Altoona is a city in central Pennsylvania. Altoona was founded as a railroad town by the Pennsylvania Railroad as the site of their Altoona Works shops, and its history as a railroad town still shows in the town today despite the decline of the railroad and its eventual absorption into Penn Central, Conrail, and now Norfolk Southern.

Altoona Downtown from 5th Ward

Get in

By train

See also: Rail travel in the United States

• 1 Altoona Station, 1231 11th Avenue. (updated Nov 2023)
  • Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates trains throughout the United States of America. (updated Dec 2020) Route stopping at Altoona:
    • Pennsylvanian operates daily between Pittsburgh and New York City with stops in Greensburg, Latrobe, Johnstown, Altoona, Huntingdon, Lewistown, Harrisburg, Elizabethtown, Lancaster, Exton, Paoli, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark.

By car

Altoona is located along Interstate 99, which can be reached from I-70 from the Washington-Baltimore area or Pittsburgh area, from I-76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) from the Philadelphia area, or from I-80 from the New York City area. Altoona can also be reached directly from Pittsburgh via I-376/US 22.

By plane

Altoona's airport is Altoona-Blair County Airport (AOO). United Airlines operates direct flights to both Washington Dulles and Johnstown, PA. This is a very small airport and is a convenient 12 miles from the downtown area.

See

• 1 Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, 1 Cathedral Sq (13th Avenue at 13th Street), ☏ + 814-944-4603. A Roman Catholic cathedral  
• 2 Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark (west of Altoona on Kittanning Point Road). Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to allow trains to climb the steep Allegheny Mountains, this historic and well-known construction is a mecca for railfans. Located along the current Norfolk Southern east-west mainline, over 50 trains per day pass around the triple-track curve. Admission includes access to a small museum and a funicular ride up the hill to a grassy area on the inside of the curve, which has over 180 degrees' view of railroading action. $8.   The curve can also be viewed from on-board Amtrak's Pennsylvanian train between Altoona and Pittsburgh.
• Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum. in downtown Altoona is a museum showing Altoona's history as a railroad town. It features a model train layout, plus several interactive exhibits. It is closed during the winter.
• 3 Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (in nearby Gallitzen), 110 Federal Park Rd, Gallitzin, PA (The park is just off U.S. 22 approximately 12 miles west of Altoona and 10 miles east of Ebensburg. Take the Gallitzin Exit and follow the signs.), ☏ +1 814 886-6150. 9AM to 5PM daily. The Allegheny Portage Railroad was a great achievement in early travel. Charles Dickens, Jenny Linn, and Ulysses S. Grant traveled over the Allegheny Mountains. They braved a system that injured passengers on a weekly basis. A system of inclined planes and a nine hundred foot tunnel carved through solid rock by Welsh coalminers made this feat possible. For twenty years, it was the fastest way to cross the rough and wild terrain of Pennsylvania. The site features a recreated incline and winch used to pull portaged barges over the hill. $4.  

Do

• Altoona Curve Baseball, 1000 Park Avenue, toll-free: +1-877-99-CURVE (28783). Watch a live-action baseball team - up close and personal! 
• 1 Lakemont Park & The Island WaterPark, 700 Park Ave, toll-free: +1-800-434-8006. Family fun park, with the oldest operating wooden roller coaster in the world. All day unlimited pass (except batting cages) $19.95. Individual rides $2-$6. (updated Nov 2019)

Buy

• Boyer Candies outlet store. The manufacturer of Mallo Cup and Smoothies peanut butter cups is in Altoona and has an outlet store on site at their factory. Factory tours may possibly available. 
• Logan Town Center - strip mall with a Boscov's store.
• Logan Valley Mall, Route 220 & Goods Ln, +1 814 944-6128.
• Specialty shops in Altoona.

Eat

• Wong's Wok in the food court of the Logan Valley Mall, Route 220 & Goods Ln, +1 814 944-6128

Drink

• The Knickherbocker Tavern, 3957 W 6th Ave. Cool place with decent pub grub and a very wide selection of craft brews from all over the country (and the world). Kind of strange "suburban" location but probably the best bar in town, especially if you like beer. Reasonable prices. 

Sleep

• 1 Altoona Grand Hotel, 1 Sheraton Dr, ☏ +1 814-946-1631. Offers a lobby with a fountain and fireplace, 124-rooms, and Sunday Brunch buffet. (updated May 2016)

Go next

Routes through Altoona

Pittsburgh ← Johnstown ←	W  E	→ Lewistown → Harrisburg
Bellefonte ← State College ←	N  S	→ Bedford → to Cumberland
Pittsburgh ← Monroeville ←	W  E	→ Lewistown → Harrisburg