Camp Hill, a Cumberland County borough in Pennsylvania, is situated in the bustling West Shore community of Cumberland Valley, less than four miles from Harrisburg, the state capital.
The name “Camp Hill” is thought to have originated from a division in the congregation of a Peace Church, where one party of the church started holding meetings on a hill.
The borough of Camp Hill was incorporated from the East Pennsboro Township in 1885.
Camp Hill boasts a ton of local parks and recreation opportunities and is close to some of the best bicycling, canoeing, hiking, and skiing in the county.
While it is a vibrant modern community, Camp Hill also prides itself on its legacy of the Civil War.
Both charming and historic, the town has a fantastic local shopping scene featuring the downtown area that offers several boutiques ranging from accessories to clothing to home decor.
Get to know more about this quaint and beautiful town with this list of the best things to do in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania!
Siebert Park, located on Cumberland Boulevard, is a 60-acre public park owned and operated by Camp Hill Borough.
The park offers trails for hiking and biking, a lake for boating and fishing, an arboretum, a playground, and pavilions.
Along with these are sports amenities such as an athletic field, a swimming pool, and basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts.
The wooded out and back trail spans about half a mile and begins at the far end of the field, right across the road from the pool parking area, and runs toward Conodoguinet Creek.
At the lower end of Siebert Park, Creek Road offers access to the Conodoguinet Creek and parking for boats.
The Coliseum is a 35,000-square-foot entertainment megaplex situated along Saint Johns Church Road in Camp Hill.
You’ll enjoy various entertainment facilities at the complex, including a 12-lane AMF-certified bowling alley, a billiards room with four billiards tables, a 10,000-square-foot arcade, and 88 plasma TVs for your viewing pleasure!
Casual dining options at the in-house Arena Grill Restaurant & Bar include salads, burgers, wings, wraps, and a selection of entrees.
The Coliseum offers 24 beers on taps, as well as imported and premium wines.
Their banquet room is a fantastic setting for parties and events like team-building exercises.
If you want major entertainment in Camp Hill, The Coliseum is the place to be!
The Pollock Center on North 21st Street is a distinct learning, teaching, and production center featuring a 500-seat theater, a green room, a dance studio, arts and music training rooms, a library, and outdoor performance spaces.
The Center, which is supported in part by a donation from philanthropist Grace Milliman Pollock, serves the kids of the Camp Hill School District as well as the citizens of Camp Hill.
Pollock donated $15 million through The Lion Foundation in 2006 to construct a performing arts facility; The Pollock Center opened its doors in 2011.
The Pollock Center provides private music lessons, dance lessons through the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and educational cultural, civic, and recreational events for the entire community.
Keep an eye out for upcoming events, and purchase tickets to see plays and musicals like “Hello, Dolly!” and “Matilda Jr.!”
Do You Even Escape? is a premium escape room center in Camp Hill that offers interactive, live-action, and family-friendly escape rooms with various themes!
Bring your family or friends for an exciting but challenging game where players are locked in a room and must unravel the mystery clues to escape.
Teams of two to 10 players work together before the time runs out.
Each team has between 45 and 60 minutes to work together to decipher the puzzles and riddles and make their escape.
Do You Even Escape? can also be a setting for team-building activities where up to 18 players can test their problem-solving, communication, and listening skills while creating fun memories together.
You can find it on Market Street.
Cornerstone Coffeehouse, located in the center of downtown, proudly serves Camp Hill for more than 25 years with its incredible assortment of coffee, tea, smoothies, and freshly baked bread and pastries.
For lunch, they offer healthy salads, filling sandwiches, hearty soups, and more!
Cornerstone Coffeehouse also works as an art gallery that features the artworks of local artists.
In addition to being a cafe and an art gallery, Cornerstone Coffeehouse offers culinary classes in their Tuscan-inspired room and kitchen, led by Chef Chuck LaPorta for more than 19 years.
The professional-grade kitchen in the back room is not only for cooking classes but is also ideal for private parties, corporate meetings, and special occasions.
Got kids?
Visit Monkey Joe’s on Hartzdale Drive for a fun-filled time in their indoor inflatable play area!
With its plenty of inflatables, from slides to jumps to obstacle courses, kids will have a fun and active time here.
While the kids play, adults can sit back and relax in the adult area with cozy chairs, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, and computer stations!
Monkey Joe’s inflatable play area is suitable for children up to the age of 12.
A separate area for toddlers (three years and younger), is also available so that your little ones don’t get left behind!
The Mini Monkey Zone is designed to keep toddlers safe and comfortable with smaller and softer obstacles to climb, short walls around the area, age-appropriate games and toys, and a well-lit area monitored by professional staff.
Camp Hill has a bustling shopping scene, and with plenty of choices, One Good Woman is not to be missed!
One Good Woman is a specialty shop offering coffee, loose-leaf tea, food, and gifts, located on Market Street.
Here, you may buy gourmet sauces, pasta, jams, jellies, chips, and other culinary delights, such as a huge variety of coffee beans that are freshly roasted in small batches, and over 125 kinds of loose tea leaves.
Attention to detail is what makes One Good Woman successful, giving customers the freshest and highest quality products possible.
Customers can also relax in the cafe area, where they can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and indulge in a dessert.
Don’t forget to check out the gift area for unique, fun gift items from around the world.
The Oyster Mill Playhouse on Oyster Mill Road is a non-profit, community theater house offering exceptional live performances such as comedies, musicals, dramas, and mysteries.
Founded in 1976 and incorporated in 1978, Oyster Mill Playhouse, formerly Metropolitan Repertory Company, Inc. (Met Rep), is entirely run by volunteers.
