This is such a good spot. If someone said "when in Allentown," where to go this would be it. Admittedly there isn't a lot to choose from, but this is a wonderful family friendly place. Here is a joint private/government effort that works. It is a fish hatchery, and you can spend a couple bucks for food. Throw this in the tanks, and watch the mostly rainbow trout go crazy for it. The freshwater version of Jaws. All joking aside spent a couple hours here. I found seeing the grounds neat too. The volunteers here are wonderful. Hoping young folks will step up. You can go inside the store and see animals preserved in formaldehyde. This is educational. What a great spot for families, and people of all ages. read more

Allentown Fish Hatchery - Local Flavor Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

This was a fantastic attraction. I visited with my parents and sibling, 2 adults, 18 year old, and a 16 year old. We had a fantastic time looking at all the different sized fish A big bag of fish food is only $1, extremely reasonable, and the entire family made a few bags last 20-30 minutes and we fed most of the tanks! We especially liked the "prized fish" tank, which has the biggest fish in the hatchery, and we had a great time gawking at the huge fish. The kids we saw around also all seemed to be having a great time. My only critique is that I feel there should be at least a couple obvious staff present. While we were there, one of the nets on the medium size tank fell in, and fish were getting stuck in the net. One fish was visibly thrashing, while a couple others were trapped with their heads out of the water, dying for all to see. This was clearly not how it was meant to be. There was no place for us to report this clear problem. There was also a dead fish just sitting in the walkway of one area. Now I understand that this is a hatchery, and with large scale production, fish are going to die. I don't mind seeing some dead fish in the water. But one just rotting on the ground or dying in a net (both of which area easily fixable) does rub me the wrong way. I wish I could give this place more like a 4 1/2, because some staff did come and fix the net problem, and the dead fish were not a huge detriment to my experience, but I don't want to rate 5 because it was something I feel could be easily fixed. The pictures don't do this place justice, I highly suggest going and feeding the fish yourself! You can also look at all the fish for free. read more

Allentown Fish Hatchery - A couple of trout next to a net in some water - Local Flavor Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

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Such a cute little place for a family outing! We had never been to a fish hatchery before so this was a treat. There was a place to buy fish food for several dollars and so many areas to feed and see the fish. My kids loved it! read more

This is a nice place for a small outing with kids. There are many pools with a lot of fish. Feeding is fun. We brought our blankets, food and had a good picnic under one of the trees. The water was dark and so was the fish. We had to put some effort to see the fish though. read more

This was my first fish hatchery and I wasn't disappointed. There's thousands of fish consisting of several species of trout. There's several little ponds covered by a net to keep predators away. In some areas the water is dark and it's a little hard to see the trout without crouching down. Signs explain the hatchery and species of trout. There's a nature hill on a hill behind the hatchery and a creek for catch and release fishing. People can by fish food for a dollar and feed the trout. Admission is free. read more

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FREE entry! Interesting little spot to stop by. Several different breeds of trout and tank after tank. The best part was watching the fish jump in the air out of the water. You can also feed them, food is bought at the main building. read more

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Can't really add anything terribly witty to the prior posts except that unless you go during the summer when the "white house" is open everyday or on the weekend when it's open during the off-season the vending machines with the fish food will probably be unplugged/not working so you will not be able to feed anything. read more

Not me in the picture. My sister and my dog. This was my first time there. My sister always bragged about the place. The scenery is amazing. Things were so informative. Finding the place was easy. Everything about this place screams peaceful and soothing. I took my dog and i must say we all enjoyed it. read more

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Family and I were visiting the Lehigh Valley for a weekend. Out of all the kid friendly things we did, this was the best. We figured Sunday morning would be a poor time to go out and explore things like boutique shops, so I found this place on Yelp. Great free to enter park where you can see a few varieties of trout. For a buck or so you can buy food to feed the fish. My 16 month old loved every minute of it. From a value perspective, you can't beat this. We spent like 40 bucks for the Crayola Experience in Easton, which was hot, overflowing with crying kids, and parents with strollers. read more

