National Historic Site

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Pennsylvania. The NPS currently lists 1 active alert (1 closure), 0 campgrounds and 1 visitor center, and no entrance fee.

Pennsylvania National Historic Site No entrance fee

Updated Oct 28, 2026, 3:52 AM EDT · NPS Data API

Engine House and tavern — Engine House 6 Exhibit Shelter and the Lemon House · Photo: NPS (via nps.gov)

About the park

“The first railroad to cross the Allegheny Mountains, the Allegheny Portage Railroad was the final piece of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal. "The Portage" opened in 1834, marking the first time that there was one, direct route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.”

— National Park Service, nps.gov/alpo

Active alerts

Closures

Campgrounds

Visitor centers

Current alerts and closures

1 active NPS alert as of Oct 28, 2026: 1 closure, 0 danger, 0 caution and 0 information.

Closure

Staple Bend Tunnel Closure

Due to a rockfall, the interior of the Staple Bend Tunnel is closed. The trail is still open. From the Mineral Point Trailhead, visitors can bypass the tunnel, via a path around the right side of the tunnel structure.

Posted or updated Dec 26, 2025 ·Park conditions on nps.gov

Entrance fees and passes

This site has no entrance fee, according to NPS fee data.

Things to do

A white van by a stone building. — Photo: NPS

Allegheny Portage Railroad Van Tours

Travel back in time with a park ranger on a free van tour of the historic route of the Allegheny Portage Railroad. This tour follows the entire route of the Portage Railroad from the canal basin in Hollidaysburg to the canal basin in Johnstown.

Reservation required

Bus/Shuttle Guided Tour

Engine House 6 Exhibit Shelter

Visitors to Engine House 6 Exhibit Shelter can view full scale models of the mechanisms that would have originally been in all ten Engine House structures.

Year-round

Museum Exhibits

A park ranger presents a program in the auditorium. — Photo: NPS

Evening on the Summit

Attend an Evening on the Summit program select Tuesday evenings during the summer months.

Pets allowed

Arts and Culture

See all 16 things to do in Allegheny Portage Railroad →

Activities the NPS lists for Allegheny Portage Railroad.

Arts and CultureCultural DemonstrationsGuided ToursSelf-Guided Tours - WalkingHikingLiving HistoryHistoric Weapons DemonstrationFirst Person InterpretationJunior Ranger ProgramPark FilmMuseum ExhibitsShoppingBookstore and Park Store

Operating hours

The Visitor Center, Engine House No. 6 Exhibit Shelter and the Lemon House are closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Buildings are open Fridays through Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
Day	Hours
Monday	Sunrise to Sunset
Tuesday	Sunrise to Sunset
Wednesday	Sunrise to Sunset
Thursday	Sunrise to Sunset
Friday	Sunrise to Sunset
Saturday	Sunrise to Sunset
Sunday	Sunrise to Sunset

Weather: The park is located in Cambria County, PA, and is at the summit of the Allegheny Mountains. Therefore, the park often takes on winter extremes.

Contact and directions

Phone: 8148866150
Email: [email protected]
Address: 110 Federal Park Road, Gallitzin, PA 16641
Coordinates: 40.4298, -78.5743· View on OpenStreetMap

Official park page on nps.gov Directions

Visitor centers

Visitor center	Standard hours	Phone	Passport stamp
Summit Level Visitor Center	Mon 9:00AM - 5:00PM · Tue 9:00AM - 5:00PM · Wed Closed · Thu Closed · Fri 9:00AM - 5:00PM · Sat 9:00AM - 5:00PM · Sun 9:00AM - 5:00PM	—	Yes

Campgrounds

No NPS campgrounds are listed for this site. Nearby national forests or state parks may offer camping.

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More parks in Pennsylvania

Appalachian National Scenic Trail Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument Chesapeake Bay Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site Eisenhower National Historic Site First State National Historical Park Flight 93 National Memorial Fort Necessity National Battlefield Friendship Hill National Historic Site Gettysburg National Military Park All in Pennsylvania

Nearest other NPS sites

Sources

Park details, alerts, fees and passes, visitor centers and campgrounds: National Park Service Data API, snapshot of Oct 28, 2026.
Official park page: https://www.nps.gov/alpo/index.htm
Data: National Park Service (NPS) Data API, U.S. Department of the Interior (developer.nps.gov). This product uses the NPS Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the National Park Service. The National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior do not endorse OpenParks. Photos are NPS images shown with their original credits; park descriptions are short excerpts credited to the NPS. Always confirm current conditions on nps.gov before you travel.