A weekend in Laurel Highlands, PA

For my September 2023 trip, my friend Sheri and I took a trip to the Laurel Highlands area of Pennsylvania. {If you’re new to Catching Katie- I try to take a road trip or explore a new place to me once a month}. Our true goal of the trip was to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, as well as the collection of his houses at Polymath Park, but we ended up discovering so many other great things about this area. Read on to plan your own weekend visiting Laurel Highlands, PA

What do see/do in Laurel Highlands

The Laurel Highlands area of Pennslyvania has to much to offer! Read the full blog to find out about it all, or click on the links to skip ahead to a specific area in the post.

• Frank Lloyd Houses (Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob and Polymath Park)
• History (Fort Necessity, Washington Tavern, Fort Ligonier, Hanna’s Town, Flight 93 Memorial)
• The Outdoors (Ohiopyle State Park, white water rafting and skiiing)
• and more! (Nemacolin, Mr. Rogers & brewery tours)

Laurel Highlands and Frank Lloyd Wright

Fallingwater

Did you know that Fallingwater is one of the United States 24 UNESCO World Heritage sites? It is also probably Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous work. The home stands over a waterfall and is such a magical setting. It was designed by Wright as a summer home in 1935 for the Kaufmann family (owners of the former department store) who would come to get away from Pittsburgh. Originally the land was a summer camp, and the Kaufmanns and employees would spend time there using the cabins, tennis courts, pools and clubhouse. But from 1936-1938 local craftsmen built the 9,300 sq. ft. main house, followed by the guesthouse the next year.

The Kaufmanns loved the area, and would spend their time hiking in the surrounding woods. In fact, next to the front door, there’s some soap on the rope so you can wash up in the stream-fed fountain. Of course, that is just small part of the home that blends the outdoors with daily life.

Touring Fallingwater

Fallingwater is just beautiful and is just such an incredible feat, evident from the moment you enter the house. The cantilevered house has couches that were built into the wall, windows galore, and even a walkway that leads down to the stream. In fact, 4,400 sq. ft. of the floor plan in the main house is made up of the outdoor terrace. Not to mention that it’s literally built over top of a waterfall! Wright’s design mission was to make houses blend in with nature, and to bring the outside in. Wright’s signature color, Cherokee Red, is all over the house, and is one of only two colors used, the other being the ochre color of the concrete.

The Kaufmann’s son donated the house to the West Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963 and that’s when it opened to the public. Since then, over 5 million people have visited. I could go on and on about the house and its features, but I’ll let you experience if for yourself when you visit. It is open from 8-4 every day except Wednesdays. The guided architectural tour that we opted for is $35, though there are more options for tours when you book online. It is closed during some winter months, and tours sell out so be sure to book in advance. When you are finished with the tour, visitors are welcome to walk the grounds. There are several hiking paths, including one short path that gives you the grand view of the house.

Nearby are a few other of FLW other homes: Kentuck knob, and Polymath Park. 

Kentuck Knob 

Kentuck Knob was built by Wright in 1956 and opened to the public in 1996. It was built for the Hagan family (makers of ice cream) who were friends of the Kaufmann‘s. They commissioned a smaller home near Fallingwater in 1956 and lived in it for 30 years. It is now open for visitors from March through December. Tickets are $28 a person, $20 for seniors, or $18 for students and children.  See their website for more information.

Polymath Park

An important aspect of our weekend in Laurel Highlands, PA was to tour Polymath Park. Polymath Park is a complex with four different homes. In the 1960s two families commissioned Peter Berndston, a student under Frank Lloyd Wright, to build summer homes for them. They both were designed under the Usonian style and incorporating the outdoors with the home design. In 2000 the Papinchak family purchased a nearby home, known as Tree Tops, and lived in it for awhile before turning it into a restaurant that can be visited today. A few years later they bought the two Berndston designed homes and 130 acres around it, and thus began Polymath Park.

Eating at Tree Tops restaurant.

When visiting Polymath Park, there are several tour options to choose from, and we opted for the tour of 4 houses with lunch at Tree Tops restaurant.  The lunch includes an individual appetizer, one from three lunch offerings, dessert, and a non-alcoholic beverage. I’m vegetarian and gluten intolerant, and they were able to accommodate my needs- and it was delicious! If you have a chance to eat at Tree Tops, I highly recommend it! They even have little tree houses on the property for private dining experiences.

Balter House

The first house we visited on our Polymath Tour was the Balter House. This house was designed in 1964 by Peter Berndtson, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. He encompassed Wright’s aesthetic of embracing architecture with nature, including the use of Wright’s signature Cherokee Red color in the concrete floors. There are skylights, windows galore, a cantilevered design, vertical boards, exposed beams, a large fireplace and beautiful outdoor living spaces. The best part- people can rent the house and stay overnight. Check out their website for more information about staying in this beautiful space.

