From Philly to the Poconos: 54 Fun Pennsylvania Facts

Let’s talk about Pennsylvania! The Keystone State is a treasure trove of history, natural beauty, and cultural significance. It’s the home of cheesesteaks, the Liberty Bell, and weather that can’t make up its mind. Whether you’re here for the history, the Hershey’s chocolate, or just to count the potholes, there is plenty to keep you entertained, a delightful mix of the peculiar, the profound, and the delicious. Check out these 54 facts about the second state of the Union.

What is Pennsylvania known for?

1. Philadelphia! The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were both signed in Philadelphia, making Pennsylvania a cornerstone of American history. It’s often referred to as the City of Brotherly Love because of founder William Penn’s belief of religious tolerance. The city is also home to iconic landmarks like Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, famous for its Rocky Steps. With its vibrant arts scene, renowned cheesesteaks, and (very) passionate sports fans, Philadelphia blends historic charm with modern culture, making it one of the more personality-driven American cities.

2. Amish Country! Mostly located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, this is a region renowned for its peaceful landscapes, traditional lifestyles, and rich cultural heritage. The Amish are a group of Christian Anabaptists who live simply and eschew much of modern technology, adhering to values like humility, community, and faith. Their way of life is deeply rooted in their 18th-century European traditions, brought to the United States when they emigrated in search of religious freedom.

3. Pittsburgh! This town is famous for manufacturing steel, ever since Andy Carnegie cofounded his first steel company nearby in 1892. Known as the “Steel City,” Pittsburgh became the backbone of American industry, contributing to the construction of bridges, skyscrapers, and railroads across the country. Today, the city has transformed into a hub for technology, education, and healthcare, with institutions like Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh leading the way. Pittsburgh is also celebrated for its sports teams — the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates — and its vibrant arts scene, including the Andy Warhol Museum and Heinz Hall. An underrated city, Pittsburgh beautifully blends its industrial past with a modern, innovative future.

Short history of Pennsylvania

4. Jefferson Township, Pennsylvania is home to an archaeological site called the Meadowcroft Rockshelter that contains evidence of the earliest known signs of humans in the state over 10,000 years ago.

5. By the time white people came along, the Lenape and Susquehannock were among the more prominent tribes on Pennsylvania land.

6. Pennsylvania became an English colony in 1681 after William Penn acquired a royal deed from King Charles II of England that Chuck gave to pay off a debt to William’s father.

7. In October 1682, William Penn founded the colonial capital of Philadelphia.

8. Tho where and when the first public library in the United States opened is up for debate, one candidate is the Library Company of Philadelphia, which was founded in Philadelphia by Benjamin Franklin in 1731.

9. The Pennsylvania Hospital at 800 Spruce Street in Philadelphia was founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and this doctor dude named Thomas Bond, and it was just the second public hospital established in America after Bellevue Hospital in New York City in 1736.

10. Philadelphia was basically the hub of the American Revolution, and the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.

11. Some of you may be old enough to remember when Lancaster, Pennsylvania was the capital of the whole country for a single day on September 27, 1777.

12. In 1780, Pennsylvania was the first state to pass a law calling for the gradual abolition of slavery, although it should be noted that Vermont — not an actual state at the time — had also abolished slavery.

13. On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the 2nd state of the Union after Delaware.

14. Philadelphia was actually the capital of the United States for awhile from 1790 to 1800 while Washington D.C. as we presently know it was under construction

15. The Battle of Gettysburg took place over three days in July 1863 and was considered the turning point of the Civil War. A few months later on November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address.

16. In February 1954, the kids of Arsenal Elementary and the Watson Home for Children in Pittsburgh received the very first polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk. By 1961, polio was all but completely eradicated, with just 161 reported cases in the U.S., proving the effectiveness of vaccines no matter what your feelings are about them.

What famous people are from Pennsylvania?

17. Bob Saget was the host of America’s Funniest Home Videos, the star of the popular sitcom Full House and Fuller House, and the narrator of the hit television show How I Met Your Mother. He was also awarded a Student Academy Award for a documentary he made as a film student at Temple University. He was born in Philadelphia on May 17, 1956.

18. The comedian, writer, actor, and Second City alumni Tina Fey is known for her work on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock and the 2004 hit film Mean Girls. She was born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania on May 18, 1970.

