Washington is a thriving city in Pennsylvania that is rich in history and American heritage.
Often called the “Little Washington,” this city has been relatively younger than its namesake for over a decade.
Founded in 1781, Washington serves as the county seat of Washington County.
The city celebrates the annual Pike Days, which preserves and showcases the history of the National Road.
At the same time, Washington also celebrates the Covered Bridge Festival, Washington County Fair, and the Pumpkin Festival.
These are on top of other annual festivals and celebrations.
In addition, its locals are avid sports fans featuring its home team, the Washington Wild Things, who regularly plays in the independent pro baseball league.
Aside from being home to numerous historical attractions, Washington is a thriving city with beautiful attractions worthy of checking out.
So, continue reading this travel post to find out the 15 best things to do in Washington, Pennsylvania.
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Bradford House Museum along S. Main Street became the official residence of David Bradford.
This man became known in Washington for his connection to the Whiskey Rebellion.
The Bradfords were evicted from their house due to their involvement in the rebellion.
After abandoning the house, it sustained significant damage from neglect until it became a coffin and furniture store.
To preserve its historical value, Washington put the house in a series of restorations, headed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
Today, the Bradford House Museum’s old beauty is seen graciously from the outside.
Meanwhile, the exhibits in the museum display various artifacts about the Bradford and the Whiskey Rebellion.
Spend an hour or two inside this fascinating museum through guided tours and discover some compelling backstories about the rebellion.
In addition, check out the house’s other sections, such as the garden, outdoor kitchen, well house, and rooms.
The Washington Winery along S. Main Street in Washington is an urban winery that serves top-notch wines distributed throughout Pennsylvania.
This winery is famous for its hand-selected California grapes used in manufacturing its signature wines.
Suppose you want some leisure time while touring through Washington; head to this winery and taste its Cabernet, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Riesling wine varieties.
The winery’s tasting room offers by the glass, by the bottle, or from the tap to taste its fine wines.
The winery also serves an array of sweet fruit wines to complement its main wine varieties.
Before continuing your Washington travel adventure, drop by this charming winery and treat yourself to some delicious wine.
The Wild Things Baseball Team is the official professional team of Washington.
They regularly play at the Wild Things Park along One Washington Federal Way at their home field.
Washington locals usually pack the 3,200-seater lighted stadium, which features a top-notch baseball field.
Formerly known as the Consol Energy Park, Wild Things Park is an exciting sports attraction you mustn’t miss visiting.
The Wild Things compete and defend their home stadium against visiting teams in the independent pro league.
At the same time, I get to see local high school and college teams play their games in the Frontier League.
The Duncan Miller Glass Museum along Ridge Avenue is a charming private museum that collects vintage and unique glass artworks and wares.
Originally owned by the Geo Duncan & Sons and the Duncan & Miller Glass Companies, this museum features a collection from 1867 to 1955, which you can see through its exhibits.
Today, this Washington museum is owned by the National Duncan Glass Society.
It’s a magnificent and fascinating museum to visit in Washington; suppose you want to see various its elegant collection of all glassware and glass artworks by old factories in Washington.
If you want to visit this charming museum, you can join its guided tour group.
In addition, some of its collection is up for sale, making it a haven for antique glassware collectors who happens to be visiting Washington.
Angelo’s Restaurant along North Franklin Drive in Washington has served locals and visitors in the city for the past 70 years.
Today, it remains one of the favorite restaurants for locals in Washington.
It serves its mouthwatering authentic Italian cuisine and wines.
This restaurant opened in 1939 as a small tavern that served locals who came from an entire day farming and working.
The tavern eventually grew bigger and started serving authentic Italian pasta.
It then earned the name “The West Chestnut Spaghetti Inn.”
The restaurant’s name changed after the next generation of the family took over its operation, replacing it with “Angelo’s.”
Suppose you’re looking for the best place in Washington to dine in.
Head to this restaurant and taste its authentic traditional Italian dishes, gelato, and Italian desserts.
The restaurant features a cozy and simple interior equipped with fine-dining amenities.
At the same time, it offers guests a welcoming atmosphere.
S Bridge is a unique historical attraction in Washington.
This stone bridge became famous because of its “S” shape double-curve design situated five miles southwest of Washington.
This two-span stone bridge, completed in 1818, is a unique infrastructure rarely seen throughout the nation.
Back in the day, the bridge became the main thoroughfare for people across Buffalo Creek from the Alleghenies region.
The bridge now bears the National Road Marker in Pennsylvania to preserve its historical value.
Visiting this bridge in Washington is a fascinating experience considering it’s one of the very few surviving stone bridges in the United States.
Although vehicles are discouraged from crossing the bridge to prevent it from wearing down, you can still cross it on foot.
Don’t forget to take photos crossing this famous bridge to complete your visit there.
The Liberty Pole Spirits along W. Maiden Street is a fascinating whiskey and spirit distillery in Washington.
This distillery has been carrying the tradition of creating Scotch-Irish whiskey from the veterans of the Revolutionary War.
Today, it’s famous for its “Grain to Glass” style of creating spirits and whiskey.
It makes whiskeys and spirits from locally-sourced corn and grain and processed inside its 300-gallon copper still.
To taste the whiskey inspired by the Scotch-Irish revolutionaries, head to its tasting room named “The Mingo Creek Meetinghouse.”