Met Rep found and acquired the Oyster Mill after 10 years of production at the Fellowship Hall of New Cumberland’s Faith United Church of Christ.
Since then, performances were held at the restored 1820s grist mill, which also served as a general store and a dance hall.
Have a delightful and exciting evening at the Oyster Mill Playhouse by catching a performance of outstanding local actors in this intimate setting.
Ever Grain Brewing Co. on Carlisle Pike has served beers and positive energy in Camp Hill since 2016.
Ever Grain Brewing Co. was founded with the clear goal of offering high-quality, unique, and fascinating experiences to the Camp Hill community.
It aims to offer a refreshing experience with every pint, brewed with locally sourced ingredients as much as possible.
Enjoy the vision of founders Norm and Larry in the 10,000-square-foot wide taproom while sipping beers directly from the 20-hectoliter brewhouse.
Visitors may enjoy a pint at the 75-foot bar while admiring the beautiful brewhouse with an open floor design.
The ambiance of the taproom is cozy and welcoming, equipped with German-style tables, string lights, and two garage doors that let in sunlight and fresh air.
A wide selection of handcrafted beers is available on tap, such as Lagers and Wheat Ales, Hoppy, Dark, Sour, and Big Hill Ciderworks.
Ridley Park, owned by East Pennsboro Township, is a 16-acre public park on Matthew Road with an 18-hole disc golf course and offers access to the Conodoguinet Creek.
This 18-hole par-55 disc golf course is 4,754 feet long and largely flat and wooded, with DISCatcher baskets and concrete tees.
The narrow course with the creek in the backdrop gives off a distinct atmosphere.
If you want to go hiking or biking, Ridley Park has a one-mile trail for you to explore.
Ridley Park is also home to baseball, basketball, and volleyball courts, as well as picnic areas, a playground, and a pavilion.
The Pennsylvania Bakery on Market Street is a full-service bakery that sells various baked goods such as bread, cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, cookies, tarts, pies, seasonal treats, and more!
It is a dessert heaven with all goods made on-site from scratch.
Ken Schenk Jr., his wife Michelle, and their three daughters have been running The Pennsylvania Bakery for more than 35 years, since 1986.
In 1997, it expanded to more than double the size of its production and retail operations.
With recipes passed down through five generations, the Pennsylvania Bakery has been carrying on the Schenk Family’s baking legacy for more than 72 years.
The Pennsylvania Bakery is a Camp Hill tradition, therefore, it is a must-visit when in town!
With over 6,000 square feet of space, Dexterity Depot on Utley Drive is Central Pennsylvania’s premier Ninja Warrior and Parkour training facility.
At Dexterity Depot, safety is of utmost importance as participants work on their physical and mental strength, agility, balance, speed, and more, in an enjoyable and challenging way.
Both Ninja and Parkour classes teach strength building, confidence, balance, strength, agility, coordination, and obstacle instruction.
Whatever class you decide to enroll in, Dexterity Depot will teach you how to overcome challenges, not just physical but mental and emotional as well.
Visitors can register for classes, come in during open gym hours, select a membership plan, or arrange a private event.
Jeremiah Orr, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Only two miles west of Camp Hill in Mechanicsburg is the Reformed and Lutheran historic Peace Church, also known as Die Frieden Kirche.
It is a two-and-a-half-story limestone structure with five-bay fronts and three-bay sides, built by a Reformed congregation in 1798.
The interior is decorated with a wine-glass pulpit and an 1807 organ.
The historic Peace Church and the surrounding gardens are used for events such as concerts and weddings.
The Church took part in the Civil War as it was used as Confederate artillery when the cavalry, under the command of Albert Jenkins, attacked the Harrisburg defenses on June 28 to 29, 1863.
In 1972, the Peach Church was included in the list of the National Register of Historic Places.
Paddle a kayak or float on a tube and explore the Conodoguinet Creek Water Trail.
“Conodoguinet” originated from an Indian word that means “a long way with many bends.”
The Conodoguinet Creek is about 90 miles long and travels through agricultural areas, towns, and villages in a series of intricate bends and loops.
This Class 1 stream offers opportunities for boating, birding, and fishing.
The trail starts at North Middleton Park in the Township of Carlisle and ends at West Fairview Point, or “The Point,” as locals call it.
You must bring your own canoes, kayaks, or tubes.
Moreover, ensure personal safety by wearing a life jacket, carrying proper equipment, knowing boating and fishing regulations, and following boating instructions.
If you enjoy learning about history and wars, a self-guided tour of the Civil War on the West Shore locations may interest you!
The Cumberland Valley played an important role in the Civil War.
When the war broke out, locals were eager to enlist in the Union army and families in the area made significant sacrifices for the war effort, culminating in the Confederate invasion of Pennsylvania, also known as the Gettysburg campaign, in 1863.
The Valley was traversed by Southern forces, who also occupied towns, engaged in skirmishes with the militia, and even destroyed communities.
Look back in time by visiting Civil War-related historical landmarks, structures, and memorials in the communities of Camp Hill, Lemoyne, and Mechanicsburg.
To explore these interesting locations, you may download a self-guided tour brochure of the Civil War on the West Shore online.
Camp Hill is a small and quaint but endearing town with a wide range of amenities for residents and visitors.
Its parks and open spaces, exciting recreation facilities, venues for the arts, music, and entertainment, and historical landmarks make it genuinely unique.
The town also offers a wide selection of specialty stores, restaurants, cafes, and pubs for your gastronomic and shopping pleasure!
For enjoyable family-friendly activities in the Cumberland Valley region, be sure to check out this list of the best things to do in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania!
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