19. Louisa May Alcott published the endlessly influential Little Women in 1868, inspiring multiple generations of feminists and female artists, from Patti Smith to Gertrude Stein and Simone de Beauvior to Ursula K. Le Guin. Though she grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, she was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on November 29, 1832.

20. Perhaps no figure has impacted American culture in the second half of the 20th century as the visual artist Andy Warhol, whose New York studio nurtured the talents of dozens of actors, musicians, playwrights, drag queens, and other celebrities, performers, and artists. He was born Andrew Warhola Jr. in Pittsburgh on August 6, 1928.

21. Taylor Alison Swift just might be the most famous person on the planet these days, and the singer-songwriter’s grip on popular culture is unparalleled. She was born December 13, 1989 in West Reading, Pennsylvania.

22. The actor, rapper, and Academy Award winner Will Smith is known for his acting, his rapping, and for a rather unfortunate incident that took place the night he won the Academy Award. He was born in Philadelphia on September 25, 1968.

23. The marine biologist and o.g. environmentalist Rachel Carson authored the classic Silent Spring (1962), which did a whole lot to the efforts to raise awareness and ban environmentally harmful pesticides like DDT. She also won the National Book Award for The Sea Around Us (1951). Few people have done more to advance environmentalism than her, and she was born in Springdale, Pennsylvania on May 27, 1907.

What are the state symbols of Pennsylvania?

24. In 1959, Pennsylvania named the white-tailed deer the official state mammal. A whole bunch of other states have named this deer a state symbol, and we shall list all of them here for you rn: Arkansas, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

25. You may have heard some tell about how milk is supposed to do your body good. We’ll leave that kind of health talk to the scientists, but in the meantime, it’s also a state symbol for a whopping 20 states! Yep, Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and of course, Pennsylvania, all decided milk deserved a little extra love. Apparently, in these states, milk isn’t just for your cereal — it’s basically state symbol royalty.

26. The oldest operating theater in the United States is the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, where the Marx Brothers made their stage debut in 1923. Marlon Brando did A Streetcar Named Desire here, and John Wilkes Booth’s brother Edwin Booth owed the place for awhile starting in 1863 until his partner bought out his share in 1871. In 1999, it was named the official state theatre of Pennsylvania.

27. December 18, 1987 was a very big day for train fans in Pennsylvania. The state made the K4s 1361 and the K4s 3750 the official steam locomotive, and they also named the GG1 4859 as the official electric locomotive of Pennsylvania.

28. Named in 1931, the Eastern hemlock tree is the official state tree of Pennsylvania, and it can be found all over the northeastern United States, tho it has a conservation status of “Near Threatened.”

29. The brook trout is a rather popular choice for an official state fish, a trend Pennsylvania started in 1970. Then Michigan and New Hampshire and New Jersey and New York and Vermont and Virginia and West Virginia all jumped on the bandwagon and did the same thing.

Topography & geography of Pennsylvania

30. Stupid people might assume that the capital of Pennsylvania is Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, but smart people know that it’s actually Harrisburg, and has been since 1812.

31. In addition to its capital of Harrisburg and the major metropolitan cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, other major towns in Pennsylvania include Lancaster, Allentown, Scranton, Erie, Bethlehem, and Reading.

32. The Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania runs approximately 229 miles, offering hikers a mix of scenic views, rugged terrain, and historical landmarks. It is famous for its rocky paths, which can present challenges for even the most hardcore of trail hikers.

33. Pennsylvania totals 46,055 square miles of land and water, making it the 33rd biggest state in America.

34. The Pine Creek Gorge in Wellsboro is sometimes considered the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, like an eastern version of that famous hole in the ground located in Arizona. It’s a stunning natural wonder stretching 47 miles through the Tioga State Forest, reaching depths of around 1,450 feet.

35. The highest point in the state of Pennsylvania is Mount Davis in Forbes State Forest in Elk Lick Township, which stretches 3,213 feet above sea level.

36. At the Delaware River on the border of Delaware, you will find the lowest elevation point in the entire state of Pennsylvania, a mere zero feet above sea level.

37. The Allegheny National Forest is just one of the more than 120 state parks you’ll find in Pennsylvania, covering more than half a million acres of Northwestern Pennsylvania land. Established as a national forest in 1923, it’s served as a consummate example of conservation and preservation for over a century.

