nothing else to do). Little background, back in December of 1965 people reported seeing a fireball in the sky from Windsor, Canada all the way to Kecksburg. Nothing was "found" during a search and it was brushed off as being anything from satellite debris to a meteor. What you will see when you get here is an acorn shaped item, the size of a Volkswagen as locals are quoted. It sits atop a podium for all to see. There is writing on it that looks like hieroglyphics, and....well, that's it. Nothing else really. It is kind of neat and kind of quirky, and definitely not something you would expect to see in rural parts of Pennsylvania. But here it is. I am sure it is a bit more exciting during their festival time which happens in July. But if you want to take a ride with nowhere in mind (which I have not recommended) here is you destination.