Information
City: AllentownCountry: USA Pennsylvania
Continent: North America
Allentown, USA Pennsylvania, North America
Overview
Allentown, tucked into Lehigh County in Pennsylvania’s east, ranks as the state’s third-largest city.It’s in the Lehigh Valley, alongside Bethlehem and Easton, where the old steel mills still cast long shadows at dusk.Home to about 125,000 people, Allentown has shifted from its 19th‑century industrial roots into a vibrant city filled with museums, green parks, and a downtown where café tables spill onto the sidewalks.Allentown, founded in 1762 by William Allen-a prosperous merchant and former Philadelphia mayor-still carries an important place in America’s story, its roots tracing back to the creak of wagon wheels on cobblestone streets.During the Revolutionary War, patriots quietly hauled the Liberty Bell to Allentown and tucked it away inside Zion Reformed Church, keeping it out of sight from British troops marching through Philadelphia.In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the city flourished on the strength of its factories, turning out iron, steel, silk, and eventually automobile parts that gleamed under the midday sun.Like many industrial cities, it slid into economic decline in the late 20th century, yet in recent decades fresh investment has poured in, sparking a wave of redevelopment and new storefronts.Founded in 1934, the Allentown Art Museum holds more than 20,000 works-from luminous European Renaissance panels and ornate Baroque pieces to bold American paintings and finely crafted decorative arts.It also hosts traveling exhibits and community events, from art displays to lively weekend workshops.It’s free to get in, so everyone’s welcome-no ticket, no barrier, just walk through the doors.Housed in a stately 19th-century building with tall arched windows, Miller Symphony Hall hosts the Allentown Symphony Orchestra.All year long, the venue comes alive with music-from a crisp violin sonata to the warm sway of a jazz quartet-and it also welcomes a steady stream of community gatherings.America On Wheels Museum celebrates transportation with gleaming vintage cars, sturdy bicycles, classic trucks, and exhibits that dive into America’s long love affair with wheels and motion.It’s lively and hands‑on, drawing in kids and car lovers alike, from curious eight‑year‑olds to collectors with polished chrome dreams.The Museum of Indian Culture is a small, welcoming space where you can see Lenape beadwork, handmade tools, and other artifacts that bring Native American and Woodland traditions to life.Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, one of the nation’s oldest amusement parks, has been drawing families since it first opened its gates in 1884.You’ll find more than 60 rides here, from world-class roller coasters like Steel Force to a sprawling water park with cool wave pools and twisting slides.Families flock here in the summer, drawn by its bright skies and warm, breezy afternoons.At the Da Vinci Science Center, you can dive into hands-on exhibits that bring physics, engineering, biology, and technology to life-like building a bridge or peering through a microscope at tiny cells.You’ll find crowd favorites like a roaring hurricane simulator, splash-filled water play zones, and science exhibits that change throughout the year.Lehigh Parkway is a lush greenbelt winding beside the Little Lehigh River, where people jog past wildflowers, cycle under shady trees, cast lines for trout, and spread blankets for picnics.Along the Parkway, you’ll find centuries-old covered bridges and stretches of forest where the wind smells faintly of pine.Cedar Creek Parkway offers wide green fields, a playground buzzing with laughter, winding trails, and even a small fish hatchery where the water glints in the sun.People know it for the lively festivals and bustling public gatherings it hosts.In downtown Allentown, West Park draws crowds to its band shell, where summer evenings fill with live music drifting through the warm air.The park’s lush lawns and winding paths make it a favorite spot for quiet strolls and lively neighborhood meet‑ups.Allentown’s food scene blends the hearty flavors of its Pennsylvania Dutch roots with an ever-widening mix of cuisines, from shoofly pie to spicy street tacos.Local favorites include scrapple, a hearty breakfast made from pork and cornmeal, often sizzling on the griddle with a crisp, golden edge.Shoofly pie is a sticky, molasses-filled dessert born from Pennsylvania Dutch kitchens.In the Lehigh Valley, soft pretzels are everywhere-served warm, the salt still clinging to the surface, with a side of tangy mustard.Yocco’s Hot Dogs has been an Allentown staple since 1922, serving up chili dogs loaded with tangy sauce and hearty cheesesteaks hot off the grill.The city’s international food scene is taking off, with the smell of sizzling shawarma, spicy tacos, and steaming bowls of ramen drifting from new spots popping up in and around downtown.The Great Allentown Fair, one of the nation’s oldest, has been drawing crowds every year since 1852, filling the late-summer air with the smell of fried dough and fresh hay.You’ll find concerts filling the air with music, rows of agricultural exhibits, bright carnival rides whirling under the lights, and food stands offering everything from smoky barbecue to sweet funnel cakes.The Blues, Brews & Barbecue Festival fills downtown each summer with the sound of live music, the scent of smoky ribs, and plenty of cold craft beer.The Mayfair Festival of the Arts bursts to life in late spring, with vibrant paintings, the strum of guitars, handmade crafts, and the irresistible scent of fresh local food.The PPL Center, a sleek indoor arena in downtown Allentown, hosts sports and entertainment under bright lights and echoing cheers.The arena is home to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, and it draws crowds for concerts, wrestling bouts, and all kinds of live entertainment.Coca-Cola Park is a lively minor league stadium, home to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies’ Triple-A team, where the crack of a bat echoes on summer nights.Everyone knows the stadium for its warm, welcoming vibe-and for the sizzling street tacos you can smell from the gate.Allentown falls within the Allentown School District and has several colleges close by, including Muhlenberg College, Cedar Crest College, and Lehigh University in nearby Bethlehem, where the campus lawns smell faintly of fresh-cut grass in spring.State-funded projects under the Neighborhood Improvement Zone have turned the city into a redevelopment hub, drawing in shops, offices, and fresh apartment buildings that fill its busy downtown streets.Allentown’s transportation includes Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), where regional flights take off daily, the hum of engines echoing through its terminals.Several major highways-like I-78, Route 22, and Route 309-run through the city, which sits about 60 miles north of Philadelphia and roughly 90 miles west of New York City.LANTA, the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, runs buses across the city and out to nearby towns, with engines that rumble at every stop.Allentown blends historic charm with family-friendly spots, leafy parks, and a burst of fresh city energy.This bustling city blends its gritty industrial roots with a lively present-think old brick mills beside bright murals-creating a dynamic spot in eastern Pennsylvania for history buffs, families, and culture seekers.
Landmarks in allentown
