while in erie

Keystone DH 2024 @ Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

Want to explore the area during your visit? Here is your one stop shop to all things you have to do and/or try during your time in Erie, Pennsylvania!

Places

Erie Art Museum

Erie's Art Museum is the perfect place to experience remarkable art pieces from both local and world-famous artists. With over 8,000 objects, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Website: https://www.erieartmuseum.org/

Phone: (814) 459-5477

Address: 20 East 5th Street, Erie, PA 16507

Hours:

Erie Art Museum
Erie Art Museum
Inside the Erie Art Museum
Inside the Erie Art Museum

FEED Media Arts Center

Downtown Erie's prime destination for innovation, exhibition, education, and preservation of media art. Experience their collections, including Eclipsing Stars, Ether.exe, or Mirror Me!

Website: https://blog.feed.art/

Phone: +1 (814) 240-1080

Address: 1307 State St, Erie, PA 16501

Hours:

Feed Media Arts Center
FEED Media Arts Center
Eclipse Week
Eclipse Week at FEED

The Waterfront and Presque Isle

Visit the lakefront in downtown Erie, and make a trip out on the peninsula of Presque Isle! Check out these 15 recommended activities at Presque Isle from travel site Uncovering PA.

aerial view of Presque Isle on Lake Erie
aerial view of Presque Isle jutting onto Lake Erie. Photo by Ken Winters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Digital Visual Library.

Food

Erie Brewing Company and John's Wildwood pub & pie (at Knowledge Park near campus)

Located close to the Penn State Behrend campus, the Erie Brewing Company is a local favorite, with some amazing beverages brewed on site, from craft sodas to ales, IPAs, to stouts. You can take a tour of the brewery, and also order pizza, Buffalo wings, hoagies (all loved in this region) from John's Wildwood pub & pie restaurant next door / attached. This is where Behrend people (of age) go to celebrate surviving a tough week!

Knowledge Park location

Erie Brewing Company and Pub & Pie
Erie Brewing Company and the Pub & Pie

The Brewerie (at Union Station, downtown Erie)

Erie's first craft brew pub, located in our historic train station, visited on whistle stop tours by several presidents as well as sports icons Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey! They say the station is haunted by the ghosts of past travelers, but we just love the food and craft beverages at the Brewerie as a fine experience of Erie.

Address and Hours

interior of Brewerie at Union Station, downtown Erie, PA
the spacious train station dining area of the Brewerie

Erie Food Co-op and Co-op Cafe

Community-owned grocery store and deli with sit-down cafe. (No membership required.) There are two locations in Erie, but the one with the cafe is on 26th street.

Address and Hours

Cafe in the Erie Food Co-op
Cafe in the Erie Food Co-op

Flagship City Food Hall

Near Perry Square in the heart of downtown Erie, there's such a multitude of small international foods served at the Food Hall! You can feast on Dominican empañadas, Asian fusion glass noodles and kimchi, shawarma, and so much more, and if you wander in here for dinner from 6 -8pm, you will likely hear some live entertainment! (Monday is Trivia Night and Tuesday is Karaoke Night!)

Address and Hours

Flagship City Food Hall, Erie PA
Flagship City Food Hall when it first opened on November 20, 2022, showing some characteristic Erie snowfall in the foreground! Image Credit: Modern Mary

Fine Restaurant & Bar

Amazing Indian and Nepalese food—preferred by our colleagues! Their web presence is not the best, so you may want to verify the hours when you're here.

Address and Hours

Indian cuisine from the Fine Restaurant
Sampling of cuisine from the Fine Restaurant. Image Credit: Fine Restaurant on Facebook

Saigon Nights

Authentic and absolutely delicious Vietnamese cuisine near the Lake. Feast yourself on marvelous pho! (It's not dining in view of the lake, but you'll find yourself near the waterfront there.)

Address and Hours

Saigon Nights, Vietnamese restaurant in Erie, PA
Saigon Nights Restaurant. Image Credit: Saigon Nights on Facebook

Saras

Website: https://sarasandsallys.com/

Phone: (814) 833-1957'

Address: 25 Peninsula Dr, Erie, PA 16505

Hours

Looking for a place to eat Presque Isle State Park? Try Sara's! With lovely outdoor seating, you can enjoy the (hopefully) warm weather while trying their tasty milkshakes or ice cream!

Sara's outdoor seating
Sara’s outdoor seating
Sara's indoor
Indoors at Sara’s

Stanganelli’s Italian Food

Ever heard of Erie's iconic Pepperoni Balls? Their claim to fame comes from Stanganelli's, a family-owned Italian restaurant. Not a fan of pepperoni? Not a problem! They also have amazing calzones, meatballs, various pastas, sauces, and assorted breads.

Website: https://www.stanganellis.com/

Phone: 814-459-0101

Address: 1621 West 26th Street, Erie, PA 16508

Hours:

Stanganelli's logo
Stanganelli's pepperoni balls

Romolo Chocolates

Romolo Chocolates is the perfect place to add to your to-do list. For over 28 years, they have been making their delicious deserts to satisfy every person's sweet tooth. Be sure to try their famous and uniquely crafted Sponge Candy, which continues to be a fan favorite of Erieites and tourists alike!

Romolo's iconic sponge candy
Wondering what even is “sponge candy“? Here's a cross-section!
Website: https://romolochocolates.com/

Phone: 814-452-1933

Address: 1525 West 8th Street, Erie, PA 16505

Hours:

Romolo's Store Front

Smith's Hot Dogs

Although there is no specific restaurant in Erie with this, Smith's hot dogs are Erie's favorite! From Smith Provision Co., Inc., their skillfully crafted weiners, sausages, deli meats, bacon and hams have been a staple in Erie culture for four generations. You can buy these at most restaurants that serve hot dogs or grocery store!

Smith's foods