Discover Pennsylvania’s Americana Region

PENNSYLVANIA’S AMERICANA REGION DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY

Day 1: Pennsylvania’s Train & Treasure Tour

Boyertown, PA and Beyond

Explore more than 90 Pennsylvania-built vehicles at the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles. The ABA 2021 Best of the Best winner houses everything from wagons and carriages to bicycles, motorcycles, cars, and trucks. Visit unique exhibits like the newly restored 1872 Jeremiah Sweinhart Carriage Factory. It is where vehicle building began in Boyertown and includes a belt-driven machine shop. You’ll also find an old blacksmith forge, the former Boyertown Auto Body, and a 1921 Sunoco Gas Station within the museum’s walls. The 1938 Reading Diner Car is a popular stop with visitors, especially on Diner Days, which features pie and coffee at 1938 prices. In December 2023, the museum opened a new exhibit that features unique and exciting examples of horse-drawn vehicles, some never before displayed by the museum.

Next up, visit one of Pennsylvania’s Americana Region’s newest museums, the General Carl Spaatz National USAAF Museum, also located in Boyertown. Born in Boyertown in 1891, General Spaatz was the first Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. The museum is a tribute to the local military leader and brings history to life with interactive activities like the Mission Briefing Room, a Gear Up Gallery, two Escape Rooms, and a B-17 Flight Simulator!

Break for lunch aboard the Colebrookdale Railroad, a beautifully restored Edwardian-era train. Excursions on the railroad offer a variety of seasonal experiences as it travels through the Secret Valley, located deep in the woods sheltering the Manatawny and Ironstone Creeks, and home to white-tailed deer, great blue herons, and bald eagles. The original Colebrookdale Railroad was built in 1865 to serve the iron ore industry along the Manatawny Creek. Ride the rails today to appreciate the beauty and history of this area.

Step back in time with a visit to Daniel Boone’s Homestead; that’s right, Pennsylvania’s Americana Region was the birthplace of that famous frontiersman. Boone lived in Berks County until he was fifteen, and it was here that he learned to hone his hunting skills and work with a growing and diverse community that included Germans, English, Swedes, African-Americans, Scots, French, and Native Americans. The homestead features seven 18th-century structures on 579 acres of preserved land and offers a rare look into everyday life in 1734, including a working sawmill and a blacksmith shop.

Explore Stokesay Castle & The Knight’s Pub and experience the 13th-century-inspired English Castle. Dine in style with exquisite cuisine and impeccable service.

Overnight in one of our group-friendly hotels and receive a complimentary welcome gift.

Diner Interior Courtesy of Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles

Day 2: PA Dutch Twist Tour in Kutztown

The clothes, the dialect, the horse-drawn buggies…get curious about our PA Dutch culture. Travel to Kutztown, PA, home to this unique community, and learn about the PA Dutch life. Start your day at the DeLight E. Breidegam Building – the research center and headquarters of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University. Nearby, Sharadin Farm serves as the open-air folklife museum and is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the Pennsylvania German folk culture, history, and language with annual events. Following your visit, a step-on guide will take you on a tour of the region’s barn stars or hex signs, the best-known symbol of the PA Dutch. Is there meaning in this colorful artwork, or hex signs painted “just for nice?”

“Eat until you ouch” at the Deitsch Eck (Dutch Corner) restaurant. The late, well-known hex sign painter Johnny Ott bought the building in the late 1930s and ran it as a country bar, restaurant, and hotel. Today, the restaurant serves up heaping helpings of delicious PA Dutch favorites that you must try.

Get ready to stretch your legs and your mind as you take in the sights and sounds of Rodale Institute, the home of organic farming. Sparked by his interest in organic farming, J.I. Rodale moved with his wife to a rundown farm in Berks County in 1930 to grow foods using methods like composting and cover cropping. When he noticed an improvement in both his health and the farmland, Rodale began to share his findings. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, Rodale remains at the forefront of organic agriculture and continues to share findings with farmers and scientists around the world. Visit Rodale to learn more about the benefits of organic growing practices.

Enjoy dinner at Folino Estate Winery or Saucony Creek Kutztown Brewery and Pub.

Kutztown Folk Festival Hex Art by j macneill photo

Day 3: Arts, Architecture and Culture Tours in Pennsylvania

Have breakfast and check out of the hotel. Take a tour of the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts and create a piece of art or take in a hot glass demonstration. Watch artisans creating art in their studios while interacting with them. Then add a visit to the Berks History Center and have one of our local historians step on your bus to take you on an architectural adventure through the Centre Park Historic District. Treat yourself to a tour of Reading’s remarkable treasures – stunning facades, beautiful Queen Annes, and stately mansions that never fail to delight with their exquisite style, design, and details.

Pennsylvania still have plenty more attractions and destinations for travel groups to explore, so be sure to Download the February Leisure Group Travel magazine for FREE to get more travel ideas and information.

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