The Allegheny Portage Railroad has many interesting things to see. Visit the Lemon House- a historic tavern built to accommodate travelers. Discover the Engine House- a replica of the many buildings that made up the Portage Railroad. Watch a movie in our visitor center and browse the many exhibits and models. Drive out to the Staple Bend Tunnel unit to hike and explore the nine hundred foot tunnel (remember you need to walk 2 miles each direction when visiting the tunnel).

The Allegheny Portage Railroad was a great achievement in early travel. Charles Dickens, Jenny Lind, 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.

The Allegheny Portage Railroad played a vital role in the nation's industrialization during the first half of the nineteenth century by linking the eastern United States to the west. Ten inclined planes allowed the railroad to overcome grades up to 5-6/8 degrees along the rugged terrain of the Allegheny Mountains, as the boats from the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal were portaged over the mountains.

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site is located in southwestern Pennsylvania approximately 12 miles west of Altoona. Today's park covers 1249 acres. The main unit contains the Summit Level Visitor Center, the historic Lemon House, Engine House #6 Exhibit Shelter, the Skew Arch Bridge, picnic area and hiking trails. The Staple Bend Tunnel unit is located approximately 4 miles east of Johnstown, PA.