Pennsylvania Route 6 Heritage Corridor
Named “one of America’s most scenic drives” by National Geographic, Route 6 encompasses eleven counties, stretching over 400 miles across northern Pennsylvania, connecting many of the Keystone State’s historic treasures and scenic places.

Route 6 in Pennsylvania enjoys a storied past. The route can be traced back to 1807 when state officials mandated that a road be cut through the Moosic Mountains to enable easier travel to the western parts of the state. As the state and nation grew, so too did the road. Carved out of hundred of miles of wilderness, the road eventually united all the county seats of the northern tier. The fledging highway quickly became a vital link between the industry in the west and the railroads in the east. Along it length sprung up charming villages, plentiful farming communities and thriving towns.

In 1925, US Route 6 was incorporated in to a highway system that would connect the United State from coast to coast. Named US Route 6, the road stretched from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Long Beach, California. It became one of America’s first transcontinental highways. Today the road remains one of the longest highways in the nation.

On June 30, 1937, the remaining members of the Grand Army of the Republic, veterans of the Civil War, along with the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War successfully lobbied Congress to honor their sacrifice by naming the newly formed Route 6 as the “Grand Army of the Republic Highway” in all 14 states.

Route 6 in Pennsylvania bears witness to this illustrious past. From the shores of Lake Erie to the heights of the Pocono Mountains, the road has seen many historical firsts: the first underground mine, the first electric trolley system, the first lighthouse on the Great Lakes, and the first Dark Sky Preserve in Pennsylvania. But along Route 6, the scenery is as rich as the history. The road passes through the heart of countless state parks, state forest, natural areas and the only National Forest in Pennsylvania.

Come see for yourself why the Harley Davidson Company places PA Route 6 on its list of 50 best touring roads in the United States and the Department of the Interior designated Route 6 a National Recreational Trail. Car & Drive Magazine even called PA Route 6 “one of the top 10 scenic Route 6 in America”.

Heritage Park Description
US Route 6 in Pennsylvania, through the eleven counties of Crawford, Erie, Warren, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Bradford, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike, is the focus of an effort to preserve, enhance and promote the transportation heritage of one of the nation’s first transcontinental highways and to sustain and enhance the small rural communities linked by the highway.

Milestones
January 13, 2005 – PA Route 6 is designated by Governor as a PA Heritage Area

Partnership Projects:
PA Route 6 Artisan Trail
Heritage Communities Designation – Smethport
Heritage Communities Designation – Corry & Union City
Route 6 mile-marker program
Business Opportunity plans for Route 6 communities
Regional Education Seminars

Heritage Park Organization:
PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor
P.O. Box 180
Galeton PA 16922
(814) 435-7706
(814) 435-6322 fax
website: www.paroute6.com
e-mail: paroute6@penn.com
Contact: Terri Dennison
Title: Executive Director
Organization type: non-profit corporation

Mission/purpose:  The Pennsylvania Route 6 Corridor offers a broad range of employment and entrepreneurial opportunities and exceptional experiences. Public and private infrastructure make the corridor accessible and provide economic opportunities for strengthening communities while enhancing its natural, cultural, scenic, recreational, and historical resources. A strategic, unified partnership guides the management of these resources, preserving and enhancing the Pennsylvania Route 6 heritage and quality of life throughout the corridor.

Staff and volunteers: 2 full time

CRAWFORD COUNTY
Baldwin-Reynolds House museum
David Mead’s Log Cabin
Johnson-Shaw Stereoscopic Museum
Pymatuning Reservior, Spillway and Wildlife Museum
Meadville Market House
Erie National Wildlife Museum
Conneaut Lake Amusement Park

WARREN COUNTY
Clinton E. Wilder Museum
Chapman State Park
Allegheny National Forest
Wild & Scenic Allegheny River
Kinzua Dam and the Allegheny Reservoir

MCKEAN COUNTY
Allegheny National Forest
Zippo/ Case Visitors Center
Eldred World War II Museum
Kinzua Bridge State Park

POTTER COUNTY
PA Lumber Museum
Austin Dam Memorial Park
Ski Denton
Historical All Saints Church
Susquehannock Trail
Dark Sky Preserve at Cherry Springs State Park

TIOGA COUNTY
Pine Creek Gorge
PA Grant Canyon
Pine Creek Rail-Trail
Tioga Central Railroad
Animaland Zoological Park

BRADFORD COUNTY
Tioga Point Museum
French Azilum
Farm Museum
Round Top Park
Mt. Pisgah Park
Susquehanna River

WYOMING COUNTY
Tunkhannock Viaduct
Laceyville’s Oldest House
Riverside Park
Lake Winola.
Lake Carey 

LACKAWANNA
Steamtown National Historic Site
Electric City Trolley Station & Museum
Historic Scranton Iron Furnaces
PA Anthracite Museum
Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour
Montage Mountain Ski & Summer Resort

WAYNE COUNTY
Stourbridge Train Line
Claws N’ Paws Wild Animal Park
Wayne County Historical Society Museum
Lake Wallenpaupack

PIKE COUNTY
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Zane Grey Museum
Grey Towers
The Columns Museum
Roebling Museum
Pike County Courthouse
Dorflinger Glass Museum

Welcome centers: I-84, I-81, I-79, US Rt. 15,

Involved Organizations:
County Commissioners and other local elected officials
9 County and regional convention bureaus
2 local development districts
Regional Arts Councils
Northern Tier Cultural Alliance
County education councils
PA Downtown Center
Penn State University
Local business people

Additional Project Supporters:
DCNR
DCED
Penn DOT
PHMC
Center for Rural PA
USDA

Tourist Promotion Agencies within region:

PA ROUTE 6 TOURIST ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 180
Galeton PA 16922
1-87-PAROUTE 6
www.paroute6.com

County Convention and Visitor Bureaus are listed from west to east.

Erie Convention & Visitors Bureau
208 East Bayfront Parkway, Suite 103
Erie PA 16501
1- 800-524-ERIE
www.visiteriepa.com

Crawford County Convention & Visitors Bureau
16709 Conneaut Lake Rd
Meadville PA 16335
1-800-332-2338
www.visitcrawford.org

Northern Alleghenies Vacation Region
2883 Pennsylvania Ave
Warren PA 16365
1-800-624-7802
www.northernalleghenies.com

Allgheny National Forest Vacation Bureau
PO Box 371
Bradford PA 16701
1-800-473-9370
www.visitANF.com

Potter County Visitors Association
PO Box 245
Coudersport PA 16915
1-888-POTTER2
www.visitpottercounty.org

Tioga County Visitors Bureau
114 Main Street
Wellsboro PA 16901
1-888-846-4228
www.visittiogapa.com

Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau
PO Box 797
Tunkhannock PA 18657
1-800-769-8999
www.endlessmountains.org

Lackawanna County Convention & Visitors Bureau
99 Glenmaura Blvd
Moosic, PA 18507
1-800-229-3526
www.visitnepa.org

Mathilda Sheptak
Pocono Mountains Vacation Bureau
1004 Main St
Stroudsburg PA 18360
1-800-POCONOS
www.800POCONOS.ORG

Pennsylvania's Heritage Regions

Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Endless Mountains Heritage Region Lackawanna Heritage Valley Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor Lumber Heritage Region

National Road Heritage Corridor Oil Region National Heritage Area PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area

DCNR Home | Contact DCNR | Privacy Policy | Security Policy | PA Home