10 Nicest Small Towns In Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has a unique way of surprising people who think they already know the state. A dark sky preserve frames the stars in Coudersport while mineral springs with storied healing properties run along Bedford. In Jim Thorpe, you can ride along a scenic railway with forest and river views. Ghost stories haunt hidden alleys in New Hope while the aroma of freshly-baked pretzels from a century-old bakery lingers around Lititz. Here are ten of the nicest small towns in Pennsylvania.

Jim Thorpe

Inside a mountain gorge carved by the Lehigh River, Jim Thorpe feels less like a small Pennsylvania town and more like a romantic European village hidden in the Poconos. A narrated vintage train ride at the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway kicks off your morning, winding through sandstone cliffs, dense forests, and roaring whitewater rapids. The Asa Packer Mansion Museum is right outside the station, a Victorian Italianate villa that tells the rags-to-riches story of a local philanthropist who founded Lehigh University.

An 1800s prison has been converted into the Old Jail Museum, the perfect place to uncover the town's haunted history. Watch out for friendly ghosts as you go around solitary confinement cells, including a room with the handprint of an executed coal miner. The Mauch Chunk Opera House sits along the same drag, showing comedies, dramas, and live music in one of the oldest continuously operating theaters in the United States.

Lititz

Lititz welcomes travelers with an energy rooted in preserved Moravian heritage. The Lititz Moravian Church anchors that history, an 18th-century place of worship with an attached museum that gives visitors a glimpse of the town's religious past. Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery is on the next block, the first commercial pretzel bakery in America. An interactive tour of the bakery allows visitors to try their hand at pretzel-making and see an original 1861 oven.

For a touch of green, the tree-shaded Lititz Springs Park has walking paths, stone bridges above a natural spring, and a welcome center that doubles as a mini-museum, housed in a restored train station.

Gettysburg

Gettysburg is a small town in Adams County, where three days in July 1863 still shape almost everything you see and do here. Inside the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center is a 360-degree painting of Pickett's Charge, depicting a massive infantry assault that ended in the defeat of the Confederates. The story continues at the David Wills House, which accommodated President Abraham Lincoln for a night before delivering the Gettysburg Address.

Downtown streets are lined with specialty stores, including The Horse Soldier. The family-owned antique shop is filled with unique Civil War artifacts and vintage commemorative badges you can take home. Wrap up your afternoon at Devil's Den, a natural labyrinth of giant boulders that once functioned as firing positions and natural cover during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Hawley

Hawley sits on the northern edge of the Pocono Mountains, anchoring a deep river valley shaped by old factory roots and the deep waters of Lake Wallenpaupack. Once a canal basin, Bingham Park is now a green space with baseball fields, tennis courts, and a playground. It also serves as the trailhead of the Hawley River Walk Trail, a scenic loop that will take you around bridges, old railroad structures, and an upland forest.

The town's early industrial boom still lives inside the Hawley Silk Mill, an 1880s textile factory repurposed into a commercial center with local art galleries, specialty coffee shops, eclectic boutiques, and wellness spaces. Ritz Company Playhouse is a quick two-minute drive from the old silk mill, a 1933 Art Deco building that hosts local theater productions.

Greenville

Greenville combines a quiet riverfront with a classic college town. Along Main Street, the Waugh House Museum is an eight-room Federal-style brick house with military rooms and industrial collections highlighting the town's history in the last two centuries. Past the historic house, Riverside Park offers wide green lawns and serene walking paths with river access for paddling. At the back of the park, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards can be rented at Carried Away Outfitters. On their Main Street location, axe-throwing lanes and rage rooms are available on-site, providing more options for entertainment. Along the same street, the Greenville Railroad Museum Park keeps a collection of industrial equipment and a 1936 steam engine with a cab you can climb.

Huntingdon

Huntingdon lines the Juniata River with brick storefronts and towering Victorian homes. The McMurtrie House Museum occupies an 1854 brick mansion downtown, featuring antique textiles, children's toys, and kitchen equipment that evoke life in the late 19th century. A short drive out, the Isett Heritage Museum packs three buildings with over 40,000 artifacts, from old printing press machines to vintage radios.

The Inn at Solvang handles the overnight, a three-story colonial home with 80 acres of wooded grounds for you to explore. With birdwatching in the summer and snowshoeing in the winter, the sprawling estate makes outdoor recreation easily accessible.

New Hope

Art galleries, independent shops, and riverside dining along the Delaware River make New Hope busy with energy all day and into the night. One of the most recognizable attractions along the waterfront is the Bucks County Playhouse, a converted 1790s grist mill that stages professional theatrical productions. After catching a show, head to the Delaware Canal Towpath. A flat, crushed-stone trail winds through sycamore trees and wooden bridges, providing a scenic backdrop for leisurely walks and bike rides. At night, Ghost Tours of New Hope provides a uniquely spooky way of discovering the town, where lantern-led walks take you around haunted streets. When it's time to rest, Olivia's Bridge Street Inn, an 1817 Georgian-era home, offers comfortable overnight stays in its eight luxurious rooms.

Doylestown

Recognized for its small-town cultural scene and historic downtown, Doylestown combines towering green trees with striking stone architecture to show off its creative side. Henry Chapman Mercer's legacy dominates the skyline, starting at the Mercer Museum, a six-story concrete castle where over 17,000 pre-Industrial tools provide a glimpse of early American productivity. Mercer's architectural style continues at Fonthill Castle, his 44-room house where Moravian tiles are baked directly into the walls and floors. Doylestown's artistic side extends to Star Garden Park, where the centerpiece is a tile mosaic. When night falls, Puck Live fills an open-air patio with acoustic sets and local craft beer.

Bedford

Featuring fabled mineral springs and a luxury hotel that has accommodated U.S. presidents, Bedford blends a high-end retreat with rugged Allegheny history. Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa sets the tone for an unforgettable trip, with a signature indoor pool, a 30,000-square-foot spa, an 18-hole golf course, and six dining venues. Within the resort are multiple springs that were first used by Native Americans for their healing properties.

Fort Bedford Park spreads across nearly six acres of shaded green space right along the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River. Beneath its old-growth trees, the Fort Bedford Museum displays over 4,000 objects that highlight the role of Bedford in the French and Indian War and the Whiskey Rebellion.

Coudersport

Deep inside the Pennsylvania Wilds, Coudersport trades resort luxury for an uncommercialized rustic paradise. Stargazing is the main draw at Cherry Springs State Park, a short 20-minute drive southeast of town. The second International Dark Sky Park in the world has incredible visibility, offering an undisturbed view of up to 30,000 stars. Closer to the center of town, Eliot Ness Museum celebrates the legacy of a legendary lawman who fought Al Capone during the Prohibition era. Vintage getaway cars and bootlegging trucks are in the spotlight inside the museum. End your day at Potter County Artisan Center, joining one of their creative classes or shopping for local products such as quilted items and handmade jewelry.

Small In Size, Big In Character

Scenic train rides along a roaring river, towering stone structures that showcase eclectic creativity, and massive boulders that once shielded soldiers during a historic war breathe life into the nicest small towns in Pennsylvania. These places remind us that the best experiences hide behind the less obvious routes. And those who pursue the less popular routes may be rewarded with adventures you will not find in larger cities.