Harrisburg, a lively city that is more than just the capital of Pennsylvania

from Inside Pennsylvania Magazine - Summer 2023

Philadelphia: A city of discovery and exploration

Story by Jean Knouse

Harrisburg is symbolically and, quite literally, the center of Pennsylvania.

Every child in the United States learns that Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. Within the Commonwealth, children are likely to visit Harrisburg for tours and knowledgeable visitors return often.

What’s wrong with the rest of us? Harrisburg is not the city of your parents and grandparents. It is a city with interesting, unique and fun places to visit!

You don’t have to go to the Capitol or a museum unless you want to — so, at some point, you should probably visit one or two of those sites. There are plenty of other things to do. Baseball games, concerts, walking tours, a tour of bakeries and ice cream parlors that award's a prize if you visit eight of the sites, and, of course, terrific places to eat. If you are old enough to remember Hurricane Agnes, you might remember a restaurant on Front Street that had car service like The Fence. My family always stopped there for lunch or dinner whenever we were driving through.

It was destroyed — like much of the city — by the storm which devastated many neighborhoods in the city.

What has grown out of that destruction should be a source of pride for every resident of our Commonwealth.

Perhaps it's time for you to visit!

A RECREATION, BUILDING OR PARK CITY ISLAND

City Island is easy to find. It sits on an island in the middle of the Susquehanna River. FNB Field is located there and is home to the Harrisburg Senators, a minor league affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Penns Football Club calls it home, there is a miniature golf course, volleyball courts and lots of parks, playgrounds and fields.

Trips on the Pride of the Susquehanna leave from City Island. The riverboat is an authentic stern-driven paddle wheeler that was built as a community service project by the Harrisburg Area Riverboat Society website. During the years, more than 1,000,000 passengers have ridden on the Pride of the Susquehanna.

For more information: visithersheyharrisburg.org

Historic Site

JOHN HARRIS - SIMON CAMERON HOUSE, 219 S. FRONT ST.

This house was built by John Harris, one of the early founders of Harrisburg, around 1766. In 1863, according to the Dauphin County Historical Society website, "it was purchased by Simon Cameron, Lincoln's first Secretary of War and later Ambassador to Russia, who transformed the Georgian house into a stylish Victorian mansion and lived there until his death in 1889."

After eight previous owners, the Dauphin County Historical Society purchased it in 1941. And, in 1976, it was designated a National Historic Landmark.

To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the house, the historical society undertook an award-winning restoration that was funded by public/private partnerships and generous contributions from individuals and businesses. All of the work was done by the finest craftsmen in the area. The Historical Society of Dauphin County offers tours of the Mansion.

For more information: dauphincountyhistory.org

Interesting Sites

3rd Street Walk To The Capitol And The Monuments And Murals Tours

The 3rd Street Walk to the Capitol is a one-mile walk that begins at the Harrisburg mural (pictured) and ends at the Capitol. The trip includes 23 sites with a variety of artistic presentations.

The Monuments and Murals Tour begins with two towering monuments on the Capitol Complex grounds. From there, you begin a loop to the east of the Capitol that features seven murals, a commemorative statue, and the Capitol Fountain and grand plaza. BTW, if you haven't already taken a free tour of the Capitol during your 3rd Street Walk to the Capitol Tour, we encourage you to do so! The Capitol Building is aptly named, “A Palace of Art.”

For more information: visithersheyharrisburg.org

FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES THE STATE MUSEUM OF PENNSYLVANIA, 300 NORTH ST.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg is the official museum of the commonwealth. It houses 12 permanent exhibits.

Memorial Hall is the central hall and is dedicated to "the vision of Pennsylvania's founder William Penn." In addition to the statue of Penn, Vincent Maragliotti’s sweeping mural depicts Pennsylvania’s history up to 1964.

The other permanent exhibits are Pennsylvania Icons; A Place for All: Three Stories of Integration in PA; Village Square; Anthropology and Archaeology Gallery; Transportation & Industry; Objects of Valor: Commemorating the Civil War in Pennsylvania; Hall of Geology; A Walk through Time; Mammal Hall; Restoring Mammal Hall and Ecology.

For more information: statemuseumpa.org

QUIRKY/INTERESTING SITE BROAD STREET MARKET, 1233 N. 3RD ST.

The Broad Street Market was founded in 1869 and is the oldest, continuously operated market house in the United States. At the market, visitors will find "locally-grown and organic produce, meats, baked goods, and freshly prepared meals." With nearly 40 vendors, the market has something for everyone, according to broadstreetmarket.org.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner options are available at the Market.

The Broad Street Market in the 1920s was known as the “Dutch Fair” because of Amish and Mennonite vendors. John Kinnard, the market master at that time, claimed, "It also could have been called the 'Congress of Nations' in view of the ethnic diversity, which then included Germans, Austrians, Italians, Russian Jews, Hungarians and fullblood native-born Americans.”

The Market was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and it is owned by the Broad Street Market Corporation.

It has always been and continues today as a community gathering place.

For more information: broadstreetmarket.org

Monument Or Memorial Holocaust Memorial In River Front Park

The 1994 sculpture, the Holocaust Memorial in Riverfront Park, is "filled with symbolism and serves as a reminder of a dark chapter in world history," according to visithersheyharrisburg.org. The memorial’s tall pillar in the center embodies the strength of the Jewish people, the twisted barbed wire represents the atrocities committed by the Nazis during World War II, and the height of the pillar indicates that the Jewish people continue to survive."

In a striking contrast, visitors looking beyond the statue, will observe peaceful views of the Susquehanna River. For more information: visithersheyharrisburg.org