38. The pristine forests and rolling hills of the Pocono Mountains has evolved (and we use that term loosely) into a playground for the elite with their luxury resorts and overpriced chalets, tainting the area’s natural beauty with traffic jams and crowded trails.

39. Driving clear across Pennsylvania from east to west would be about 283 miles. North to south is about 170 miles.

40. Pennsylvania borders six states: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio.

Where should I visit in Pennsylvania?

41. Established in 1895, the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh is chock full of masterpieces by Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet, as well as many gorgeous and outstanding pieces with colonial or questionable provenance from Greece, Italy, Egypt, and other African and Asian nations.

42. A milestone in the history of chocolate, Milton Hershey opened Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1906, and it has been one of the more heavily-visited theme parks in North America ever since. With towering roller coasters and water rides, it’s undeniably as much about thrills as it is about chocolate.

43. The Philadelphia Zoo opened in 1874 as the first zoo in the United States, and it has been dedicated to educating the public about our animal friends ever 4, pioneering conservation and breeding efforts, including North America’s very first successful birth of a giant river otter in 2004.

44. Longwood Gardens is a breathtaking botanical garden in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, known for its sprawling thousand acres of meticulously designed landscapes, greenhouses, and fountains. Once the private estate of industrialist robber baron Pierre S. du Pont, it’s now a world-class horticultural wonder admired by visitors near and far.

45. The Liberty Bell has been a symbol of American freedom and independence for about as long as the country has been around, and you can visit this 2,000-pound iconic hunk of metal outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Bonus fun fact: it spells Pennsylvania with just one N.

46. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh is one of the top natural history museums in America, featuring extensive collections and exhibits that makes a visit imperative for anyone who loves science, dinosaurs, and the natural world.

47. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is famous among philistines for the Rocky Balboa steps, and it’s also famous among the cultured for all the impressive masterpieces inside, with works from famous big shots like Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, Horace Pippin, Paul Cézanne, and Marcel Duchamp, among tons of other big names art historians should know.

Fun, cool, interesting & weird Pennsylvania facts

48. Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog was introduced to many of us through Harold Ramis’s 1993 film Groundhog Day, which takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The real Punxsutawney Phil has been predicting the weather every February 2nd since 1887 during the town’s annual Groundhog Day celebration, drawing thousands of visitors to witness his famous forecast. Ofc, the event has only gotten more popular since Bill Murray elevated it over 30 years ago.

49. The Pennsylvania Packet and the General Advertiser newspaper was founded in 1771 in Philadelphia, and by 1784, they were the first daily newspaper in America to have consistent success. The paper still exists today, kinda, thru a few mergers that eventually led to the last incarnation joining up with The Philadelphia Inquirer.

50. The Big Mac was invented by McDonald’s franchisee dude Jim Delligatti, who created this iconic foodstuff item in one of franchises he owned around Pittsburgh. Designed to compete with the double burger at Big Boy, it made its debut at Delligatti’s shop in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and it’s been a popular culture mainstay representing American decadence ever since!

51. Many a Delaware Valley kid learned to drink on Yuengling beer, which was founded in 1829 and headquartered in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. They call themselves America’s Oldest Brewery, and they’re one of the biggest breweries in the United States.

52. Kennett Square, Pennsylvania is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World because like 50% of all the mushrooms in America come from this town. So significant are mushrooms to the culture of this upper-middle class town that there is an annual mushroom festival celebrating the fungi.

53. Bubblegum was invented by an accountant named Walter Diemer in 1928 when he was working for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company and experimenting with gum recipes during his free time. After months of failed attempts using the pink dye available at his work, he finally created the perfect recipe of sugar and latex conductive to creating bubbles. Fleer soon began selling Dubble Bubble, and the sugary foodstuff has been popular with consumers ever since.

54. We have this guy Scott Fahlman to thank for the way many of us communicate in this day and age. In 1982, the computer scientist basically invented the emoticon by using 🙂 and 🙁 while communicating with colleagues on the Carnegie Mellon message boards because he wanted to make sure context, humor, and intent were sufficiently conveyed in this new-fangled form of written communication.

Cover Image Credit: Image by David Mark from Pixabay

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