The name was derived from the Mingo Creek Society, which led the excise tax protests on distilled beverages in 1794.
Aside from tasting its top-notch whiskeys and spirits, guided tours are also available at this distillery.
Joining the guided tour lets you see the intricate process of making these alcoholic beverages.
The Vernon C Neal Sportsplex along Dunn Avenue is a famous sports destination in the city.
It features everyone’s top-notch indoor soccer, volleyball, football, and hockey facilities.
Opened in 2004, this multi-sports facility in Washington has been one of the main sporting venues in the city.
It also features various fall and winter programs for the youth.
Suppose you and your family or travel buddies want to sweat out and play sports.
Check out this multi-sport facility and be in awe of its top-notch sports arenas.
You can rent or join locals to play basketball, indoor soccer, volleyball, or football in one of its facilities.
At the same time, you can play or watch hockey in its inline hockey arena.
There are dozens of ways to enjoy this excellent multi-sports facility in Washington.
John Mueller from Shenandoah Valley of VA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum along Museum Road is a historical attraction that features vintage trolleys used back in the day.
This museum has been open since 1954, featuring over a dozen vintage trolleys and old street cars.
It offers you a nostalgic experience riding on these vintage trolleys.
These trolleys once ruled the streets of Washington and other cities in Pennsylvania over a century ago.
Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Get to touch, take photos, and even ride these trolleys through its guided tours.
The trolley rides take you to numerous scenic locations around Washington.
At the same time, you can roam inside the museum and check out its exhibits filled with historical artifacts relevant to the famous trolleys and their operation back in the day.
Meanwhile, you can check out its theater, picnic area, and museum tour to complete your visit.
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The Center on Strawberry is an events center in Washington.
It features numerous function rooms for various occasions and celebrations.
Locals in Washington often hold their celebrations and parties at this event venue center, making it an exciting place to visit.
This event center also allows you to rub elbows with locals or perhaps book your event there.
It can hold weddings, birthday parties, community events, baby showers, anniversaries, and reunions.
The Washington Community Theatre along Dunn Avenue has provided locals and visitors in the city with excellent live entertainment since 1976.
This theatre regularly hosts various performances, from stage plays and concerts to Broadway performances.
This theater is a charming place to visit if you want to see how local performers provide wholesome entertainment to their patrons.
This theatre became known for its signature performances, such as “Into the Woods,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “The Odd Couple,” and many more.
The Washington Park Log Cabin, also known as the “Kennedy Log House,” is one of the oldest log cabins in Washington County.
Constructed in 1848 by Peter Kennedy, this 18th-century log cabin originally stood on the corner of Franklin and West Beau Streets.
It was transferred to Washington Park in 1936 to preserve its historical value.
Historically, log cabins and houses were the common homes for pioneers on the Western Frontier in the nation back in the 18th century.
With that in mind, many historians want to preserve these log cabins for the next generation to learn their backstories.
So, check out this log cabin in Washington Park, take photos, and join guided tours to uncover its fascinating history.
After visiting the log cabin, you can proceed to explore the vast 270-acre community park and enjoy its amenities.
The Washington Break Room along E. Maiden Street is a unique attraction offering people a satisfying way to relieve stress and anger.
It’s the only place in Washington County or perhaps in Pennsylvania where guests are given the time to break anything they want in a controlled environment using various tools.
This concept is popular worldwide as an avenue to release anger and relieve stress.
Suppose you have someone or something in mind that enrages you, or perhaps you’re yearning to shake off stress; this place lets you vent it all out in one visit.
You can choose from various things to break from glass, ceramic, old appliances, and other stuff that are easy to destroy.
It’s an odd but satisfying way to eliminate negative vibes, making it a recommended place to visit in Washington.
The Washington County Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial along Unnamed Road in Washington is a historic site that honors Vietnam War casualties.
The memorial has a unique and gorgeous colonial blue granite panel that highlights a bronze plaque bearing the names of Washington County’s 67 servicemen.
Some of the memorial’s engraved names are also seen at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in the nation’s capital.
The memorial also has a bronze M-16 rifle, a combat helmet, and boots carved on each side.
Visiting this place in Washington lets you understand how locals back in the day served the nation during the Vietnam War.
It’s a unique historical piece in Washington you won’t see in its turn-of-the-century buildings and old downtown.
With all that in mind, this historical attraction makes it a fascinating place to visit.
Cameron Stadium can fit over 5,000 people to watch the Washington & Jefferson collegiate sports teams.
This top-notch turf field can host football, track and field, and field hockey from college and high school tournaments.
It’s one of the major sports venues in Washington aside from the Wild Things Park’s baseball field.
This turf field has been a venue for football games since 1885 after being purchased by Washington & Jefferson College.
Today it remains a major sporting venue where Washington & Jefferson College football team plays in the Division III tournament.
At the same time, the stadium also takes pride in hosting the college’s home games for its men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and track & field.
So, don’t forget to visit and watch excellent college sports and cheer with the fans.
Despite its moniker “Little Washington,” this city has more to offer visitors than meets the eye.
Its rich history, sports tradition, and enthusiasm make it a unique travel destination, especially for those coming from Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
Its proximity to these major cities makes it an ideal weekend destination for the family or travel buddies.
Many hidden gems are waiting in this city for you to discover but start with this article’s 15 best things to do in Washington, Pennsylvania, to have an awesome travel experience.
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