The fish hatchery is the most underrated tourist attraction in all of Allentown. It's a trout farm which raises the fish to stock the Little Lehigh River. Trout farm, Julie? Fun? Oh trust me. You pull into the lot and there's usually no one there, neither ranger nor tourist. Walk over to the big cement pools of fish roiling and rumbling around each other. It's incredible. Keep on walking to the vending machines in the back where 50 cents or a dollar buys you a bag of fish food. Throw a handful of little fish pellets into the ponds and watch the fish FREAK OUT. I did this as a child and it still makes me squeal like a little girl. You can do it over and over and the fish freak and then you freak and it's fabulous. The fish have different colors and sizes. There are some big old granddaddies in a pond in the back. Everyone I've ever brought there thinks it's one of the coolest thing to do in the area, and all of them were over the age of 30. Kids? Forget it. They'll love it. They'll want to be marine biologists. It's part of Lehigh Parkway too, so you can go for a picturesque walk afterwards. Turns out Fish Hatchery Road is not just the name of a road! read more

I'll be honest......I think I enjoy this place moreso than the kids. There is not very much more to cover than the previous four entries. The parking is spacious, and even when there are 60 people there....it does not feel crowded at all. The hatchery actually called the "Lil - Le - Hi Trout Hatchery"....and from what I've been told is the oldest, continuously operating trout nursery in the nation. It is surrounded by plenty of park property....many enjoy the area for other forms of recreation. At the fish hatchery itself though, there are plenty of holding tanks as they are raising trout for sale to places that stock trout and the local creek nearby. Food can be purchased inside the white house on the FAR side of the holding tanks from the parking lot, or at a vending machine right next to it (Note: bring quarters as once in a while I've had problems finding a dollar bill it accepts). If you catch the hatchery at a time when the white house (which is the HQ for the group at runs it), you can actually see some pretty need animals that have been through the taxidermy process...and the retired guys hanging out in there are extremely friendly and want you to enjoy the park. Listen....the whole thing can be an entirely free experience, but take 2 bucks along and let the kid in you shine as you see fish topple over one another eating the fish food you throw in. It really is a good time and brings back childhood memories (oh...and it's open 365......an easy way to get out on a cold winter day for even just a few minutes if you want) read more

The Trout Nursery is a BLAST, in an understated, old fashioned fun way. If you want to amuse small children, take them here. As long as you keep throwing the fish food in the pools, the thrills will keep coming. You can feed them slow, one pellet at a time, or dump the whole bag in at once and witness a literal feeding frenzy. The previous reviewer is right about the whole experience. Afterward you can go to the nearby Museum of Indian Culture, or walk along the Little Lehigh Parkway until you reach the red covered bridge. Cool. read more

This is a very cute and unique park. As described there are multiple man made ponds with various types and sizes of trouts. There is a feed store that sells feed at a very reasonable price $1 for a decent sized bag. Not much to do in the park other than feed the fish, but this was a great educational and fun activity for the little ones teaching them about trout! There are nice open grassy areas as well as multiple benches and a few picnic tables. I've never been to anything quite like it. I highly recommend it, especially for people with young children that would enjoy feeding the fish! Also, its free other than the feed! Can't beat that! read more

I'd say the hatchery is a great place to visit for any age. My husband and I took our two year old son, and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely. There was a camp group there (elementary-school-aged kids), some other parents with toddlers, and a couple of teens. And no one looked bored. The white building in the right rear area of the property is where you can go to buy food if you'd like to feed the fish. It's free to park and walk around if you prefer to just do that, but it's a lot of fun to feed the trout as well. There are a few different sizes of bags, priced at 50 cents or one, two, or five dollars. We bought a dollar bag and it was more than enough for all three of us. There's a covered pavilion with picnic tables in the back as well as some picnic tables on the lawn shaded by trees. I would eat first if you bring a lunch because the food makes your hands smell pretty rough. We used baby wipes before getting back in the car and I could still smell it a little bit. There are hiking trails as well, but we didn't check those out so I can't say how good they are...but if they're as beautiful and well-kept as the rest of the property (not a speck of trash, which was so refreshing to see!) then they're probably pretty nice. All in all, this is an excellent place to visit. We'll probably return later in the summer; we all had a great time. read more

A really nice midsize park with fishing and a fish hatchery. Walking trails are very nice and there is plenty of parking. We went for about 45 minutes and it was very nice and well populated on a holiday. We liked the birds and out buildings too. read more

