Choose virtually any category, including the nation-building pillars of transportation, energy, banking and education, and Pennsylvania, one of the original 13 colonies, paved the way for America.
Bucks County, the Pocono Mountains and Blair County, with Altoona as its main base, are a model trio. The latter two co-pioneered both railroads and rollercoasters, while Bucks played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War.
Whatever the group purpose, these destinations offer deep layers of inspiration.
Pocono Mountains
With a modern meetings infrastructure enhanced by the new Kalahari and Camelback resorts, this landmark-dotted escape in northeastern Pennsylvania has a long track record of innovation.
“The Pocono Mountains’ rich history, coupled with the picturesque scenery, makes the region ideal for meetings,” says Carl Wilgus, president and CEO of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau. “There are stories of yesteryear inside these meeting rooms, and we’re looking forward to a bright future as the Pocono Mountains expands its offerings.”
American railroading began here in 1829, with the nation’s first steam locomotive running in rural Honesdale. Featuring a fully operating roundhouse, turntable and locomotive shop, train rides, technology and history museums, and 250-seat theater complex, Scranton’s Steamtown National Historic Site takes groups on a nostalgic journey through railroading’s colorful past.
The region’s first boarding house also opened in 1829, setting the stage for the Poconos’ 20th century tourism heyday as “Pennsylvania’s Playground.”
Two years earlier, in 1827, Mauch Chunk (renamed Jim Thorpe in 1954 after the famed Native American Olympian) introduced America’s first scream machine. Built as a gravity-based coal transport system, the Switchback Railway was turned to passenger use, later inspiring inventor La Marcus Thompson’s 1884 Switchback Railway in Coney Island, the world’s first rollercoaster.
Featuring a Switchback replica, the Mauch Chunk Museum & Cultural Center also houses a ballroom for 160 guests and part of the nearby 1849 Inn at Jim Thorpe, a historic group property with two small meeting rooms. Other local heritage draws include the 1861 Asa Packer Mansion Museum and seasonal rides aboard the vintage Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway.
The fully restored 1929 Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg features live entertainment and versatile function space for 1,382 seated guests, or 1,800 standing.
Set on 5,500 pristine acres, the 198-room Skytop Lodge, from 1928, is an enduring classic offering 17 meeting rooms, the Evergreen Ballroom and distinctive executive suites. Activities at the new Adventure Center include a 30-foot rock climbing wall, the Tree Top Adventure Course, wilderness survival and more.
Located at the base of Camelback Mountain, the new 435-room Camelback Lodge & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark opened in May. The resort offers 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting space in addition to the 18,000 square feet of existing space in the base ski lodges, plus the Adventure Center and diverse teambuilding options.
Bucks County
The northernmost of the four counties comprising Greater Philadelphia’s Countryside region, bucolic Bucks offers time-travel experiences by river, rail and road.
“Located just 75 miles from New York City and 25 miles from Philadelphia, Bucks County is home to multiple historic sites perfect for hosting groups and meetings,” says Heather Walter, marketing director for Visit Bucks County. “From the home of a Nobel Peace Prize winner to a 17th century-inspired riverside venue, it’s easy to add a historical perspective to your next corporate outing in Philadelphia’s Countryside.”
Housed in the former 19th century Bucks County prison, the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown offers four meeting spaces, including the 50-person Penn Color Board Room, and the 2,500-square-foot Edgar N. Putnam Event Pavilion, featuring 22-foot-high floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking a sculpture garden.
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In Doylestown, event-capable Mercer Mile treasures include Henry Mercer’s Americana-rich Mercer Museum and his former home, Fonthill Castle.
Operating on a late 19th century line once appearing in the 1914 silent movie Perils of Pauline, the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad offers seasonal excursions aboard restored 1920s passenger coaches pulled by vintage steam or diesel locomotives. Private charters include cocktails in the antique bar car and full-course formal dinners.
Literary fans have a classic option in the National Historic Landmark Pearl S. Buck House. Set on 68 acres, the recently restored former home of Buck, humanitarian and Pulitzer and Nobel prize-winning author of The Good Earth, offers meeting space in the cultural center and boardroom. The Garden Tent, meanwhile, can host up to 350 guests.
Situated alongside the Delaware River, Pennsylvania founder William Penn’s reconstructed colonial home, Pennsbury Manor, is a palatial choice for meetings and events. Featuring 17th century furniture, the grand Manor House can accommodate 100, while the 43-acre estate’s lush grounds are ideal for outdoor events of up to 500 people.
On Christmas night 1776, Gen. George Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River in a move that would change the course of the war—and the tide of history. At the 500-acre Washington Crossing Historic Park, groups can explore historic buildings and meet at the new 17,000-square-foot visitor center, where versatile spaces include a 248-seat auditorium, 225-person Riverview Room and outdoor pavilions.
Bucks County is also upgrading its appeal. Projects include the current transformation of the historic Hotel Du Village near New Hope into an event and hospitality destination. The riverfront Lambertville Station Restaurant & Inn features 46 newly restyled rooms and suites, along with a newly renovated ballroom. Offering 8,700 square feet of meeting space, the Sheraton Bucks County Hotel recently underwent an $8 million refresh of all 186 guest rooms.
Altoona and Blair County
For groups seeking authentic yesteryear experiences, the past is alive in this welcoming seat of invention and originality.
“Strategically located in the Mid-Atlantic along Interstate 99 in the Keystone State’s central core, Altoona and Blair County, Pa., are the home of numerous unique venues and attractions, which exude rich heritage,” says Mark Ickes, executive director of Explore Altoona. “Blair County offers excellent variety from one end to the other.”
With 360 new hotel rooms slated to open within the next 18 months, groups will have an enhanced opportunity to enjoy treasures like the Altoona Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1928 and the longest-running community orchestra in the nation. Most performances take place in the Beaux-Arts-style Mishler Theatre, a national landmark from 1906 that is also available for private events and functions.
Vintage thrills await groups at Lakemont Park, which opened in 1894 and ranks as America’s eighth-oldest amusement park. Among the rides is the National Historic Landmark Leap-the-Dips, the world’s oldest operating rollercoaster from 1902.
Opened in 1919 as Bland’s Park and renamed in 2000, the county’s other amusement park, DelGrosso’s, is undergoing a $12 million expansion of its waterpark, scheduled to open summer 2016.
This month is the 70th anniversary of the Slinky, the classic metal-coiled toy introduced in 1945 and still made in the Blair County town of Hollidaysburg. Kids of all ages can also visit the flagship candy store and ice cream parlor of Gardners Candies in Tyrone. Founded in 1897 by 16-year-old James “Pike” Gardner, this Pennsylvania institution is found in eight Central Pennsylvania counties.
Altoona is heaven for train buffs. Managed by the event-capable Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum, the still-active National Historic Landmark Horseshoe Curve is an engineering marvel from 1854 allowing trains to negotiate a tight mountain curve. The site, about five miles outside Altoona, offers outdoor and museum rentals for up to 150 people. Another group favorite is the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site.
Built in 1778, Fort Roberdeau is Pennsylvania’s only maintained Revolutionary War-era frontier fort. Along with educational programming, tours and special events, Roberdeau’s White Oak Hall and Farmhouse are available for functions. The Blair County Historical Society also rents out heritage sites, including the 1849 Baker Mansion and 1815 Royer Mansion.
JEFF HEILMAN is a veteran of many time-travel adventures in the Keystone State.
