Overview
Altoona is a city in central Pennsylvania. Altoona was founded as a railroad town by the Pennsylvania Railroad as the site of their Altoona Works shops, and its history as a railroad town still shows in the town today despite the decline of the railroad and its eventual absorption into Penn Central, Conrail, and now Norfolk Southern.
4 sights · 3 things to do · 1 places to eat · 4 bars & cafés · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Altoona
Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament
A Roman Catholic cathedral
Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark
Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to allow trains to climb the steep Allegheny Mountains, this historic and well-known construction is a mecca for railfans. Located along the current Norfolk Southern east-west mainline,…
Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum
in downtown Altoona is a museum showing Altoona's history as a railroad town.
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
The Allegheny Portage Railroad was a great achievement in early travel. Charles Dickens, Jenny Linn, and Ulysses S. Grant traveled over the Allegheny Mountains. They braved a system that injured passengers on a weekly ba…
Lakemont Park & The Island WaterPark
Family fun park, with the oldest operating wooden roller coaster in the world.
Mishler Theatre
Historic theatre that is host to productions from a variety of local theatre groups and schools. Price is dependent on production.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 83°F; winter lows dip to about 21°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jul and Jun. (climate data from nearby Pittsburgh)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- AOO Altoona Blair County Airport, Altoona — 16 mi away. Directions
- JST John Murtha Johnstown Cambria County Airport, Johnstown — 27 mi away. Directions
- PIT Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh — 97 mi away (major hub). Directions
Greyhound buses serve Altoona.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Altoona Curve Baseball
- Lunch JJ Hadley's
- Afternoon Lakemont Park & The Island WaterPark, Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum
- Evening The Knickerbocker Tavern
Day 2
- Morning Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark, Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
- Afternoon Mishler Theatre
- Evening Levity Brewing Co.
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By train
- Route stopping at Altoona:
- Pennsylvanian operates daily between Pittsburgh and New York City with stops in Greensburg, Latrobe, Johnstown, Altoona, Huntingdon, Lewistown, Harrisburg, Elizabethtown, Lancaster, Exton, Paoli, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark.
By bus
Greyhound buses serve Altoona.
By car
Altoona is located along Interstate 99, which can be reached from I-70 from the Washington-Baltimore area or Pittsburgh area, from I-76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) from the Philadelphia area, or from I-80 from the New York City area. Altoona can also be reached directly from Pittsburgh via I-376/US 22.
By plane
Altoona's airport is Altoona-Blair County Airport (AOO). United Airlines operates direct flights to both Washington Dulles and Johnstown, PA. This is a very small airport and is a convenient 12 miles from the downtown area.
Get around
AMTRAN is the local bus agency.
See
- The curve can also be viewed from on-board Amtrak's Pennsylvanian train between Altoona and Pittsburgh.
See Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark
Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to allow trains to climb the steep Allegheny Mountains, this historic and well-known construction is a mecca for railfans. Located along the current Norfolk Southern east-west mainline, over 50 trains per day pass around the triple-track curve. Admission includes access to a small museum and a funicular ride up the hill to a grassy area on the inside of the curve, which has over 180 degrees' view of railroading action.
- It features a model train layout, plus several interactive exhibits. It is closed during the winter.
See Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (in nearby Gallitzen)
The Allegheny Portage Railroad was a great achievement in early travel. Charles Dickens, Jenny Linn, and Ulysses S. Grant traveled over the Allegheny Mountains. They braved a system that injured passengers on a weekly basis. A system of inclined planes and a nine hundred foot tunnel carved through solid rock by Welsh coalminers made this feat possible. For twenty years, it was the fastest way to cross the rough and wild terrain of Pennsylvania. The site features a recreated incline and winch used to pull portaged barges over the hill.
Do
Buy
- Logan Town Center - strip mall with a Boscov's store.
- Logan Valley Mall, Route 220 & Goods Ln, +1 814 944-6128.
- Specialty shops in Altoona.
Eat
- Wong's Wok in the food court of the Logan Valley Mall, Route 220 & Goods Ln, +1 814 944-6128
Eat JJ Hadley's
Local pizza shop downtown serving wood fired pizza, sandwiches, and good salads. Also has a variety of drinks.
Drink
Drink The Knickerbocker Tavern
Cool place with decent pub grub and a very wide selection of craft brews from all over the country (and the world). Kind of strange "suburban" location but probably the best bar in town, especially if you like beer. Reasonable prices.
Drink The Clay Cup
Coffee shop with a traditional coffee menu and some food options.
Drink Levity Brewing Co.
Serves a variety of local beers and other beverages. Also has different food options, ranging from appetizers to dinner.
Drink Greenbean Coffee House
Another local coffee shop, with a more specialty coffee menu similar to Starbucks. Also has some breakfast and lunch food options.
Sleep
Nearby
Johnstown
City / town · 29 listings · 31 mi away
State College
City / town · 35 listings · 34 mi away
Clearfield
City / town · 13 listings · 35 mi away
Bedford
City / town · 5 listings · 35 mi away
Breezewood
City / town · 10 listings · 37 mi away
Indiana
City / town · 3 listings · 40 mi away
Punxsutawney
City / town · 7 listings · 42 mi away
Bellefonte
City / town · 3 listings · 42 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.