We’re never too old to go to the park – whether it’s our favorite state park, our preferred amusement park, or this indoor park in Pennsylvania. Just make sure you’re good and rested before heading to this one-of-a-kind Pennsylvania park that offers fun and high-flying thrills for the whole family. It’s open all year round, too, so you can visit in any season.
Boasting 31,000 square feet of fun, Vertical Jump Park in Erie is perhaps best known for its 12,000-square-foot trampoline park. However, that’s just a slice of the fun that awaits.
If you’ve always dreamed of being a gymnast, hone your skills on the massive trampolines, perfect for doing aerial tricks. Or, if you prefer, just jump around a bit.
However, if you’re craving some fast-paced thrills, head over to one of the dodgeball courts. You’ve never really played dodgeball until you’ve played on a trampoline.
Looking for a one-of-a-kind place to host a birthday party for your kiddo? You’ve found it. Vertical Jump Park offers a variety of birthday party packages.
Have you been to this indoor park in Pennsylvania? What did you think? Share your experience in the comments! Ready for more fun, albeit outdoors this time? Plan a multi-day adventure at this 16,000-acre park, the largest state park in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania is a large state, one I'm only beginning to explore. One of the most fascinating parts is it sometimes feels like two completely different states. Depending on whether you live near Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, the culture is completely different, and there are so many great cities, towns, and destinations in the middle. So you might have to drive quite a bit to visit everything the Keystone State offers, but it's well worth it, especially for one remote attraction in Pennsylvania. Kentuck Knob is located in the southwest corner of the state, about an hour south of Pittsburgh surrounded by small towns and state game lands. But it has a huge legacy. It's a historic site designed by the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright, and it offers a stunning view that's well worth the journey.
Did you know Pennsylvania has its own Frank Lloyd Wright House? Wright designed this house in the 1950s for the Hagans, who were powerful dairy magnates. The house is built with native sandstone, glass, and red cypress.
You can easily spend a few hours here just exploring the house, looking for the many hidden details Wright put into his work. It's equal parts a mansion and a work of art and is one of the last pieces Wright designed in his life.
birdhouses
The Palumbo family purchased the house in 1986 and added a sculpture garden full of modern art. That makes this much more of an all-day destination for families.
The whole area is surrounded by beautiful, remote nature, so make sure to find some time to take it in. This is one of the most beautiful and least-visited areas in Pennsylvania, and it's hiding a true hidden gem of an attraction.
Have you visited Kentuck Knob in the small town of Chalk Hill? If not, tell a friend about this article and begin planning your road trip! Make sure to visit the Kentuck Knob website for more details on hours and attractions. While you're in the Pittsburgh area, your inner child would be very disappointed if you didn't make a stop at Kennywood, one of Pittsburgh's most historic theme parks. And if you're coming from across the state, make sure you've packed all the essential road trip supplies for your journey!
That late October evening had all the characteristics that make the spooky season so delightful and maybe a little bit eerie – the moon playing peek-a-boo with the clouds, sounds of critters echoing in the otherwise still air, and a slight breeze that stirred every now and then. Only the moonlight, strategically-placed torches, and the light from our phones’ flashlights lit the otherwise darkened path that passed countless animals, from bleating goats to bats hanging around, on this Night at the Zoo at Living Treasures.
A spooky October evening just a few days before Halloween offered my daughter and me the perfect opportunity to check off a long-neglected destination from my fall to-do list. While we’ve visited both the Moraine and Donegal locations of Living Treasures Wild Animal Park during the day, I wanted to experience Night at the Zoo by the moonlight at least once, and it was well worth the years-long wait.
Our adventure at Living Treasures began in the gift shop, where we paid our admission fees and bought feed and carrots for the animals. Don’t worry if you don’t buy enough food. We underestimated how quickly our food would go (it’s really hard to say no more to all of those adorable animals, and some are a little, well, pushy). But we were able to buy extra carrots and food throughout the park. If you forget your flashlight or want light-up gear, you can grab those before heading into the park. We forgot flashlights but figured our phones would be enough when we weren’t taking pictures.
The path is lit only by the moonlight, some torches, and visitors' flashlights. When the clouds hide the moon, it gets incredibly dark, but that’s part of the spooky charm. Pink flamingos perched on rocks as the moonlight shimmered in the water and we passed parrots before being greeted by enthusiastic deer. A few of the deer and, later the goats, allowed us to pet them while they crunched the carrots we gave them. Keep an eye out for the animals being pushed aside by the more enthusiastic of the group. While my daughter fed the outgoing deer, I gave carrots to a shy girl the group was bullying.
Bring quarters along, too, because you can buy food for other animals, like the kangaroos, most of whom were chilling in their area. You can also drop those treats down a slide to two red river hogs. The duo, snorting and sparring for each treat, was probably the most entertaining part of the evening. Many of the animals showed interest when we arrived. While I'm sure it was the food more than our presence, we had fun interacting with everyone, from the llamas to the lemur. The animal park is also home to tigers, gators, and various monkey species.
You can also get your photo taken holding a joey for an additional fee. It was the highlight of a previous visit as was feeding the animals at the petting zoo. While you can quickly walk through the park, take your time, if you can, and enjoy this unique autumn experience. A couple of times, I sat down on one of the benches for a bit of a breather to soak up the atmosphere.
After exploring, check out the gift shop to pick up souvenirs or to grab a sweet treat. Kids in costumes will be given a treat bag at the end of their visit.
Have you been to Night at the Zoo at Living Treasures Moraine or Donegal? Do you agree it’s one of the best kid-friendly events near Pittsburgh? Let us know in the comments! Want to fuel up before your evening at the zoo? Take your taste buds down Memory Lane with a meal at Ponderosa Steakhouse, about a 20-minute drive from Living Treasures Moraine. All the fun that awaits in Western Pennsylvania means only one thing. You might want to book a local Vrbo and make a weekend of it.
