12 Best Museums In Pennsylvania

Museum enthusiasts in Pennsylvania could spend an entire week exploring the state's vibrant and diverse array of museums and still barely make a dent. Much like the state's charming old-timey general stores, whose motto might be "If we don’t have it, you don’t need it," Pennsylvania's museum scene seems to echo the sentiment: if there isn’t a museum for it in the Keystone State, it might not be worth the search. From the Andy Warhol Museum and the Hershey Story Museum to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, discover the twelve best museums in Pennsylvania.

Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh)

Located in the Pop District of Pittsburgh’s North Shore, the 88,000-square-foot Andy Warhol Museum ranks among the largest museums dedicated to a single artist in the world. The Warhol features the life and works of pop art icon Andy Warhol, widely regarded as one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century. The museum comprises 17 galleries, featuring approximately 900 paintings, 2,000 works on paper, over 1,000 unique prints Warhol made famous, 100 sculptures, 4,000 photographs, and thousands of hours of film and video clips.

Some of his most iconic works, not to be missed on any museum tour, include his 1960s “Campbell’s Soup Cans,” famous Coca-Cola painting, and his celebrity silkscreens “Marilyn Diptych,” “Triple Elvis,” and “Nine Jackies” (of Jacqueline Kennedy fame). Warhol was born in Pittsburgh on August 6, 1928, but spent most of his life in New York City, where he died on February 22, 1987, at the age of 58. After the visit, walk downtown over the eponymous Andy Warhol Bridge, which spans the Allegheny River, to the quirky Space Bar and order a fruity cocktail like a Darth Vapor, a Skywatcher, or a Starship 2.0.

The Hershey Story Museum (Hershey)

Visiting The Hershey Story in Hershey, Pennsylvania, isn’t just a chocolate lover’s dream; it’s a loving tribute to the vision and legacy of Milton Snavely Hershey, founder of the Hershey Company. Not only an expert chocolatier who created the world-famous Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar and iconic Hershey’s Kisses, but he also founded the town of Hershey, the Milton Hershey School, the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (at PennState Health), the Hershey Theatre, and the 23-acre botanical gardens known as Hershey Gardens. Learn more about the philanthropist and his life at the museum through interactive exhibits, a hands-on chocolate lab, and much more.

Continue the sugar high by heading over to Hersheypark, a family-style amusement park that started as a break area for employees of Hershey’s Chocolate Factory. Today, Hersheypark has grown to include 15 roller coasters (the most in the Eastern US), an expansive water park, and an 11-acre zoo.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania (Strasburg)

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, located in the small town of Strasburg, doesn’t just focus on the Pennsylvania Railroad, once nicknamed “the Standard Railroad of the World” due to its high engineering standards; it tells the stories of railroading in the state. The highlight of the exhibit is its extensive collection of rolling stock, encompassing everything from steam locomotives and wooden freight cars to first-class passenger and parlor cars from the mid-19th to the 20th centuries. The museum also houses a vast collection of railroad artifacts, antique clocks, artwork, photography, and more. In 2025, the railroad museum celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1975. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a must-see outing for train spotters and railroad enthusiasts.

While the museum doesn’t offer train rides, the Strasburg Rail Road across the street does. Plan on booking a one-hour ride on one of their luxurious dining cars for a ride through beautiful Lancaster County. Themed dining opportunities include a luxury Wine and Cheese Tasting, Whiskey on the Rails, High Tea, or a Murder Mystery Train Experience. For a special experience with the kids, take a 30-minute train ride with Thomas the Tank Engine.

The American Treasure Tour Museum (Oaks)

Celebrate the wacky and wonderful sights and sounds of pop culture from a pre-digital era at the American Treasure Tour Museum in Oaks. The 100,000-square-foot museum showcases a jaw-dropping collection of memorabilia, vintage toys, mechanical music machines, classic cars, iconic movie posters, figurines, and collectibles in a former BG Goodrich tire factory. Pop culture fanatics explore the museum by a tram ride through the exhibits, with stops for two self-guided exploration tours walking through the Music Room and part of the Toy Box.

