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 was very cool. You have to call to arrange a tour. It was $15 for 2 hours, which you…read moredefinitely need in this place. It is cash only! Miss Pamela is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about her collection. There are 2 floors filled with Halloween and witch paraphernalia. Each room has a story to it- this includes a witch room (and the Salem witch trial), a Harry Potter room, a nightmare before Christmas room, a costume room, a games room, and much much more. She doesn't do bloody, gory things but delves more into the history of the eras, especially the artwork. This place is amazing and definitely the place to go when you're near Altoona.

Miss Pamela has the most extensive collection of Halloween memorabilia; showcased in her very own…read morebeautiful Victorian home. She has been collecting for over 50 years. Starting with the Victorian era, and working her way up to 2020. She does not believe in blood, and guts...so her pieces actually tell stories of old fables from around the world. She is a wealth of knowledge, and values each one of her pieces as if they were her children. She is truly dedicated to finding someone who will take over when she is no longer with us, and deem her house a public museum once and for all. You need to call ahead for appointments. Her tours are either one hour, or two hours long. And believe me I thought one hour would be plenty...In reality I could have spent the whole day. It's all based on donations, but no less then $10 per person for the hour tour, $15 per person for two hour tour. However, in the end you will want to give her so much more, including a hug if it weren't for Covid times. Please wear a mask the whole time. She is touring you through her private home...Be respectful. Pamela, I hope your goals are meet, and your home becomes a permanent part of this world. We definitely need more people like you. Thank you for sharing your passion with us.

I have been here a few times. I love the nostalgia of all the candy I remember from childhood. All…read morethe elephants! It is a fun place to visit. This place makes everyone feel welcome. The garden outside is great in all seasons.

After five years, my wife and I finally paid a visit to this unque museum/candy store…read more This museum has over three thousand toy elephants of different sizes from other parts of the world on display. It is my understanding they have been in business for almost four decades The elephants are on display in glass display cases in the back of the store. There is full sized animated elephant outside in front of the store. It provides a great photo opportunity for the little ones The store is chock full of candy, ranging from hard candy to chocolate covered raisins, peanuts and just about everything in between. The candy and chocolates are sold prepackaged and loose for added convenience, as well as offering candy dispensers. They offer nostalgic candies as well, such as candy sticks and candy buttons on paper strips. At the front counter, they also offer store made fudge and chocolates. The store is packed tight with all kinds of candies and novelties. The parking lot is small and can easily get full during busy times such as weekends and warmer weather. There are restrooms in the rear of the store. I definitely recommend this store especially for young families and those young at heart.

Never realized the history behind railroading, and how important the railroad industry shaped…read moreAltoona, PA. If you enjoy knowledge, trains and interactive displays, and learning this is the museum to check out. Great staff, reasonable gift shop, be sure to check out the Horseshoe Curve as well. There are even old models in the rail yards, and a current train their working on that moment. Perfect for travelers, locals, and everyone be sure to check it out.

This place is great I wouldn't bring kids nine and over because this place is a little boring for a…read morelittle kids and there's a lot to read and all the stuff other than that. It's really cool and don't forget when you're done checking out all the floors to go outside to the round house and check out the round house.

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.

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!

We had a wonderful day full of train and trolley rides and tours. All the volunteers rock! They…read morewere so knowledgeable about not only the equipment and history, but the area as well. We'd like to thank Valerie for her wonderful dinner recommendation. We left our lunches in the car and were quite hungry when we left way past closing time. We'd love to return another day and maybe take time to picnic and pick flowers like we saw a young family do. Oh, and the bathrooms were pristine!