The Duncan House

In 1956, Wright collaborated with Marshall Erdman Company to produce prefab houses that were more affordable for the average family. Only 11 of these prefab collaboration Usonian homes came to fruition. And Elizabeth and Donald Duncan, who had long admired Wright, were able to make their dream of living in one of his homes come true. This home features yellow panel siding, a carport, a long narrow hallway leading to three bedrooms and a large basement. By 2002, the house was empty and falling to ruin. However, two years later it was purchased by the Papinchak’s dismantled, moved to Polymath Park, and then painstakingly put back together. Now, it is open for visits, or for overnight stays. I loved this home, with its large kitchen and beautiful, colorful mid-century modern furniture.

Mäntylä House

In 2016 Polymath Park acquired yet another Frank Lloyd Wright house, the Lindholm House. This house is often referred to as the Mäntylä house, which means “house of the pines”. This house was originally built in 1952 in Wisconsin, where it was surrounded by pine trees. Over time however, those trees became a stripmall, and the family of the original owners sought to have it preserved, which is why it was bought and moved to Polymath Park. This beautiful, low-slung home has TONS of storage, which is a bit different from other FLW homes. And like the other homes at Polymath Park, it also can be rented for overnight stays.

I love visiting Frank Lloyd Wright houses, and I can’t wait to visit even more. If you want to check out some other blog posts about my visits to some of his houses, check out this one about the Frank Lloyd Wright Smith house in Michigan or this about the Westcott House in Springfield, OH.

Laurel Highlands and History

Fort Necessity Battlefield

During our weekend in Laurel Highlands, PA we weren’t expecting to experience so much history, but we stumbled onto the National Historic Battlefield of Fort Necessity when we were visiting a nearby winery. Fort Necessity was built at the beginning of the French and Indian War and in fact, it is the only surrender that George Washington had in his life. It was also his first military engagement, so don’t hold it against him. The current fort is reconstructed in the same meadow where the battle took place. There’s a nice visitor center that tells you all about the battle and the events leading up to and after it. They offer tours and there’s also 5 miles of hiking trails in the area. The visitor center is open from 9-5, but the grounds are open from dawn to dusk. Admission is free!

Mount Washington Tavern

Located on the grounds is also Mount Washington Tavern, an inn along the National Road. George Washington actually bought the land later in his life in 1770. Around 1830s, the tavern was built and it ran until the railroad boom caused the popularity of the National Road to decline. The self-guided museum is open May 1 through October 31 from 10-4. In the visitor center at Fort Necessity there is a section that talks about the history and making of the National Road.

Fort Ligonier

Hanna’s Town

Wanting some more history, we decided to take a visit to Hanna’s Town in Greensburg, PA. Hanna’s Town was of the first seat of government for Westmoreland County, established in 1773. The small town, named after founder Robert Hanna, had a courthouse and ale house (in the same building!) and was therefore a place many stopped at.

In addition to bringing people to town with the tavern, Hanna’s town served as a recruitment center for the militia and Continental Army. These were among the first American troops west of the Alleghenies. You will seen the flag used by the militia proudly displayed. It features a rattlesnake on the brink of striking British Union Jack with the words “Don’t Tread on Me”. This is now the official flag of the county. Another artifacts they have at Hanna’s Town is an authentic late 18th-century Conestoga wagon.

Unfortunately, Hanna’s Town was attacked and burned on July 13, 1782, by a raiding party of Seneca and their British allies. The town never recovered. However, in 1969, the county purchased the 180 acre property and rebuilt Hanna’s Tavern, the Fort and some other structures. Visitors can walk the area, or take a guided tour, like we did. It was great walking through the reconstructed buildings, learning the history.

Three log cabins have been relocated to Hanna’s Town, and near the fort is a plaque remembering Peggy Shaw, the little girl who was killed during the attack on the town while she tried to run after a child. They have reenactments of the battle several times a year. Hanna’s Town is open from May to October, Thursday through Saturday 10:30-4:30 and costs $10 for adults, $6 for students and $8 for seniors. There is also a history museum about the county that was pretty interesting, and the tour was great! Check out their website for more information.

Flight 93 National Monument

We stopped and saw the Flight 93 National Memorial when Sheri and I visited Gettysburg last year. This memorial is to remember the victims of Flight 93 that went down on September 11, 2001. When you pull in, the first thing you see is the monument called Tower of Voices. It’s a 93 foot tall wind chime that represents the 40 passengers and crew who passed away on this flight.