The museum is the collection of a mystery collector, featuring hundreds of thousands of items spanning everything from antique cars and old neon signs to giant figures of the Simpsons, Gumby, Donald Trump, and Britney Spears. Head over to the taproom at nearby Bald Birds Brewing Company for a pint of something on tap, like Cloudy Judgement or Mind Fog, which is how visitors may be feeling after the best possible sensory overload of nostalgia during the American Treasure Tour.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum (Galeton)

Part history lesson, part environmental education, the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum offers a fun and educational experience for the whole family, lasting two to three hours. Wander through the log building into the exhibit hall to learn all about the history of the Keystone State’s lumber industry and life in the forests during the 19th century, the Pennsylvania lumber boom and its aftermath, and see tools of the lumber trade. The jewel in the museum’s crown is the recreated early 20th-century lumber camp, where visitors can walk through a full-scale model of a working camp, an operable sawmill, a mess hall, and a bunkhouse.

There are two historic cabins onsite, the Webber Cabin, which was the home of a couple who lived off the grid for 50+ years, and a 1936 log cabin. Live demonstrations, hands-on activities, and guided hikes through a 40-acre forest trail offer a unique opportunity to learn about sustainable forestry practices, making this woodsy trip in the fresh air well worth it. Pack a picnic and enjoy lunch at a table on the museum’s grounds.

In July 2025, the museum celebrates the 50th anniversary of its annual two-day Bark Peelers’ Festival, which promises lots of sawdust and slices of log cake. There are tons of events planned, including an apple pie contest, a frog jumping contest, a log rolling contest, a Kids Sawdust Treasure Hunt, and more.

The National Civil War Museum (Harrisburg)

The National Civil War Museum in the state capital of Harrisburg is one of the largest museums in the United States devoted solely to the American Civil War. Spread over 17 galleries, the museum’s collection includes 850 artifacts on display in dioramas, interactive exhibits, and multimedia presentations. There is something for every military enthusiast in the family, with displays on the recruitment, training, and equipping of armies, as well as an outstanding collection of weaponry. The collection also features music from the Civil War, as well as the roles of women during that time. For kids, an interactive exhibit lets them ask questions about the war to Abraham Lincoln.

If the museum trip leaves visitors wanting more, consider driving an hour south to Gettysburg to see the location of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War and the inspiration for Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, which begins with the famous line, "Four score and seven years ago…"

Bicycle Heaven Museum (Pittsburgh)

For serious bicycle lovers, Pittsburgh is home to the rumored world’s largest bicycle museum and shop, known as Bicycle Heaven. The shop was founded in 2011 with a single discarded bicycle and has since grown into a sprawling assortment of nearly 6,000 rare, vintage, and new bicycles under one roof. The pièce de résistance is Pee-wee Herman's iconic bike from the film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, a show-stopping piece that draws two-wheel enthusiasts from around the world.

The museum houses an impressive collection of bicycle-related memorabilia, including items related to the Beatles, Elvis Presley, and various sports teams. It also has 17 rare Bowden Spacelanders, a futuristic fiberglass bicycle released in 1960. In all, only 522 Spacelander bicycles were made before production was halted, thanks to the high cost and technical challenges posed by the bike’s fiberglass frame. After Bicycle Heaven, spend some time in Burgatory, a friendly little joint that is popular for its all-natural Angus beef burgers and spiked Campfire S’mores shakes.

The Erie Maritime Museum (Erie)

Learn about yet another mode of transportation in Pennsylvania at the Erie Maritime Museum in Erie on the waterfront of Presque Isle Bay, an inlet of Lake Erie. The museum is housed in a repurposed historic building that was once a power-generating plant for the state, PENELEC. Seafarers, maritime historians, or salty old sea captains, will enjoy learning about the museum’s strong connection to the War of 1812 and the Battle of Lake Erie, which took place near Put-in-Bay, Ohio. The battle was a significant win for the United States, led by naval hero Oliver Hazard Perry, whose reconstructed US Brig Niagara is a key exhibit at the museum.

Post-museum visit, pick up picnic supplies, and head over to nearby Presque Isle State Park to see the Presque Isle Lighthouse, also known as Lake Erie Lights, one of three historic lights in Erie. Take a self-guided tour of the grounds and climb the 78 steps leading to the top of its tower. The lighthouse is architecturally unique and relatively uncommon in the world of lighthouses, as it is square in shape, although the interior staircase is circular for practicality.

