Discover 7 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Columbia (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: National Watch and Clock Museum, Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal, and Wright's Ferry Mansion. Also, be sure to include Columbia Market House in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Columbia (Pennsylvania).
Table of Contents
National Watch and Clock Museum
Museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania. The National Watch and Clock Museum, located in Columbia, Pennsylvania, is one of a very few museums in the United States dedicated solely to horology, which is the history, science and art of timekeeping and timekeepers.
Like its subsidiary institution, the NAWCC Library & Research Center, the National Watch and Clock Museum is operated by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC), a non-profit organization with about 21,000 members and an educational mission.[1]
Address: 514 Poplar St, 17512-2124 Columbia
Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal
Body of water. The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal between Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, and Havre de Grace, Maryland, at the head of Chesapeake Bay, provided an interstate shipping alternative to 19th-century arks, rafts, and boats plying the difficult waters of the lower Susquehanna River. Built between 1836 and 1840, it ran 43 miles along the west bank of the river and rendered obsolete an older, shorter canal along the east bank. Of its total length, 30 miles were in Pennsylvania and 13 miles in Maryland. Though rivalry between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore, Maryland, delayed its construction, the finished canal brought increased shipments of coal and other raw materials to both cities from Pennsylvania's interior. Competition from railroads was a large factor in the canal's decline after 1855. Canal remnants, including a lock keeper's house, have been preserved in Maryland, and locks 12 and 15 have been preserved in Pennsylvania. A copy of a detailed survey blueprint of the entire canal system including structures and property ownership details was donated by the Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation to Millersville University. The survey consists of 67 pages, 98 x 30 cm. and is undated but the assumption is the original was created while the canal was in use.[2]
Wright's Ferry Mansion
Museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Wright's Ferry Mansion is a historic home located in Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1738, and is a 2 1/2-story, rectangular limestone dwelling with a gable roof and pent eave. It was built for Susanna Wright, an English Quaker poet and businesswoman, and its architecture reflects a mix of English and Germanic elements.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The house was restored to appear as in 1750 and is open to the public several days a week from May through October.[3]
Address: 38 S 2nd St, 17512-1402 Columbia
Columbia Market House
Market, Classes and workshops, Farmer's market, Shopping, Food and drink
Address: 15 S 3rd St, 17512-1404 Columbia
Bachman and Forry Tobacco Warehouse
Warehouse in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Bachman and Forry Tobacco Warehouse is a historic tobacco warehouse located at Columbia in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was built between 1893 and 1895, and is a 3 1/2-story, rectangular brick building with a gable roof. It sits on a stone foundation and measures 54 feet by 85 feet.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[4]
Columbia Public Library
Library
Address: 24 S 6th St, Columbia
Columbia Wagon Works
Historical landmark in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Columbia Wagon Works, also known as Colonial Wagon Company, is a historic wagon factory complex located at Columbia in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The complex was built between 1889 and 1920, and includes seven contributing buildings. They are rectangular brick factory buildings with heavy timber frame construction. Six of the buildings are arranged in an "H"-shape. The buildings range in height from one to 3 1/2-stories. The wagon company closed in 1926, after which the buildings housed a tobacco warehouse operated by the American Cigarette & Cigar Company and produce warehouses. Between 1994 and 1996, the complex was converted to house 60 apartments.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.[5]