So here's the deal: I rode the Pumpkin Patch Express at East Broad Top Railroad, and while it was…read moreabsolutely adorable, festive, and full of fall charm... I'm docking a star for one very specific reason -- they advertised a Halloween costume contest with every train departure and then... just didn't do it. Like, poof. Gone. No announcement, no explanation, no spooky spirit. Just me in a full Halloween costume wondering what in the Great Pumpkin was going on. Let me back up. I had to cancel my original trip a few weeks before because of a family emergency. Their staff was super helpful, issued me a gift card, and made rebooking easy. Total gold stars for that. I ended up rebooking on the last day of the Pumpkin Patch Express, and even splurged for seats in the caboose (because who doesn't want to pretend they're in a vintage movie for a day?). It was $65.32 for two adults, and honestly worth it for the unique view alone. The Orbisonia Station was clean, festive, and well-run. Fall décor everywhere, the kind of stuff Pinterest dreams are made of. The train ride? Perfectly timed -- long enough to enjoy the scenery, short enough that I didn't start questioning my life choices or wishing for snacks. When we arrived at the pumpkin patch, it was like stepping into autumn heaven: games, bounce house, mini-golf, food trucks, firepits, and plenty of pumpkins. The whole setup was great -- even the port-a-johns were clean (which is the real fall miracle here, let's be honest). We hit the food trucks first (pro tip!) and scored seats in the sunshine next to a firepit. I devoured my lunch, soaked up the view, and might've gotten a little competitive playing mini-golf -- nailed the final hole in one and absolutely celebrated like I'd just won the Masters. Now... back to that nonexistent costume contest. Picture me: all decked out, fully committed, ready to strut my spooky self for glory. I walk up to the counter, big smile, ready to ask where the contest will be -- and a rather grumpy man behind the desk hits me with a "Yeah, we're not doing that anymore." No apology, no explanation, no nothing. Just crushed dreams and a ticket in hand. Sir. I have read your Facebook event posts. All. Of. Them. You promised me a costume contest. You got me excited. And you're telling me this now? On the platform? In my Halloween costume? I'll admit it -- I was bummed. Like, "eat extra candy corn later to cope" bummed. But I wore my costume proudly anyway (as did my adventure buddy and a few other brave souls), made my own fun, and still had a great time. Though I definitely whined about it the entire train ride back. My poor adventure companion earned a medal that day. So yeah, East Broad Top -- the train, the views, the pumpkin patch setup -- all awesome. But if you're going to advertise something, please follow through. Some of us plan our entire fall outfit strategy around these things, okay? Still, I can't stay too mad. I had a blast, the caboose ride was a dream, and it's a memory I'll be laughing about for a long time. Just...maybe next year, they can keep their event promises or update their marketing so folks know what to expect? Less ghosting on the costume contest and more ghost costumes, deal?

Another hidden gem of Pennsylvania. With a meticulous and very detailed inventory of cars and…read morehistory. This place should be on a national historical register. So much history, so much uniqueness in memorabilia. The verisimilitude of artifacts and automobilia are stunning. All presented in running condition. All with their own part of automotive history to tell. All kept alive, cleaned, maintained and running by very special people. I suggest anyone in this part of SW PA visit.

Great eclectic collection of rare American automobiles, nominally from the first through the…read moreforties, along with tons and tones of badges, license plates and parts. These are all presented in a two-room space that allows you to get up close and personal with the cars. The only downside is that the cars are packed in pretty tight only allowing viewing from limited angles. Still, some pretty cool cars in this intimate collection. AAA discount for admission and lots of memorabilia for sale.

The people who work the center are some of the most friendly people you'll ever meet on this…read moreplanet. Even though the place has, what, 3 rooms, and my house probably has more things on display, your life will be fullfilled when you actually talk to the residents of this town. No foolin' either. I'm from Philly and we can't walk more than a block without someone hurling a swear or racial slur at us. No matter who you are, you are always welcome here in Punxsutawney. Like Bill Murray said, maybe I'll move here one day.

First thing you should know about this place is that it is a rather small museum. The next thing…read moreyou should know about this place is that it is aimed towards children. With those two things you should be well prepared to visit this place. The cool about this place is that it is housed in a historically recognized building that used to be the town's post office. They did an excellent job restoring the building and even kept the vault to place an exhibit in on how to use a shelter in case of a weather emergency. The museum has a small fee to enter, $8 for an adult. Each entry fee goes directly to the museum for maintaining what they have to offer. The sweet lady that was working the day I visited was very forthcoming with information about this place and knew all the details. The museum is was rather empty when I was here, but that is probably because I visited on a weekday while schools where all in and it was between holidays. This did allow me to see and interact with all of the museum without interruption. There is a lot of interaction in this museum, almost every exhibit is one where you have to interact with. The newest interactive exhibit is the one where you can mold the sand to change the elevation on the table to understand how elevation plays in the placement of water. There are many other exhibits to play with here. You can try your shot at doing the weather with a green screen. Produce the winds for a thunderstorm. Slide down the slide to the sounds of a tornado. Honestly there are so many interactive exhibits that tell you about the weather. With Punxsutawney claiming to be the Weather Capitol of the World, this is a fitting museum. They also have a meteorologist hall of fame with some local meteorologist from the Johnstown, Altoona, and Pittsburgh area. Most notable in this is Jim Cantrone from The Weather Channel. He gifted the museum one of his jackets that he signed. Overall, a great place to pass some time, and not a bad place to take some kids. Definitely worth a try if in the area.

I wasn't able to go indoors bc of their covid hours but wow is the land beautiful. I gave myself a…read moreground tours. I will call and schedule a tour and update my review!

Didn't actually get to see the mansion or the chapel as there was a special event going on…read more Apparently, the day we went was the only day all year that no tours are given! Anyway, It looked somewhat run down around the edges and only got to peek in the door. The admission was $10. a person. So I was somewhat relieved NOT to have to shell out that much, though I would have to see ole' Columbus' stuff. We determined the very puzzling "Columbus" connection. It appears that one of the early Boals, Col. Theodore Davis Boal, married Mathilde de Lagarde who was a direct descendant of Columbus and when she inherited some of Columbus' artifacts she had them shipped to the US from Spain. I do wish I could have seen that part!