At the visitor center there are artifacts and a display giving the chronological order of events that happened on September 11. It is an extremely emotional visit, but a beautiful way to honor those that died in the terrorist attack. There’s also a memorial plaza and a wall of names near where the plane impacted the ground. The visitors center is open from 9-5 and the park is open from sunrise to sunset.

Laurel Highlands and the Outdoors

Ohiopyle State Park

Along with Fallingwater and Polymath Park, at the top of our wish list during our weekend in Laurel Highlands, PA was Ohiopyle State Park. This beautiful park offers over 80 miles of hiking trails, waterfalls, biking trails and more.

We took a short trail to a waterfall called Cucumber Falls. There’s also a parking lot so anyone can access it. There were people walking behind the waterfall, or wading in the water.

There are 10 waterfalls in Ohiopyle, including the Ohiopyle Falls, which are right off the main street and near the visitor center.

Additionally, there are two natural waterslides in Ohiopyle. At Meadow Run visitors can sit in the creekbed and ride down the streams. Definitely not for me but the people were mostly (kids more than adults as you can imagine) having fun.

If you’re in the mood for biking, the Great Allegheny Passage has 28 miles that run through the Ohiopyle State Park. There’s actually 150 miles of trails on the Great Allegheny Passage and if you get real adventurous you could follow it around mountains and rivers. 

And if you want even MORE adventure, consider doing a white water rafting trip along the river. There are lots of options at Ohiopyle, and it’s a great way to spend the afternoon. There are a few restaurants and ice cream shops in the small town as well.

Skiing at Laurel Highlands

Speaking of sporting adventure, Laurel Highlands is known for some good skiing. In fact, there are three ski resorts there! Though we visited in summer, the Airbnb we stayed at during our weekend in Laurel Highlands, PA was located in Hidden Valley. The ski lift was just steps from our door.

Other places you can check out for skiing/snowboarding include Seven Springs Mountain Resort and…

Nemacolin

An option for a place to stay (though we didn’t choose it) is Nemacolin, which is a luxury resort with 5 different choices of lodging. Nemacolin also has tons of experiences offered for people staying there. It offers golf courses, a spa, and activities for children. There are pools, bowling, animals and so much more.

Latrobe 

A place we didn’t visit during our trip, and I sure wish we had was Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Latrobe is home of Mr. Rogers (and apparently also the birthplace of the banana split).  On the campus of St. Vincent College, located in town, there is a Fred Rogers center. The college also has a small museum displaying, among other things, some of his famous cardigans. There’s a bench in town where visitors can sit next to a statue of Fred. Guess I’ll be heading back to Laurel Highlands.

Laurel Highlands Brewery Tour

If, like me, you enjoy visiting places and checking them off a list, you may be interested in the Laurel Highlands Pour Tour! This tour and passport book includes 31 wineries, breweries, distilleries, meaderies and cideries. The passport book is free, and there is also an app!

We were only in Laurel Highlands, PA for a long weekend, so we couldn’t hit up too many places. But the breweries we did check out were:

• Tattlebogle Ciderworks, a cidery located on a farm with 5 standard ciders, and experimental ciders. I had a flight and all the ciders were delicious! Visit Tattlebogle Friday through Sunday. The barn had lots of seating, and there was an outdoor area and stage for performers.
• Helltown Brewing is a brewery with multiple locations. We visited the taproom in Mt. Pleasant which is open 7 days a week. They had lots of beers to choose from, something to satisfy anyone’s tastes.
• All Saints Brewing Company in Greensburg, PA is open from Wednesday-Sunday. They have 8-10 beers to choose from in the taproom, and the beers are brewed in that same facility, which has tons of seating, inside and out.
• Christian W. Klay winery has two locations, and we stopped at the taproom on Rt. 40 before seeing Fort Necessity. There, we were able to sample wines and well as moonshine- for free! A lot of it was really tasty, and there are wines ranging from dry to sweet. My favorite however was the pickle moonshine!
• Vin de Matrix winery was really great- just lovely people in a beautiful setting. We did a tasting there, served tableside, and there were lots of tasty options. They are open Friday-Sunday, make sure you stop by when you are in the area.

What do you think?

I had no idea that Laurel Highlands, PA had so much to offer- and there is even more that I didn’t get to see during my weekend there. Big thanks to my travel buddy and friend Sheri for helping ensure the trip came together- can’t wait for our next trip! Have you been to Laurel Highlands? Have you visited any Frank Lloyd Wright houses? Do you have any suggestions for a future trip? I love and appreciate your comments and ideas. Until next time!

-Catching Katie