Erie is a city of about 100,000 in Northwestern Pennsylvania. It is Pennsylvania's only lake port on the Great Lakes (Lake Erie).
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Erie is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Pennsylvania. However, in terms of size and stature, there is a clear gulf between the first and second cities (Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) and the second-tier cities, like Erie, Allentown, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Harrisburg. Erie is roughly in the center of Pennsylvania's only coastline, bordering Lake Erie. The city sits on Presque Isle Bay, which is formed by a long, narrow peninsula known as Presque Isle that reaches from the west around the north of the city. Erie was founded in 1795 after the purchase of the surrounding territory from New York.
Erie is laid out in an easy to understand grid pattern paralleling the Lake Erie coastline. Numbered streets starting with the northern most 2nd Street run roughly east-west. (The bayfront highway loops around this grid, taking the place of what would be a "1st Street". Major E/W thoroughfares are 6th, 12th, 26th and 38th Street. The center of town is split north-south by State Street. N/S streets on the west side of town are typically named after trees (Peach, Poplar, Chestnut) and on the east side after countries (French, German, Holland).
1 Erie Art Museum, 411 State Street, ☏ +1 814-459-5477. Tue-Sat 11AM-5PM, Sun 1PM-5PM. The Erie Art Museum hosts over 5,000 pieces of art on State Street, along with 18-20 traveling exhibits annually. $2-4. 2 Erie Zoo, 423 West 38th Street, ☏ +1 814-864-4091. 10AM-5PM. A great zoo comparable to those of larger cities. Summer educational programs for children. Fun train ride through the zoo; great for the kids or kids at heart. $8. 3 Erie Maritime Museum and Brig Niagara, 150 East Front Street, ☏ +1 814-452-2744. A good place to get a hands-on look at an early nineteenth century sailing warship. The U.S.S.
1 Presque Isle State Park, 301 Peninsula Dr, ☏ +1 814-833-7424, presqueislesp@pa.gov.. Situated on a peninsula starting from about four miles west of downtown and then going north and east approximately ten miles. Most of the lake side of the peninsula is made up of sandy beaches. The bay side provides launching docks for boats and spots to fish. A 14-mile paved exercise and bike trail runs the entire length of the peninsula offering views of the lake beaches and wildlife refuges. Bicycles and boats are available for rental in and around the park. There is also a nature cruise starting near the Perry monument, on the southeastern side of the park.
Erie has a few local foods unique to the area that you might want to try: Greek Sauce- It's kind of like hot dog chili, but with different spices, and usually put on hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as other things. The local chain New York Lunch claims to have the 'original' Greek Sauce, and many would agree that theirs is the best. Ox Roast- Thin sliced beef cooked in a beef broth, usually eaten as an Ox Roast Sandwich. Pepperoni Balls and Pepperoni Bread- Italian Bread with pepperoni baked inside. Smith's Hot Dogs- A hot dog brand local to the area that is very tasty.
There are plenty of places to go for the night scene. Numerous bars and dance clubs are located throughout the metropolitan Erie area. Some night clubs are: The Plymouth, 1109 State St. One of the mainstays in downtown Erie, the Plymouth is great for all ages, with drink specials daily from 9PM-11PM Sloppy Duck saloon, ☏ +1 814 452-6699.
As in the rest of North America, the emergency number for fire, police, and ambulatory services is 911. The city of Erie is served by the Erie City Police Department, while Millcreek is served by the Millcreek Township Police Department. All ambulatory services are served by EmergyCare. Erie, for the most part, is safe, and an average tourist will have no problems with violent crime, especially in Millcreek, where the mall and other shopping areas are. The East Side, especially near lower Parade Street, can be more urban and rough, but the people are mainly working class immigrants for the most part, and will not cause a problem.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €26 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-10-21. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy