Seek out offbeat museums, fascinating ruins, trails less traveled, and other unique things to do in Allentown.
You know you can catch a Lehigh Valley IronPigs game at Coca-Cola Park or hop on the coasters at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom. But Pennsylvania’s third-largest city has much more to do beyond the most popular attractions. Allentown, nestled in the Lehigh Valley, is a bustling and growing city with a rich industrial history, thriving arts scene, and strong Hispanic and Latino community.
We’ve put together a list of things to do in Allentown that might not be on your radar—but should be. From unique museums and industrial ruins to some of the best Mexican food you’ve ever had, here are 10 hidden gems just waiting to be explored in Allentown.
Lil’-Le-Hi Trout Nursery
Lil’-Le-Hi Trout Nursery, also known as the Allentown Fish Hatchery, is one of the oldest fish hatcheries in the country, having operated on the Little Lehigh Creek since 1883. The volunteer-run trout farm is home to thousands of fish and is completely free to visit—though you can purchase bags of fish food from on-site vending machines at an affordable price. You can take a relaxing walk on the nursery trails while checking out the different pools of various trout species at different stages of development.
The Alternative Gallery
The Alternative Gallery, located within the Cigar Factory Artist Studios, is an art gallery and community hub that promotes outsider art in the Allentown community. Art exhibits and artist studios support local works across a variety of mediums from sculpture and painting to filmmaking and photography. The gallery also hosts events like concerts, film screenings, and Retro Arcade events that allow guests to experience classic video games on the consoles and televisions for which they were made.
You can schedule either a guided or a self-guided tour of the Alternative Gallery to learn more about the space.
Lock Ridge Park—Alburtis
You can find what remains of a historic iron ore blast furnace at Lock Ridge Park and Furnace Museum, located less than half an hour from Allentown in the city suburb of Alburtis. The park is home to the ruins of the Lock Ridge Iron Works, built in 1868 and crucial in the Lehigh Valley’s development as a powerhouse of iron production.
The Furnace Museum offers guided weekend tours of the old furnace complex during warmer months, while numbered signs and exhibits allow visitors to embark on self-guided tours at any time. In spring, the bloom of “bluebells”—actually grape hyacinth—beckons.
Savor some of the valley’s best Latin American eats
Allentown’s rapidly growing Hispanic and Latino community means a more diverse and engaging city. It also means that area chefs are bringing incredible tacos, empanadas, and other delicious eats to the region.
For Puerto Rican flavors, the food truck and caterer La Frikitona cooks up traditional street food like pastelillos (empanadas) and fritters. You can find the truck’s schedule on its Instagram page.
A Huevo Tacos sells authentic tacos, burritos, tortas, and more for takeout and delivery, with its birria tacos being a fan favorite. The spot also offers 15 different salsas to add a little something extra to your order.
You should also check out La Placita Mexico Deli, a small counter in the back of the family-owned grocer La Placita Mexico. The unassuming deli, which has a handful of tables, whips up some of the best Mexican food in the Lehigh Valley, whether you’re partial to tamales, quesadillas, or enchiladas.
Ironton Rail Trail—Whitehall Township, Coplay, and North Whitehall Township
The Ironton Rail Trail, located in the Allentown suburbs of Whitehall Township, Coplay, and North Whitehall Township, is a rail trail that has reimagined the Ironton Railroad. The paved, 9.2-mile trail mostly follows Coplay Creek as it passes several historical sites, including the ruins of the Thomas Iron Works, a concrete phone booth circa 1902, old train cars, and more.
Allen Organ Company museum—Macungie
The world’s largest manufacturer of church organs is located just outside of Allentown in the suburb of Macungie. Allen Organ Company—named after its Allentown birthplace—has been managed by the same family since its start in 1937. Throughout its long history, the company has revolutionized organ technology, including the invention of the first digital musical instrument in 1971.
You can follow the niche and fascinating history of the pipeless organ at Allen Organ’s on-site museum, the Jerome Markowitz Memorial Museum (named after the company’s founder). While the museum is open by appointment only, slots are available during business hours Monday through Friday.
The Allentown ArtsWalk
A key part of Allentown’s massive revitalization of the downtown area, the Allentown ArtsWalk is a pedestrian-only walkway that links the city’s arts institutions while showcasing the city’s growing collection of public outdoor art. While on the path, keep an eye out for works like ELLE’s mural, “Some Things Are Better Unseen,” as well as the 12-foot Arts Park replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s horse statue, a commission unrealized for 500 years that was finally constructed (at its full 24-foot height) in 1999 in Milan, Italy, thanks to the efforts and vision of an Allentown resident.
The ArtsWalk is also home to a “pocket park” with a mini amphitheater for concerts, movie nights, and other events.
Museum of Indian Culture
The Museum of Indian Culture is a small museum in a 19th-century stone farmhouse within Allentown’s Lehigh Parkway. As Pennsylvania’s oldest museum focused exclusively on Native American heritage, the space is dedicated to telling the stories of indigenous peoples, especially the area’s original Lenape inhabitants. Exhibits include numerous tribal artifacts such as pottery, beadwork, prehistoric tools, baskets, and more.
The museum’s signature annual event, the Roasting Ears of Corn Festival, takes place in August. This year, the festival comes to the museum on Aug. 15 and 16 and will feature several traditional Native American dance performances, delicious food, and live cultural heritage demonstrations like Lenape cooking, flute making, and atlatl throwing.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Library at the Allentown Art Museum
The Allentown Art Museum is a downtown anchor—a gem in plain sight rather than a hidden one. But did you know that a room designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright is permanently preserved within the museum?
The Little House Library was designed by Wright in 1912 for Francis and Mary Little as part of their Wayzata, Minnesota home, which epitomized the architect’s Prairie School style.
When the house was torn down in the 1970s, the entire library was salvaged—which is how you can admire the original oak-trimmed, art-glass windows and svelte built-in bookshelves of a Midwestern architectural masterpiece right here in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Lehigh Parkway and Bogert’s Covered Bridge
A covered bridge within Allentown city limits, Bogert’s Covered Bridge is the oldest bridge in the Lehigh Valley, dating to 1841. Restored by the Allentown Parks Department (and currently being restored once more), the covered bridge is located in the city’s Lehigh Parkway park.
Lehigh Parkway is also a great spot for a hike, as it’s home to more than six miles of trails along the Little Lehigh Creek. Be sure to check out the Dr. Ernest F. Andrews Memorial Planet Walk, a scale model of the solar system that will help you appreciate its magnitude!
