Attractions Nearby Harrisburg, Day Trips and Excursions

(Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - PA, USA)

There are many reasons why day trips from Harrisburg are popular activities with tourists, with some of the top attractions following the route of the Susquehanna River and being just a short excursion away.

At roughly 40 minutes' drive away, the small town of Millersburg is especially historic, being established more than two centuries ago, in the first decade of the 19th century. The Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art on Water Company Road is one of the principal attractions here, while interestingly, the Millersburg Ferry is actually the only remaining ferry service to still provide a way to cross the Susquehanna River itself.

A little further to the north of Harrisburg is the historic borough of Milton, which was settled in the early years of the 1770s and is known for its high concentration of late 19th-century buildings concentrated within its national historic district. The Pennsylvania Canal and Limestone Run Aqueduct is another important local sight, with Milton's stretch dating back to the late 1820s.

General Information

Located just over 80 miles / 129 km to the east of downtown Harrisburg, the sizeable city of Allentown is a popular day trip destination and Pennsylvania's third-biggest city.

There are numerous tourist attractions awaiting visitors here, such as the Allentown Art Museum, the Civic Theater, the Da Vinci Science Center, the Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom, and the Liberty Bell Museum. In the neighboring mountains are many enticing recreational activities, which tend to be very seasonal and include cross-country skiing in the winter months.

At a little more than 30 minutes to the west of Harrisburg and conveniently reached via Interstate I-81, Carlisle serves as a possible excursion. Located on the High Street, the Carlisle Theater and Performing Arts Center is a good reason to visit and stages musical shows, dramas and comedy gigs, as well as screening some of the latest movies and hosting themed workshops.

The chance to explore Civil War country presents itself by taking a day trip to Gettysburg, a little under 40 miles / 64 km southwest of Harrisburg (via Highway US-15). Many of the attractions in Gettysburg are battlefield-themed and include various museums, such as both the National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, and the American Civil War Museum.

Other notable day trips from Harrisburg include the town of Hershey to the east - known for its chocolate heritage and Hersheypark theme park, the small city of Lancaster - brimming with Amish attractions, and York - often referred to as the White Rose City, with tours around its historic downtown being a real highlight.