Pennsylvania State Capitol: A Landmark of Power and Beauty

Combining all the best of classical grandeur and contemporary power, the Pennsylvania State Capitol is a breathtaking building and home to the keystone state's governmental seat. A public destination open to all visitors, it is an architectural gem and a historical symbol of the founding state's storied role in America's evolution. Dedicated in 1906—with none other than president Theodore Roosevelt in attendance—the building has long been an iconic landmark both inside and out. The interior features variously inspired details such as Renaissance designs, stained glass, as well as French, Greek, and Victorian aesthetic influences. Beyond the sprawling rooms and hallways, the central, Michelangelo-inspired 272-foot dome is not to be missed. But no matter what, this is a beautiful place to get a sense of Pennsylvania's political past as well as a glimpse of its future.

Pennsylvania State Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-6810
www.pacapitol.com

Midtown Scholar Bookstore: Read And Learn

The independent bookstore is a dying breed, but stalwarts like Harrisburg’s Midtown Scholar are bucking the tide. There are things you can get at a locally-owned business that you can’t from Amazon or Barnes & Noble – most importantly, customer service. The employees here know their literature, and are happy to offer recommendations that usually hit the mark. This is the largest academic used bookstore between New York and Chicago, with an unreal selection of over 100,000 volumes! The space is incredibly beautiful, illuminated with tons of light, and it’s easy to lose many hours browsing the stacks, finding rare treasures at great prices. A kids play area gives the little ones a place of their own to enjoy. The bookstore also hosts a café that serves up delicious free trade coffees and teas. Friday and Saturday night the Midtown Scholar Bookstore uses some space for free concerts by local musical acts.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore
1302 North Third Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 236-1680
www.midtownscholar.com

Oyster Mill Playhouse: Curtain’s Up

Live theater can add an important facet to a city’s cultural life, and Harrisburg locals are lucky to have the Oyster Mill Playhouse in their town. Nestled in a gorgeous converted oyster mill on the banks of the Conodoguinet Creek, the space was converted in 1988 and has hosted a robust variety of theatrical performances since. A completely volunteer-run non-profit theatre company is the space's exclusive tenant, putting on eight shows a year that run the gamut from comedy to drama. The playhouse is quite small, which means that you’re guaranteed an intimate evening with the actors. On the flip side, that also means that shows sell out quickly, too. In addition to the scheduled performance, the troupe raises funds by conducting entertaining murder mystery parties at your location, with clever improvisation bringing your guests into a hilarious and suspenseful world of deduction. The Playhouse’s lobby features a rotating gallery of work from local visual artists as well.

Oyster Mill Playhouse
1001 Oyster Mill Road
Camp Hill, PA 17011
(717) 737-6768
www.oystermill.com

Linglestown Paintball: Make A Splat

Paintball sometimes gets a bad rap as a sport enjoyed just by teenage boys, but if you can look past the stereotypes you’ll find it’s actually great for team-building in a family or business context. Harrisburg's Linglestown Paintball is the perfect place to check it out for yourself! The basics are simple: players divide into teams and work together to blast their foes with paint before being shot themselves. Going off solo, however, will get you out of the game quick. Talking with your teammates, coordinating covering fire, and cooperating to flank enemies and take advantageous positions is where the real fun comes in. Linglestown Paintball gives you everything you need to get into the game, from a rental shop with guns, paint and safety gear to an excellent course filled with obstacles to take cover behind. If you’ve heard horror stories about how the paintballs hurt, ignore them – as long as you’re wearing long sleeves and pants, you’ll barely feel a thing.

Linglestown Paintball
7548 Linglestown Road
Harrisburg, PA 17112
(717) 541-8323
www.linglestownpaintball.com

Midtown Cinema: Enjoy The Show

Most movie theaters left in America are fairly generic corporate-owned affairs, content to program the latest Hollywood blockbusters and leave everything else out. Not so with Harrisburg’s Midtown Cinema. This awesome indie theater was founded in 2001 by a pair of film lovers who wanted to bring the most cutting-edge cinema to the area, and they’ve programmed a regular slate of challenging, intriguing films for over a decade. Midtown Cinema has a fun, funky DIY feel, with comfortable couches in the waiting room and perfectly serviceable seating with good sightlines. They even have board games to play while you’re waiting for your screening to start. A semi-regular movie trivia night draws local cinephiles out of the woodwork as well to challenge themselves with increasingly difficult questions in exchange for prizes. This is a great example of what a community movie theater should be, and it’s well worth paying a visit.

