March 2024
I love an old small town. Throw in some industrial history, beautiful old homes and a classic hotel with a lot of its own history and I'm sold. Oh, and if it also has an old small diner, I'm in love. This describes Wellsboro. Did I mention they also still have gas-powered streetlights?! Wellsboro is a thriving town, but it's also like stepping back into another era. It's probably most well-known for the nearby Pine Creek Gorge which is billed as the "Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania." It's no Grand Canyon. While we did walk through the gorge, we spent more time walking through the town which is the real attraction.
One of the reasons I was most excited to visit Wellsboro was the Wellsboro Diner
Dunham's has been the local department store for almost 120 years
The Penn Wells Hotel is a landmark in Wellsboro
They don't build banks like this anymore
This burglar alarm is a quaint yet cool old piece of technology
At the music park, you can stop by and play a variety of outdoor instruments.
At the music park, you can stop by and play a variety of outdoor instruments.
The Wynken, Blynken & Nod statue pays homage to the 135 year old Dutch Lullaby
Tioga County Courthouse in Wellsboro
Tioga County Courthouse in Wellsboro
The Wynken, Blynken & Nod statue pays homage to the 135 year old Dutch Lullaby
Wellsboro's Main Street is like stepping back in time
Every old town needs a clock on the street
The Penn Wells Hotel is a landmark in Wellsboro
The Arcadia Theatre looks like it came from another era because it did
The Wellsboro Diner is one of the coolest diners I've seen anywhere
The menu at The Steakhouse has a proper explanation for people who want their steak well done
The Penn Wells Hotel's sign stands watch over Wellsboro
The Arcadia Theatre looks like it came from another era because it did
We stayed at the Penn Wells Lodge
Headed out of town on PA route 660
Away from town and into farm country
I caught a few shots of a bald eagle over Pine Creek Gorge
I caught a few shots of a bald eagle over Pine Creek Gorge
Looking out over Pine Creek Gorge which is sometimes advertised as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania
Looking out over Pine Creek Gorge which is sometimes advertised as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania
Looking out over Pine Creek Gorge which is sometimes advertised as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania
Looking out over Pine Creek Gorge which is sometimes advertised as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania
Looking across to the rock structures on the far side of the gorge
The viewing area at the gorge is really nice
Driving down to the bottom of the gorge
The Darling Run train station at the bottom Pine Creek Gorge where a rail line used to exist
The Darling Run train station at the bottom Pine Creek Gorge where a rail line used to exist
Getting an up close view of Pine Creek
The former rail line through Pine Creek Gorge is now a hiking trail along Pine Creek
The former rail line through Pine Creek Gorge is now a hiking trail along Pine Creek
Heading back into Wellsboro. The gaslamps lining Main Street look so cool.
Dinner at The Steakhouse was delicious
Dinner at The Steakhouse was delicious
You know a hotel is old when it advertises an auto entrance
The post office in Wellsboro is a piece of history too
The post office in Wellsboro is a piece of history too
Main Street in Wellsboro
Wellsboro made a name for itself by branding Pine Creek Gorge as the PA Grand Canyon
This elm tree in front of the former Tioga County jail is over 150 years old
This is the Tioga County sheriff’s residence. It was also once the county jail.
The old Tioga County Courthouse
The new Tioga County Courthouse is right next door to the old one
Wellsboro is named after Mary Wells. No one is sure what she looked like though. This statue is based on images of her mother.
Henry W Williams house
Robinson house
First Presbyterian Church
Chester Place is now the Wellsboro Library
The front door of this house was a gift from President Abraham Lincoln. Odd gift, but people are still talking about it.
The front door of this house was a gift from President Abraham Lincoln. Odd gift, but people are still talking about it.
Jesse Robinson Manor
The Wynken, Blynken & Nod statue pays homage to the 135 year old Dutch Lullaby
The Wynken, Blynken & Nod statue pays homage to the 135 year old Dutch Lullaby
My grandmother used to tell me about Wynken, Blynken & Nod. So, it seemed fitting to get a photo of my mother with them.
St Paul’s Episcopal Church
Bingham Estate
The streetlights in Wellsboro are still gaslamps. It's such a neat feature of the town.
The inside of the Wellsboro Diner is exactly what you'd expect a tiny dining car diner in a small town to be
The inside of the Wellsboro Diner is exactly what you'd expect a tiny dining car diner in a small town to be
The inside of the Wellsboro Diner is exactly what you'd expect a tiny dining car diner in a small town to be
I think the diner's little manual soup display is really cute
You don't often see fried banana peppers on a menu. When I do, I order them!
Equal parts meringue and coconut cream. It's an old diner thing.
I don't know what kind of birds live in this house!
The Sherwood house was the home of a congressman and is now the Sherwood Hotel
Tioga Central Train Station
I think this old sign on the Penn Wells Hotel is really great.
The streetlights in Wellsboro are still gaslamps. It's such a neat feature of the town.
Soldiers & Sailors Monument
This war memorial is dedicated to veterans of all wars
The architecture of the buildings on Main Street is fun
Beck's Bistro had great food and I like the way they made this space look modern but still show off that they're in an old building
As the sun goes down in Wellsboro, the neon starts to come on
Wynken, Blynken & Nod in all seasons. These are hung behind the front desk of the Penn Wells Lodge.
The streetlights in Wellsboro are still gaslamps. It's such a neat feature of the town.
There was probably a day when the diner was open 24 hours. Today it's only breakfast and lunch.
The Penn Wells Hotel's sign stands watch over Wellsboro
This American flag in the Penn Wells lobby is made of glass balls manufactured right in Wellsboro.
Even though the hotel was closed for the season, we got to see the Penn Wells Hotel's stately lobby
This American flag in the Penn Wells lobby is made of glass balls manufactured right in Wellsboro.
We didn't try sneaking up the stairs to see where they lead
Again, this place is like stepping back in time
Many of the glass ornaments that your grandparents hung on their Christmas trees and you may still have, were manufactured in Wellsboro, PA
Many of the glass ornaments that your grandparents hung on their Christmas trees and you may still have, were manufactured in Wellsboro, PA
They found a lot of history when digging up the Penn Wells parking lot
The Penn Wells Hotel has a really cool history dispay in their lobby
Besides Christmas ornaments, many lightbulbs were manufactured in Wellsboro too
Many of the glass ornaments that your grandparents hung on their Christmas trees and you may still have, were manufactured in Wellsboro, PA
The hotel has a lot of history of its own too
The hotel has a lot of history of its own too
Even though the hotel was closed for the season, we got to see the Penn Wells Hotel's stately lobby
The Shattuck house is now home to the Main Street Creamery. We had to check it out since we're suckers for local ice cream shops.
The design of the United Methodist Church stands out even on a grey day
We woke up on our last day to fog coming down the mountain
The Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre is quite a building
Wilkes-Barre's massive Market Street Bridge was buillt in the 1920s
This train station is also in Wilkes-Barre
We made a stop at Mohegan Sun casino in WIlkes-Barre on the way home. No real flaming cauldron like the one in Connecticut though
It was Easter when we were there. So, my tirimisu was more festive than usual.