While taking a Saturday afternoon stroll through Midtown Harrisburg, I came across the Susquehanna…read moreArt Museum and was pleasantly surprised by the experience. The museum was hosting a free community event featuring live music, local art, and free pumpkin painting, which made for a wonderful addition to an already beautiful day. A few highlights from my visit: Free community events that make art accessible and welcoming to everyone. Live music and hands-on activities that created a fun and lively atmosphere. A beautiful new courtyard space that was perfect for enjoying the afternoon. Friendly and welcoming staff who helped make the experience enjoyable. Clean and well-maintained bathrooms. A great addition to a day spent exploring Midtown Harrisburg. One of the most interesting parts of the museum was the main exhibit space, which incorporates a beautifully refurbished historic bank. Walking through the old vaults and architecture felt like stepping back into the early 1900s, creating a unique contrast with the contemporary artwork on display. A few tips for visitors: Parking can be a bit challenging nearby, especially during events. I recommend parking near Broad Street Market and taking a leisurely walk through Midtown to the museum. Be sure to check the museum's event calendar, as they frequently host special programs, exhibitions, and community events. Overall, the Susquehanna Art Museum offers much more than just art on the walls. Between the historic architecture, engaging exhibits, community programming, and welcoming atmosphere, it's a wonderful cultural destination in Harrisburg. Whether you're an art enthusiast or simply looking for something interesting to do in the city, it's absolutely worth a visit.

The museum is very small and does not have many exhibitions. Was it worth the visit? IMHO, not at…read moreall - there is nothing that would catch our attention except the open vault inherited from the former bank. One thing we didn't like though is the diligent worker, who spent quite a lot of energy to teach us and out kids how to behave in the museum, even though we've been to many museums around the world and out kids do know how to behave. They didn't even provoke the worker in any way. That was ridiculous - overprotection does not foster love for art.

What a great place to walk and see military vehicles and history. To walk through the trenches and…read morefew other stuff was great. Definitely worth the drive from Gettysburg PA and definitely recommended. Would go back again. It can take the whole day if you read everything . There is outside walking path with all sorts of military vehicles trenches and inside museum with reading and hands on activities. Plus a nice gift shop. Please check them out it's free but they do take donations.

Free, very informational and cool things to see. Great place when you have a few hours free time to…read morecheck out stuff and learn new things.

Small but interesting museum that covers the high points of the trail's development. As well, has…read moresome exhibits about famous hikers. Wish there were more artifacts and equipment and hiking gear.

Seriously, if you love hiking and the outdoors then the Appalachian Trail Museum should be on your…read morebucket list. Thanks to technology you can tour the museum from your home, but the experience of visiting the museum and the surrounding area first hand is worth it. I learned so much about the making of the trail and some of the Mount Rushmore figures of the AT. All the first edition iconic signs of the AT and items from some of those Mount Rushmore figures are on display and so awesome to see in person. I thought it was really cool to see the actual gear of some of the icons of the AT. I won't bore you with a description of what you can see because you can see that in the website. I will say, though, that at the time of this review there is a kids section that looks awesome and a third floor (actually the second floor) that looks like it is still in progress. There is also an area for researchers. My tips. Phone satellite and WiFi reception is sparse in the area. You may want to bring a map of the area, seriously. I didn't have satellite reception on my phone or GPS at the museum once i left the parking lot and just kept driving until I got reception. Had I not know a little bit about where I was heading I would have gotten lost. Actually, much of the rural area has very little reception so a hard copy of a map will be a life saver. The AT museum does have WiFi. There is a tiny convenience store near the museum. There are also trails nearby if you are in the mid for hiking. The whole museum is wheel chair accessible

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.

I love museums, so on a weekend trip to Hershey and Harrisburg, I made the stop with my girlfriend…read moreand 11-year-old son. We found parking right outside of the museum - $8 for two hours. The State Capitol building is right next door, so it would be easy to combine the two and make a whole day of it. We went to the NJ State Museum in Trenton last spring, and this museum was a lot better. It helps that they charge admission in PA, whereas they do not in NJ, and the money is used to create a clean, informative and well-curated museum. Like NJ, this is a hodgepodge museum of all things related to Pennsylvania, including companies and products created in the state, its Native American and prehistoric histories, notable PA residents, and of most interest to my son, animal dioramas to rival those in the Mammal Halls of the Museum of Natural History in NYC. This museum is big with a ton of interesting things to read and see. For a Saturday in November, it was not that crowded at all. Overall, it's definitely worth seeing at least once and definitely worth the very cheap cost of admission.

