What to do and see in Erie, Pennsylvania (PA): The Best Things to do

Multimedia exhibits and a 19th century U.S. Flagship are featured at this museum.

Give your family all the fun and excitement of more than 100 great rides, slides, and attractions at Waldameer. You’ll find thrilling rides and family classics, plus some awesome rides for the little ones! Then there’s Water World, a whole water park full of wet n’ wild fun for everyone. Plus, check out challenging midway games and tasty summertime foods. Waldameer & Water World is family-owned and family-friendly – we are proud of our Park’s major expansion in recent years, which has only improved upon the park’s long rich history of providing safe, clean and affordable summertime fun!

The Tom Ridge Environmental Center (TREC) is an educational center dedicated to teaching visitors about the unique 3,200 acres of Presque Isle and the many different forms of life that inhabit the peninsula. TREC also serves as a center for research -- contributing to conservation efforts and promoting environmental awareness, helping to preserve the unparalleled beauty of Presque Isle, the site of Pennsylvania’s only seashore. While some facilities along the Great Lakes offer environmental education and others do research, none offer research, education, and visitor services in one place, making TREC a unique destination for learning, wonder, and fun. TREC is open year-round and offers free admission to its changing interactive exhibits, glass-enclosed tower, and orientation movie. Learn about the history of Presque Isle and how you can contribute to keeping it pristine and beautiful.

Presque Isle State Park is a 3,200-acre sandy peninsula that arches into Lake Erie. As Pennsylvania’s only “seashore,” Presque Isle offers its visitors a beautiful coastline and many recreational activities, including swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, bicycling, and in-line skating. The neck of the peninsula is attached to the mainland four miles west of downtown Erie. The park creates Presque Isle Bay, a wide and deep harbor for the city of Erie. The bay attracts many pleasure boats and worldwide freighters -- making Erie an important Great Lakes shipping port. A National Natural Landmark, Presque Isle is a favorite spot for migrating birds. Because of the many unique habitats, Presque Isle contains a greater number of the state's endangered, threatened, and rare species than any other area of comparable size in Pennsylvania. Open 5AM to sunset year-round, after sunset visitors must be in a vehicle.

The mission of the Erie Art Museum is to maintain an institution of excellence dedicated to the promotion and advancement of the visual arts by - developing and maintaining a quality art collection, - encouraging art in all its forms, - fostering lifelong art learning, and - building community among artists, art students and the public.

The expERIEnce Children’s Museum is a place that has been inspiring creativity and imagination in children for over twenty years. The museum is a non-profit organization located in the historic cultural district of downtown Erie whose entire mission is to provide a safe, family-centered educational experience that inspires creativity, exploration, and imagination through play, interactive exhibits, and innovative programming. The museum is a place where children can race a boat, paint a painting, shop healthy, imagine a career, explore magnets and produce a play. Named Erie’s Choice for Museum in 2016 and the past 3 years, the museum welcomes over 60,000 guests annually. Three floors and a certified outdoor classroom including over 25 hands-on exhibits provide hours of fun for children ages 8 and under.