The Zippo/Case Museum & Flagship Store (Bradford)

The Keystone State certainly pays tribute to the curious and quirky at the Zippo/Case Museum in Bradford, the birthplace and headquarters of both the Zippo and Case products. The first museum opened in 1993, but the space quickly grew too small for the legions of devoted collectors and tourists who travel from all over the US, Japan, Germany, Spain, and other countries to see these iconic American brands and participate in swap meets.

In the small museum, exhibits pay tribute to Zippo's contribution to World War II, as the company ceased producing lighters for the general public and only made lights for the military. Many soldiers personalized their Zippo lighters, which were produced with a black crackle finish—a hallmark of WWII-era Zippo lighters. In the flagship store, visitors can purchase the highly collectible lighters, Case knives, Ronson products, and more.

Mütter Museum (Philadelphia)

The Mütter Museum (pronounced “mooter” like “scooter”) is a medical museum in Philadelphia, featuring a collection of medical oddities, real preserved anatomical specimens, life casts and models of wax, plaster, or papier maché, and antique medical equipment. Named after physician Thomas Dent Mütter, the museum includes his entire teaching collection of more than 1,700 objects and specimens, and is only a part of the 25,000+ objects that make up the museum’s collection.

The museum is part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. It features unique collections, including the Hyrtl Skull Collection, which comprises 139 human skulls, and the Chevalier Jackson Collection, which includes 2,374 swallowed objects extracted from patients’ throats. Note that the Mütter is likely not for everyone, like those uncomfortable with graphic depictions of medical conditions, historical surgical tools, body parts, skeletal remains, or children under the age of ten. Medical students, science geeks, history enthusiasts, and fans of true crime will likely enjoy the museum.

After spending a few hours at the fascinating, if not slightly macabre, museum, relax at the nearby Mary Cassatt Tea Room at the Rittenhouse hotel for a traditional afternoon tea with sweet and savory treats served from a pretty dessert stand.

Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium (Orrtanna)

Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium is just 15 minutes from Gettysburg, on the historic Lincoln Highway (Route 30), which was established in 1913 as the first transcontinental highway for cars and stretched from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. Comprising more than 12,000 elephant figurines, elephant-shaped household items, and elephant artwork, this whimsical, family-friendly, and free museum attracts more than 150,000 pachyderm enthusiasts annually.

The museum and candy shop grew out of “Mister Ed’s: The Territory’s Most Unusual General Store,” a popular hoagie and souvenir shop on the historic highway in the late 1970s to early 1980s. When the shop closed, later generations of Mister Ed reopened it as Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum, all the while traveling across the US to fairs and craft shows with candy and peanuts. Today, the attraction features a 1,700-square-foot addition, a candy kitchen, a store, and gardens with an enchanted forest and a talking elephant.

Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia)

The architecturally stunning Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) is one of the largest art museums in the US, located at the top of the 72 steps that Rocky Balboa famously ran up in the 1976 film “Rocky.” What more can a visitor ask for? The museum's collection comprises over 240,000 works of art, spanning approximately 2,000 years across 200 galleries. Some of the world’s most iconic paintings live in the permanent collection at the PMA, including Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers,” Pablo Picasso’s “Three Musicians,” and Renoir’s “The Large Bathers.” Another popular stop in the museum is the suite of galleries housing the Von Kienbusch collection of arms and armor.

Refuel in the museum’s onsite Café with burgers and salads, or hang out on the Balcony Café with a glass of wine, then get back out on the museum floor to discover even more. On the first Sunday of every month, it’s “Pay What You Wish Sunday,” which is perfect because visitors will want to head back over and over again to this spectacular museum.

The twelve best museums in Pennsylvania have something for everyone. From the Andy Warhol Museum and the Hershey Story in Hershey to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, the state’s museums are a mix of art, history, and innovation, with a touch of quirkiness thrown in for good measure. So pack the car and head to the Keystone State for a week of cultural exploration and marvel at Pennsylvania’s unique contributions to the world of art, like Bicycle Heaven in Pittsburgh, the Erie Maritime Museum, and the quirky American Treasure Tour Museum in Oaks. Whether exploring pop art, Civil War history, medical oddities, or maritime heritage, Pennsylvania's top twelve museums offer fascinating experiences for all interests.