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Beautiful hidden gem. They sell fish food way in the back and the different age groups of fish are separated throughout the grounds, there are some of the most enormous trout I've ever seen there! We love to go for a picnic and spend an hour or more feeding all the fish, a child's dream. read more

Aww this is a nice place to go for some relaxing time. My dad used to take me here back when I was in grade school, and we would always have fun feeding the little fishies. There's also a huge park adjacent from the hatchery, so check that out too! Great walking/biking paths! read more

Just spent 6 hours at the Fish Hatchery!!! How is that even possible you may ask? Well, when you have a 3 and 4 year old and a pocket full of $1s the day is never ending! Feeding the fish is great, but the picnic pavilion overlooking the river, the well-maintained trails, the abundant wildlife...this is just about kid heaven. And we totally went overboard spending a whopping $7 for the whole day! ;-) Great times! read more

This is a fantastic place to bring you kids a date or to go by yourself! I have been coming here since I was a kid and now i bring my son here. We love feeding the fish and walking. They have a nice path you can follow. You can buy food on the back right side of the park. If the shop isn't open, there is a really old vending machine that has been there for at least 25 years and still works! There is lots of open space and a few picnic tables so picnic away! Sometimes you can see guys fishing when you come and that is a nice bonus, just be quiet so you don't scare their fish away!! read more

A nice place to visit if you are in the area with your kids. (My kids are 8 and 5) The hatchery is free of charge. The primary attraction is feeding the trout. The fish are very active when being fed, the kids will be amazed. Worth a quick stop. read more

It's definitley cool!! Every kid who grew up in the Lehigh Valley went to the fish hatchery on a school field trip. Amazing how they can get so many fish in one pool. Feed 'em and watch the madness!!!! read more

I enjoy taking my kids here to look at and feed the fish. Picnic tables and benches are around. It's a nice free thing to do on a nice day out. If you wanna feed the fish they sell 50cent dollar and 2 dollar bags of food. But def bring some hand sanitizer bc the fish food smell is awful. read more

Perfect place to go on a super hot day in Allentown. Strolling around the waterways filled with beautiful trout made us forget about the blistering heat. Fun also to see the different stages in the life cycle of fish. read more

Great place to take your kids and spend time feeding fish and seeing all the different fish they house there.

I have been going to the fish hatchery since I am a child. Over 40 years. Now I take my kids there too. It's a nice place to take the family despite the "new arrivals" to Allentown... read more

What a cool place! We were looking for something to do on our way home from the Poconos and found this place. Our four kids loved it, although my ten year old was grumpy at first when I told him where we were going. His mood quickly changed when we arrived. We were able to purchase fish food from the white house in the back of the property. There are also restrooms on site, but please note even though it looks like a normal restroom it's really just a huge portapotty. After buying the fish food (very cheap--spent $3 and that was enough for 6 of us to feed them for a while) we looked at the various taxidermied animals--the man working there was a great sport as my six year old asked him a million questions. We then made our way around to the numerous open areas where we could feed the fish. I had no idea these trout would actually jump out of the water for the food--it was fun to watch and all the kids got a kick out of it. We come up this way a few times a year and will definitely revisit--it's something different to do and buying the food from them helps support their cause. read more

Went to the fish hatchery today with my boyfriend, while we were there we found a bird that was injured and unable to fly, in concern for the birds safety my boyfriend carefully picked up the bird and we walked to the 'hatch house' to find the owner, when we came in contact with the owner he was immediately very rude, didn't care to hear what we had to say and told us there's nothing he could do and to "just throw the bird in the woods", I told him there was no need for his rudeness we just wanted to help the bird which led him in a screaming match with us, calling us all kinds of names and again telling us to throw the bird in the woods. As a owner of such a public place for families, the customer service he provided was by far the worst I have ever seen. I do not recommend going to this place. Terrrible terrible ownership. read more

Great place for smaller kids ... ALSO really neat place for adults. I grew up in the Lehigh Valley and had been there as a kid, but I recently went back. The interpretive signs are really informative, but interesting and appealing. A lot of time was spent making this area a place people can learn, observe, socialize, play, and just enjoy the experience. read more