Midtown Cinema
250 Reily Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 909-6566
www.midtowncinema.com

Color Me Mine: Show Your Artistic Side

People looking to flex their creative muscle have been coming to Harrisburg’s Color Me Mine for years. The wide range of artistic activities on offer at Color Me Mine encourage repeat visits. Here’s how it works: first, you select from the literally hundreds of ceramic pieces available to paint on. This stuff runs the gamut from plates and tiles to more complicated pieces, and the prices are very reasonable. Second, pay an eight-dollar studio fee and then start painting. The fee covers everything you’ll use at Color Me Mine… and there’s a lot of stuff. The sheer number of paints and glazes available boggles the mind, and the staff is always available to help you with your artwork. Once it’s done, you leave it there to be fired in the kiln and come pick it up approximately five days later. It’s a great creative outlet for people of all ages, and Color Me Mine offers a number of special deals and packages throughout the week.

Color Me Mine
5110 Jonestown Road
Harrisburg, PA 17112
(717) 909-8170
www.harrisburg.colormemine.com

Raise a Glass to Gettysburg at Hauser Estate Winery

Hauser Estate, a young winery with robust presence, is gathering a following. On what was once an apple orchard, Hauser Estate is committed to preserving agriculture in the Gettysburg area.  They’ve perched their tasting room and rental facilities to take advantage of a 360-degree view of the countryside, while the wine-making takes place underground. Besides arranging catering to your own special events, Hauser Estate offers happy hour on Thursday evenings and After Hours weekend parties with live entertainment. The Tasting Room is open seven days a week. You can taste Hauser’s products at two other sites—in Gettysburg and Chambersburg—as well.

Hauser produces a number of different choices for different tastes, including reserve wines and Jack’s Hard Cider. The winery gives the nod to local history with its Jenny Wade White, named for the only civilian known to be killed in the battle of Gettysburg; and Devil’s Den Red, named for the site where Union soldiers died from Confederate sniper fire.

Hauser Estate Winery: Tasting Room and Winery
410 Cashtown Rd
Biglerville, PA 17307
(717) 334-4888
www.hauserestate.com

National Civil War Museum: It's About People

On high land overlooking Harrisburg and the Susquehanna sits the National Civil War Museum.  Built in 2001, this non-profit museum prides itself on presenting the military and civilian aspects of the war without bias to the Union or Confederacy. Instead, it emphasizes the human side. Here you’ll find stories and artifacts not available anywhere else.  The total collection tops 4,400 artifacts and 21,000 archival pieces; of course many of these are only displayed on a rotating basis, or by appointment, or are still in the process of being catalogued and transcribed for access to an online database. 

Visitors generally spend from two to four hours in the galleries. Audio-visual presentations intersperse dioramas and exhibits.  So in addition to seeing weapons, you can watch videos explaining how they were loaded and fired. There’s a music station, displaying instruments and sheet music, where you’ll hear Civil War period songs. Throughout the dioramas, you can follow the story of particular characters of the time.  You’ll learn about camp life and what the war meant to women and children; you’ll see sides of slavery you may have previously missed. The museum continues to be a popular work in progress. Prepare for your visit with a look at the museum website. 

National Civil War Museum
One Lincoln Circle at Reservoir Park
Harrisburg, PA 17103
(717) 260-1861
www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

Harrisburg City Island: An Island Getaway You Can Do in a Day

Harrisburg City Island is a stunning park right in the middle of the busy state capital. This beautiful and popular destination preserves the natural beauty of the local greenery, while offering more attractions than any visitor could hope for. Kids and adults alike can enjoy batting cages and a full arcade or pick up a kite to glide along the easy breeze and stop off at the antique carousel. There's also a scaled version of a Civil War era steam engine train to ride, classical horse drawn carriages, riverboat tours, and docks for boaters of all kinds. Forget isolated desert islands, Harrisburg City Island is one piece of water-locked turf you'll be happy to get stranded on.

Harrisburg City Island
Off Market Street Bridge
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 255-3020
www.harrisburgevents.com

Ride the Trails of Civil War Generals

Here’s a new way to take in the Gettysburg scenery: go horseback. Confederate Trails of Gettysburg premiered its first season in 2010.   Small groups of six guests are led along scenic equestrian trails behind the Virginia Monument to Spangler Farm where they can glimpse Peach Orchard and Little Round Top in the distance. A two-hour option continues along through Pitzer’s Woods to Longstreet Tower.  Perhaps from there you can catch sight of the Eisenhower Farm.

The pace is comfortable for novice riders (only age 8 and above). The operators have accommodated individuals with a range of disabilities and they assure nervous prospects that, upon request, they’ll send a person to walk alongside the horse to ease their anxiety. This is not a historic tour, so riders seeking informative narratives might wish to get that background before setting out on this venture. However, when children are in the group, consider requesting in advance a living history re-enactor at no additional charge. Helmets (provided) are required for guests under age 18, and adults who decline must sign a waiver.  Reservations go rain or shine. Military families receive a 10 percent discount. Check the website for additional details.

Confederate Trails of Gettysburg
www.confederatetrailsofgettysburg.com

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