When I saw on social media that the Pennsylvania State Museum was offering Pay As You Wish…read moreadmission throughout July in celebration of America's 250th birthday, I figured it was the perfect excuse to revisit a place I hadn't been in...about 23 years. I vividly remembered visiting as a kid, especially the planetarium, and since the museum is scheduled to close for major renovations beginning in August, it felt like the right time to see it one last time before the transformation. Normally, adult admission is only $6, but during July visitors could choose what they wanted to pay. My choice? $0. Thank you very much! I arrived around 1:30pm on a Saturday afternoon and easily found parking right outside the museum. The weather was beautiful, so I expected most people were outside enjoying the sunshine rather than spending the afternoon indoors. That worked out well for me because the museum never felt crowded, making it easy to explore at my own pace. At the admissions desk, the employee explained that only the second and third floors were open and that the planetarium had already closed in preparation for the upcoming renovations. I'll admit...that was a bit of a bummer. The planetarium was one of the things I remembered most vividly from childhood, and I had been looking forward to experiencing it again. But...you get what you pay for. And in this case, I paid exactly zero dollars. I spent about an hour and a half wandering through the exhibits, and while I enjoyed taking my time, I found myself a little underwhelmed. The highlight of the visit was, without question, standing beneath the towering 18-foot William Penn statue once again. Seeing it as a forty-something adult immediately brought back memories of seeing it as a kid, and that little wave of nostalgia alone made me smile. My biggest disappointment, though, was the number of replica artifacts throughout the museum. I understand that replicas certainly have a place, especially when preserving fragile originals, but I found myself wishing there were more authentic historical objects on display. For me, that's part of what makes museums special. I can see photos and reproductions online. Standing in front of something that actually witnessed Pennsylvania's history is an entirely different experience. I'm not sure whether many of the original artifacts have already been removed because of the upcoming renovations or whether this has always been the museum's approach. Either way, it wasn't what I expected. I also noticed that several exhibit areas were extremely dark, making it difficult to read some of the informational panels. I'm not sure whether that was intentional or simply part of preparing the museum for renovation, but it definitely affected the experience. Overall, I'm glad I went. I satisfied my curiosity. I revisited a piece of my childhood. And I was reminded that Pennsylvania has a fascinating story to tell. That said, I probably don't need to visit again until the renovations are complete...maybe. I'm genuinely hopeful the upcoming improvements will better showcase the history, innovation, creativity and natural beauty of the Keystone State. As a lifelong Pennsylvanian, I'd love to see our state museum become the kind of place that leaves visitors walking out saying, "Wow...I had no idea." When it reopens, I'll consider giving it another chance. Maybe. If they bring back another Pay As You Wish promotion? There would be a stronger chance I'd check it out again.

We learned about adult night at WC from another reviewer so decided to come back this evening. It…read morewas fun being there and checking out the different sciency items. I think my favorite was the hurricane simulator and build-a-rocket and build-a-paper-airplane activity stations. For $12 it was a nice way to spend an evening having fun in a place that's usually pretty crowded. Now, we have to go back for a performance next.

If you're sans kids and looking for something different on the 3rd Friday of the month, Whitaker…read moreCenter's Night Shift is it. For $10 (cash preferred) you get admission, a drink voucher, and two hours to play with science exhibits... with a beer or wine in hand. Think Night at the Museum meets a cash bar. 100% yes. Adventure Buddy's highlight was the RaceIT exhibit, where he built and raced cars -- only to lose to my championship Houpe-De-Ville (sorry, not sorry). My favorite? The Hurricane Chamber that blasted winds up to 91mph. Cool? More like cold. I almost lost my contact lenses. Totally worth it. Even though the exhibits are geared toward kids, there's something magical about rediscovering them as an adult. Nostalgia hits, curiosity kicks in, and the 21+ crowd makes the vibe peaceful, playful, and fun. Between touching a tornado, watching turtles migrate across Earth, and laughing at ourselves while sipping drinks, it was an inexpensive, unique date night during 3rd in the Burg. Highly recommend pawning off the crotchgoblins with grandma and checking it out.

