Erie

For other places with the same name, see Erie (disambiguation).

Erie waterfront and downtown as seen from the top of the Bicentennial Tower

Erie is a city of about 100,000 in Northwestern Pennsylvania. It is Pennsylvania's only lake port on the Great Lakes (Lake Erie).

Understand

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. It made its mark on history during the early 19th century, when Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's small fleet of warships used the bay (then known as Misery Bay) to regroup and repair between skirmishes with the British fleet on Lake Erie. (A reconstruction of the Brig "Niagara" can be found at the Erie Maritime Museum.)

The late nineteenth century brought industrial development, primarily heavy equipment and the locomotive industry. Like many other cities in the so-called rust belt, this development has slowly withered away to outside competition, with the notable exception being General Electric, which maintains a large and active presence in the rail industry (GE Rail).

Erie's climate is similar to most of the Northern United States, but with a big winter twist known as lake effect snow. Snowfall amounts vary wildly within a 40 mi (64 km) zone south of the lake. Most of the time the immediate vicinity of the lake receives light snowfall, and the range from three to fifteen miles receives a whollop. Snowfalls are also generally heavier as you go east. The NY/PA border region typically receives the most snow until you move far enough away from the lake for the effects to diminish. The roads are well maintained, but some snow squalls come on so suddenly, it is impossible to keep up. If you are driving in the winter, be prepared with emergency gear. The good news is that by January, it is often cold enough for Lake Erie to freeze over, greatly diminishing the lake effect.

Get in

By plane

Erie is within a two-hour drive of Buffalo-Niagara, Cleveland-Hopkins and Pittsburgh International Airports. A medium-sized airport worth considering is 1 Erie International Airport (ERI  ^IATA). The airport is served by three major airlines: United (via Chicago), Delta (via Detroit), and American (via Charlotte and Chicago). Bargains can be had, and the airport is a breeze to navigate, get in and out of, and also has a full complement of car rental agencies on-site. Parking is easy, but it is also fairly pricey. (Erie's airport is not large enough to justify a competitive parking market like most larger airports have. Park on-site, get a friend to drive, or take a cab/bus.)  

By bus

Erie has a Greyhound Bus Station across from the Library and Maritime Museum. Buses come and go frequently from Buffalo and Cleveland. Erie can be accessed from New York City, Chicago, and Toronto typically with only one transfer. City buses stop at the station, so you can visit parts of the city without a taxi or car, although you will have less freedom.

By train

• 2 Union Station, 125 W 14th St (downtown area). (updated Oct 2023) Train operator:
  • Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates trains throughout the United States of America. (updated Dec 2020) Route stopping in Erie:
    • Lake Shore Limited operating daily between Chicago and Boston or New York City. It makes stops at most stations along the route, though it does not stop at some of the smallest stations. Trains consist of train cars from both branches between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer). The trains split into separate branches between Albany (Rensselaer) and both Boston and New York City. Stops between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer) include South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Bryan, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Schenectady. Stops between Albany (Rensselaer) and Boston include Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester, Framingham. Stops between Albany (Rensselaer) and New York City include Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, and Croton-on-Hudson. Eastbound trains call at Erie in the middle of the night while westbound trains have a more reasonable departure time around 7AM.
      

By car

Erie is easily accessible via Interstate 90 and 79. The Bayfront Connector Highway links the northern terminus of I-79 through the city along the bayfront and then through the industrial East Side and newer housing and office developments around Knowledge Park and Penn State University (Behrend College). The highway is 3-4 lanes, but has few buildings or side streets that connect directly with the road, making traffic relatively smooth and making it much easier to get in and out of the downtown. The highway is a scenic detour away from the traffic and strip malls of I-90 south of Erie.

Get around

By car

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). The two major north-south routes through the center of town are State and Peach (Peach diverges to the southwest after 26th street.) Major N/S streets listed from west to east are Pittsburgh, Greengarden, Liberty, Chestnut, Peach, State, French, Parade, East. As you can see, this naming convention is not hard and fast, and breaks down in all directions the further you get from the city center. The suburbs of Fairview, Millcreek, Harborcreek, Lawrence Park and Wesleyville also stick to this rough grid pattern to some degree as you move away from the city.

By bus

Bus (EMTA) service primarily stretches from Fairview in the west to Harborcreek in the east, and south to the I-90/Peach Street shopping district. Regional shuttles connect the outlying communities of Edinboro, Waterford, Corry, Union City, Girard and Albion. EMTA is available by phone at ☏ +1 814 452-3515.

By taxi

Taxis are rare in Erie. Taxi services are provided by Hansen's Errand Service where pre-booking is needed. Other options are Uber and Lyft.

