• Photo of Lemon House, Level #6, and Engine House on a beautiful summer day.

    Allegheny Portage Railroad

    National Historic Site Pennsylvania

"...Even if it's as Big as a Mountain!"

The first railroad to circumvent the Allegheny Mountains, the Allegheny Portage Railroad was the finishing piece of the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal.  "The Portage," opened in 1834, marking the first time that there was one, direct route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.  All things to all people, it served merchants, passengers, slaves in pursuit of freedom, and soldiers from the Mexican War.

Features

  • Today, visitors can see the tavern, fancy parlor, and the dining room of this magnificent stone building.

    Lemon House

    Owned and operated by Samuel and Jean Lemon, the Lemon House served as an inn and tavern during the days of the Allegheny Portage Railroad.

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  • At the top of each inclined plane was an engine house like this one. Thanks to local historian and licensed engineer Fred Connacher, you can see the wheels, gears, pullies, pistons, and sheaves necessary to hoist canal boats and train cars.

    Engine House #6 Exhibit Shelter

    Visit the Engine House #6 Exhibit Shelter to see life-like recreations of machinery needed to hoist canal boats and train cars over Inclined Plane 6.

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  • Staple Bend Tunnel was the first railroad tunnel in America, built for the Allegheny Portage Railroad. Be advised, it is not at the main park unit, but rather near the town of Mineral Point, 5 miles from Johnstown. It is a roughly 5 mile round trip.

    Staple Bend Tunnel

    A unit of the Allegheny Portage Railroad located at Mineral Point, PA, 5 miles from Johnstown.

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Did You Know?

Blair Gap Run stream in woods

Blair Gap Run is a headwater mountain stream running in and out of Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site. Originating near Cresson, PA, it courses down the Allegheny Front eventually making its way to the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.