Pennsylvania is full of hidden gems that go beyond the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. The Keystone State is home to some truly offbeat attractions that showcase the quirky side of Pennsylvania’s culture and history. From giant shoes to mysterious UFO monuments, these landmarks offer a delightful detour from the usual tourist spots. Pack your camera and sense of adventure as we explore these surprising treasures!
1. The Giant Shoe House That People Actually Lived In
Nestled in the rolling hills of York County sits a five-story building shaped exactly like a work boot. Built in 1948 by eccentric shoe salesman Mahlon Haines as a brilliant marketing stunt, this whimsical structure once housed honeymooning couples and contest-winning families.
Today, visitors can tour the interior rooms fitted snugly within the heel and toe. The kitchen occupies the toe area, while bedrooms are tucked into the ankle. Don’t miss the shoe-shaped doghouse nearby – because even man’s best friend deserves stylish digs!
2. Mysterious UFO Monument in Kecksburg
A metallic acorn-shaped sculpture stands tall in a small Pennsylvania town, commemorating one of America’s strangest UFO incidents. On December 9, 1965, locals reported seeing a fiery object crash into nearby woods, followed by military personnel quickly cordoning off the area.
What happened next remains shrouded in mystery. Some witnesses claim a bell-shaped object was hauled away on a flatbed truck. The 13-foot monument now serves as the centerpiece for an annual UFO festival where believers and skeptics gather to debate what really fell from the sky that winter night.
3. Randyland: The Most Colorful Spot in Pittsburgh
What happens when you give an artist with boundless imagination a dilapidated building? Randy Gilson answered this question by transforming a once-condemned property into Pittsburgh’s most vibrant landmark. Every inch bursts with color – recycled mannequins, plastic dinosaurs, and hundreds of painted butterflies create a psychedelic wonderland.
The courtyard features chairs painted in rainbow hues and walls covered in positive messages. Randy himself often greets visitors, sharing stories about his mission to spread joy through public art. The best part? This explosion of creativity is completely free to visit, though donations help keep the paint flowing.
4. The Pagoda That Overlooks Reading
Rising unexpectedly from Mount Penn, a seven-story Japanese pagoda stands as Reading’s most recognizable silhouette. Originally planned as a luxury resort in 1908 by quarry owner William Witman, financial troubles derailed his grand vision before it opened.
The city purchased this architectural oddity for $1, saving it from demolition. Crimson-colored roof tiles imported from Japan crown each level, while 87 steps lead visitors to panoramic views of the valley below. At night, the pagoda’s windows glow with multicolored lights, creating a beacon visible for miles – an unlikely Asian architectural marvel in Pennsylvania Dutch country.
5. Trundle Manor: House of Oddities
Behind an unassuming suburban facade lurks Pittsburgh’s strangest tourist attraction. Self-proclaimed “collectors of the macabre” Anton and Rachel Miriello have transformed their home into a cabinet of curiosities that would make Edgar Allan Poe feel right at home.
Vintage medical devices share shelf space with two-headed taxidermy animals and jars containing mysterious specimens. Their prized possession? A century-old conjoined baby deer floating in formaldehyde. Visits require appointments, and donations are customary – preferably odd objects to add to their ever-growing collection of the weird and wonderful.
6. Concrete City: Pennsylvania’s Ghost Town
Abandoned concrete homes stand in perfect rows, slowly being reclaimed by nature in this eerie ghost town near Nanticoke. Built in 1911 as experimental housing for coal miners, the 20 duplex structures were among America’s first planned communities made entirely of concrete.
Despite innovative design intentions, poor drainage and lack of indoor plumbing led residents to abandon the site by 1924. When demolition proved too difficult – dynamite barely dented the structures – the area was simply left to decay. Today, graffiti-covered walls and empty window frames create a post-apocalyptic playground for urban explorers and photographers seeking hauntingly beautiful decay.
7. PennHurst Asylum: A Haunting Historical Reminder
Gothic towers loom over the Pennsylvania countryside, remnants of a controversial chapter in American psychiatric history. PennHurst State School operated from 1908 to 1987, initially built to house individuals with developmental disabilities but eventually becoming overcrowded and understaffed.
After closure following patient abuse investigations, the sprawling campus sat abandoned for decades. Today, portions operate as a haunted attraction, while preservation groups fight to maintain the site’s historical significance. Architectural details – copper cupolas, intricate brickwork, and endless corridors – remain as testament to both impressive institutional architecture and sobering treatment practices of the early 20th century.
8. The World’s Largest Paint Can in Shippensburg
Rising 35 feet above the Pennsylvania landscape stands a perfectly proportioned paint can complete with a handle and dripping paint frozen in metal. This oversized roadside attraction marks the headquarters of Sherwin-Williams’ industrial coatings division.
Built in 1966, the massive can once served as a water tower for the facility. Engineering students regularly visit to study its unique structural design that maintains perfect can proportions while functioning as a usable tank. Local legend claims it would hold enough paint to create a stripe one inch wide stretching from Pennsylvania to California – though nobody’s been brave enough to test this calculation!
9. Fonthill Castle: A Concrete Masterpiece
Imagine 44 rooms, 18 fireplaces, and more than 200 windows – all made entirely of hand-mixed concrete. This architectural wonder in Doylestown was the brainchild of Henry Chapman Mercer, an archaeologist, tile maker, and apparent concrete enthusiast who built his home without architectural plans.
Completed in 1912, Fonthill’s interior features embedded Moravian tiles, prints, and artifacts collected during Mercer’s world travels. No two rooms are alike, with some ceilings reaching 26 feet high. The castle’s winding staircases, hidden passages, and trapezoidal rooms create a labyrinthine experience that feels part medieval fortress, part artistic expression – all poured from Pennsylvania’s most creative concrete mind.
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