See

Bicentennial Tower with fireworks

• 1 Erie Art Museum, 411 State Street, ☏ +1 814-459-5477. Tu-Sa 11AM-5PM, Su 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 though 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. Niagara is typically in port, but does travel to historical events all across the Great Lakes region, so consider calling ahead or drive by to see if she's around.  
• 4 The Bicentennial Tower (at the foot of State Street). Constructed in 1995 to celebrate Erie's Bicentennial, the tower stands about 100 feet high and one can easily see out to Long Point or over Erie.  
• 5 Asbury Woods Nature Center, 4105 Asbury Rd. 
• 6 Firefighter's Historical Museum, 428 Chestnut Street, ☏ +1 814 456-5969. Jun-Aug: Sa 11AM-4PM, Su 1-4PM; Sep-Oct: Sa Su 1-4PM. A small fire station built in 1903, it was used during the age when firefighters used horses to pull a hose on a cart. The horses were used here until 1921 and the fire station closed in 1974. Inside the museum you can see various contraptions firefighters used to put out fires before the firetruck existed. Hours of operation are limited, but you can call to schedule an appointed during other times. Adults $4, children (6-12) $1, firefighters $2.50. 
• 7 Watson-Curtze Mansion, 356 West Sixth St, ☏ +1 814-454-1813. Tu-Sa: 10AM-5PM, Su Noon-5PM. A historic mansion built on "Millionaire's Row" in 1891. Adults $10, students/seniors $7.50, children under 6 free.  
• 8 Tom Ridge Environmental Center (TREC), 301 Peninsula Drive, Suite 1, ☏ +1 814 833-7424. Daily 10AM to 6PM. An educational center dedicated to teaching visitors about the unique 3,200 acres of Presque Isle and the many different forms of life that inhabit the peninsula. TREC also serves as a center for research, contributing to conservation efforts and promoting environmental awareness, helping to preserve Presque Isle, the site of Pennsylvania’s only seashore. Open year-round. Free admission to interactive exhibits, glass-enclosed tower, and orientation movie. Free.  
• 9 Fort LeBoeuf Museum, 103 South High St, ☏ +1 814-796-2356, flbhistoricalsociety@gmail.com. F 10AM-3PM, Sa 10AM-4PM, Su noon-4PM. Exhibits on the Native Americans who lived here, the French and British fur trade, and archaeological excavations of the site. By donation. (updated Apr 2023)
• 10 St. Peter Cathedral, 230 W 10th St. An imposing Roman Catholic church built in a Gothic revival style, dating back to 1893. (updated Sep 2023)
• 11 Cathedral of St. Paul, 134 W 7th St. The main Episcopal cathedral in Erie. (updated Sep 2023)
• 12 First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, 250 W 7th St. Presbyterian church built in 1930. (updated Sep 2023)

Do

• 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. With free entry, copious parking, and miles of beaches, it's not hard to see why this park is the most visited state park in Pennsylvania, averaging over a million guests a year. (updated Jan 2022)
• 2 Waldameer Park and Water World, 220 Peninsula Drive (I-79 to West 12th, take Peninsula Drive North; right before the entrance to Presque Isle), ☏ +1 814-835-7435, +1 814-838-3591. vary. Family-oriented amusement and water slide park, in the summer is a popular place to beat the summer heat. free admission.  
• 3 Splash Lagoon, 8091 Peach Street, toll-free: +1-866-3-SPLASH (775274). Another great place to take the kids. Located immediately off of I-90 on Peach Street, this indoor waterpark operates year round.  
• Erie Wine Country. There are wineries north and east of the city, including Mazza, Penn Shore, and Presque Isle Vineyards. 
• 4 Erie Playhouse, 10 W 10th St. Erie's oldest theater group, producing around 12 shows per year. Musicals, comedies, dramas, concerts, and youth theater are common events. Shows run Thursdays through Sundays as a general rule  
• 5 Erie Philharmonic, 811 State Street, ☏ +1 814-455-1375. The Erie Philharmonic is an orchestra that plays a variety of concerts at the Warner Theatre on State Street, which is on the National Register of Historical Places for its Art Deco style. Tickets can be ordered online, and they go well in advance. $16-48.  
• 6 Presque Isle Downs & Casino, 8199 Perry Highway, toll-free: +1-866-ERIE-FUN (3743-386). Casino open 24/7. Live horse racing seasonal. Free Admission.  
• 7 Erie Bluffs State Park. (updated Mar 2018)

Spectator sports

Erie is a city of minor league athletics with two minor league professional teams and a major junior hockey team. The city also has two NCAA Division II athletic programs, one of which will move to Division I in July 2024.