Today was my first time taking the kids here and I'm surprised I did not come sooner. The space was…read morewell used. There's a lot of room to run around play and explore. The parking was not bad. There was several bathrooms. I like they had a snacking area snacks that you can also buy there. The staff was walking around cleaning and organizing the whole 2 1/2 hours we were there sometimes it was a little chaotic but overall this was a great experience.

We took our kids this weekend. They are 2.5 and almost 5. They both had so much fun running…read morearound, playing dress up, doing crafts. It is a great sensory experience. We will definitely be back!!!

It is the most beautiful farm and museum. Deb is the nicest accommodating host and her animals are…read moreall precious! For sure you need to plan groups or just personal visits!!

This place is great to take your kids. I took two younger kids, the woman showed us all of the…read moreanimals, we were able to pet all of them and each animal had a story and was friendly. There is a museum and the woman was very informative with all the information, there was a lot of hands-on activities that the kids really enjoyed. All of the information kept us engaged and excited to learn more. There is a five dollar fee for adults and children over the age of six, it was definitely worth the money. They also have a gift shop with exquisite handmade items, made by the people that give you the tour themselves. I know we will be interested in going back, they have classes, educational groups and they are very friendly to show you and explain anything there.

We've always wanted to walk through the Palmer Museum but finally had an opportunity to do so when…read moreit started raining during our summer visit. Palmer is free although you do have to pay for parking which was still inexpensive. The Palmer has a wide variety of art. It's comprehensive without feeling overwhelming. The docents are also very knowledgeable and told us about the history of the museum. (Thank you, Dottie!) The building is only a few years old, and the architecture takes advantage of the adjacent arboretum which is also free and worth a stroll. Leave yourself 60-90 minutes to enjoy all the exhibits.

Palmer Museum of Art…read more I happened upon the Palmer Museum of Art while on a work trip and, to be honest, I wasn't expecting much more than a small university gallery. Instead, I found a surprisingly thoughtful and well-curated collection that easily rivals many regional museums. The museum itself is beautifully designed, bright, modern, and inviting without feeling overwhelming. The galleries flow naturally, making it easy to wander from room to room and spend more time than you originally planned. What struck me most was the range of the collection. From American paintings to contemporary works, the pieces are presented with care and clear interpretation, making the experience enjoyable whether you're a serious art lover or just a curious visitor with an hour to spare. For a museum located on a university campus, the quality of the collection is impressive. Several pieces made me stop longer than expected, and the curation feels intentional rather than simply academic. It's the kind of place where you go in thinking you'll do a quick walk-through and end up lingering. If you happen to be in the area, even for work, it's absolutely worth a visit. The Palmer Museum of Art is a reminder that sometimes the most rewarding cultural experiences are the ones you discover by accident. Topped the museum with a visit at the Creameryas recommended by the docent.

Listen, due your homework before checking out a place. Don't do what I did before I showed up here…read more Check to see what the hours are before you venture here and have to figure out what to do for your day since it is not open. As you can see, this is a local museum and it truly does embrace the community it sits in. The time that I visited this they were having an exhibit that showcased local artists. That would be why you don't see any pictures of the art from me out of respect for those local artists. They were actually getting ready to switch over exhibits when I visited. Even though it looks small from the outside, the inside is quite spacious and totally gives off the art gallery vibe. Rooms that echoed if you spoke or simply took a step. The exhibit stretched multiple rooms on each floor. Since this was an exhibit for local artists you were able to purchase the art on display. When I was here there was an older couple that had come in and talking with the employees. They had purchased a few pieces over time from here. What was nice was that you could vote when you finished your visit on which piece of art you thought was extraordinary. I wonder what the results was of that vote. I'm going to have to look into that.

Kind of lame. There's only 3 rooms and we were only there for 10 mins. Good thing we didn't drive…read moreall the way up to Lancaster just for this. Go to Gallery Row if you want to see art galleries for more than a few mins.