• 8 UPMC Park (formerly Jerry Uht Park), ☏ +1 814-456-1800. Home of the Erie SeaWolves, Erie's minor league baseball team.  
• 9 Erie Insurance Arena (Tullio Arena), 809 French St. The arena is home to Erie's other minor league teams, the Otters (hockey). (updated Jun 2016)
• 10 Gannon Golden Knights. Teams representing Gannon University, most of which compete in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). (updated Apr 2024)
• 11 Mercyhurst Lakers. Teams representing Mercyhurst University, most of which compete in the PSAC for now. Five of its teams are either de jure or de facto Division I members—women's bowling, men's and women's ice hockey, and men's and women's water polo. The rest of the Lakers' teams will move to Division I in July 2024, with the university joining the Northeast Conference. (updated Apr 2024)

Buy

The main shopping area in Erie is centered around Peach Street, south of the city to its junction with I-90. Many of the typical national chains can be found, many of which are contained in Millcreek Mall, a sprawling single-story mall/strip complex.

Smaller niche shopping is available on the west side of the city in plazas on West 8th, 12th, and 26th Streets. The downtown also has a few stores, but has not been a large retail draw since the late 1970s.

Erie is a popular shopping destination because of Pennsylvania's waiver of sales tax on clothing. Many people from the surrounding states and Ontario make special trips to Erie for this reason.

• 1 Millcreek Mall Complex, 5800 Peach St, ☏ +1 814-868-9000. (updated Mar 2019)

Eat

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. They are so well liked that there are stories of people from Erie who moved to other parts of the country having Smith's Hot Dogs overnighted to their new home. Good for camping and grilling out.

There are plenty of chain restaurants in Erie as well as ethnic and local places to eat. Peach Street has a large concentration of restaurants as does downtown Erie.

• All Aboard Diner, ☏ +1 814-774-9303. 
• Barbato's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria. 

• Calamari's Squid Row, ☏ +1 814-459-4276. 
• Dutch Treat Restaurant, ☏ +1 814-654-7228. 
• Hibachi Japanese Steak House, ☏ +1 814-838-2495. 
• Max & Erma's Restaurant, ☏ +1 814-860-3332. 
• Mi Scuzi Restaurante Italiano, ☏ +1 814-454-4533. 
• Sara's, ☏ +1 814-833-1957. 
• Valerio's Italian Restaurant, ☏ +1 814-833-2959. 

Drink

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. 

Sleep

Hotels are concentrated along the heavily travelled Interstate 90 corridor, primarily at the Peach and State St. exits. There are also a number of chain and locally based hotels and motels along Interstate 79 north of I-90 and to the west on 12th and 26th streets towards Presque Isle. Finally, the downtown offers a third option, offering anything from barebones motel to full-service hotel to bed and breakfast.

• Sleep Inn, 8100 Peach Street, ☏ +1 814 864-1010. 
• Sara's Campground, 50 Peninsula Dr, ☏ +1 814 833-4560. Great campsite located on the water and adjacent to Presque Isle State Park. Pitch your tent right on the beach or in a designated site in the woods. There's also RV parking. 
• 1 SpringHill Suites, 2087 Interchange Road, ☏ +1 814-864-5000. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Accommodations include complimentary Internet, flat screen TV, and pantry area. Guests will also have access to complimentary hot breakfast, complimentary parking, indoor pool and fitness center. $128. 
• Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel, 55 W Bay Rd, ☏ +1 814 454-2005. Polished hotel featuring a restaurant & a bar offering bay views, plus an outdoor pool & a hot tub. (updated Dec 2019)

Stay safe

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. Near the General Electric plant near Harborcreek, however, the depressed, formerly industrial neighbourhoods can breed much in the way of criminal activity; it's recommended that a tourist avoid these areas, although these areas do not offer much in the way of what a visitor would wish to see to begin with.

Perry Square in Erie's urban core has multiple bars that are frequented on weekends by both rowdy college kids from Gannon and middle-aged professionals; one must be extremely careful when driving downtown overnight, especially after final call at 1:30AM.

Other than these notes, one should just use common sense; avoid flashing expensive articles while in thickly populated areas such as downtown Erie.

Go next

• Chautauqua
• Buffalo is an hour and a half east on I-90.
• Cleveland is an hour and a half west on I-90.
• Conneaut
• Meadville
• Franklin
• Titusville
• Finger Lakes
• Holiday Valley
• Peek'n Peak

Routes through Erie

Toledo ← Cleveland ←	W  E	→ Buffalo (Depew) → Rensselaer
END ←	N  S	→ Meadville → Pittsburgh
Cleveland ← Conneaut ←	W  E	→ Jct E → Fredonia → Buffalo
Cleveland ← Conneaut ←	W  E	→ Fredonia → Buffalo
Merges with ←	W  E	→ becomes → Evans → Buffalo
END ←	N  S	→ Jct W E → Titusville → Franklin