Things to Do in Allentown, PA: Attractions, Parks, and Events

Quick Answer: The useful things to do in Allentown, PA on a normal day are the free Allentown Art Museum, Da Vinci Science Center at 815 West Hamilton Street, America on Wheels, and a free walk at Cedar Beach Park or Lehigh Parkway. In mid-October 2026, Dorney Park is in its Halloween calendar, not a daily summer schedule. The Liberty Bell Museum on Hamilton Street is closed. The IronPigs' 2026 home season is over. Hours and prices below were checked on October 15, 2026, against each operator's own site.

Key Takeaways:

• Free and open this weekend: Allentown Art Museum, Thursday–Sunday 11 a.m.–4 p.m., admission free, with free parking in the Linden Street lot.
• Best rainy-day ticket: Da Vinci Science Center, Tuesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., general admission $24. Closed Monday.
• Fall thrill park: Dorney Park daily tickets are $49 online versus an $80 gate price, plus fees. Halloween Haunt is select nights, September 18–November 7.
• The closed one: Do not plan a visit to the Liberty Bell Museum. The collection is at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, adults $10.
• Shortcut: Pair this with our family activities guide, Allentown parks guide, Allentown restaurants, and Allentown coffee shops.

What Should You Do First in Allentown?

Things to do in Allentown: A search for attractions, museums, parks, baseball, hockey, seasonal events, and an easy day in Allentown and the west side of the Lehigh Valley.

Allentown works best when you pick a neighborhood and stay there. Downtown Hamilton Street holds the art museum, Da Vinci Science Center, PPL Center, and La Vida Café. The west side holds Cedar Beach, Dorney Park, and the Fairgrounds Farmers Market. The zoo and Trexler Nature Preserve sit together on Game Preserve Road in Schnecksville, north of the city. Trying to do all three zones in one afternoon is how the day turns into parking lots.

Local rule of thumb: If you have one free afternoon, do the art museum and a Hamilton Street coffee. If you have kids and a full day outside summer, buy Da Vinci tickets before you drive. If the date is a fall weekend, check the Dorney calendar before you assume the rides are open at 11.

Is Dorney Park Open, and What Does It Cost?

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom lists its visitor address as 4000 Dorney Park Road, Allentown, PA 18104. The park has been here since 1884. The current homepage describes more than 60 rides, Planet Snoopy for younger kids, and Wildwater Kingdom. That water park is part of the park's identity. The October pages we checked are about Halloween, not a published water-park schedule, so do not assume the slides are running on a fall visit.

As of October 15, 2026, the park is in its fall event window:

• Halloween Haunt presented by Snickers: select nights, September 18 through November 7. The homepage says the event was extended to November 6 and 7.
• Tricks and Treats: the family daytime Halloween event, described by the park as all fun and no fear, on select dates from September 19 through November 7, with a bonus day on November 7.

The daily ticket page lists a park ticket at $49 online against an $80 gate price, plus processing fees of up to $9.99 and applicable taxes. That ticket includes park admission and fall events on select dates. A Halloween Haunt bundle, park admission plus haunted mazes the same night, is $64 and is listed as valid on select nights from September 18 through October 31. The bundle end date and the November 6–7 haunt extension are both on official pages. If you are going the first weekend of November, buy the ticket the calendar actually accepts for that night.

Fall hours change by date. The official calendar is the source for whether a given Thursday is closed and what time Friday night opens. The information line published for non-media callers is (610) 395-3724.

Which Allentown Museums Are Open, and What Do They Cost?

Allentown Art Museum

The Allentown Art Museum at 31 North Fifth Street is free. Hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the third Thursday of each month the museum stays open until 8 p.m., and the Third Thursdays page says art-making starts at 5:30 p.m. Parking is free in the lot at Fifth and Linden. The museum is closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

On October 15, 2026, the homepage listed Revolution Retold on view through October 18, 2026, Tiffany Studios landscape windows as ongoing, and a Community Art Lab with Rosa Camacho that afternoon from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Exhibitions turn over. The free admission and the Thursday–Sunday hours are the standing facts.

Our Allentown Arts District guide covers the walk around the museum, the ArtsWalk, and where to park downtown.

Da Vinci Science Center

Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion is at 815 West Hamilton Street. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday is closed, except select holiday Mondays. The center is also closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

General admission, which the center says already includes a 9.5% infrastructure fee, is $24 for the general public, $22 for seniors, and $20.40 for military and first responders. Members are free. Toddlers age 2 and under are free. The special exhibition Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission is listed from September 29, 2026, through January 19, 2027, at $10 for the general public and seniors, and it requires a general-admission ticket. Admission does not include parking. On October 15 the ticket page warned that the Spiral Parking Deck is closed October 14–18 and pointed visitors to the Maple Deck.

America on Wheels

America on Wheels at 5 North Front Street is open year-round: Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday noon to 4 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday. It closes Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, July 4, and Labor Day, and it can close for private events.

Admission is $20 for adults, $16 for seniors 65 and older, $12 for youth ages 5–17, and free for children 4 and under when they are with a family. First responders, veterans, and active military with ID are $10. A valid Museums for All Access card is $3. Seniors are free on the first Thursday of each month for individuals, not groups, and the museum marks that offer as limited time.

The Liberty Bell story, and the museum that is actually open

The Liberty Bell Museum in the basement of the old Zion church at 622 Hamilton Street closed in 2023 after the building was sold. The Lehigh County Historical Society says the collections moved to the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum at 432 West Walnut Street. The society's own history page says the replica bell remained at the church. That basement is not a walk-in museum. Do not build a day around ringing it.

The Heritage Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday. Non-member adults are $10. Children ages 2–11 are $3. Under age 2 is free. Members are free. The museum and its outlying sites are normally closed on major holidays. The research library is Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday by appointment at (610) 435-1074.

What Is Going On at the Ballpark and PPL Center?

IronPigs and the ballpark name

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Their 2026 home schedule ran from opening day on March 27 against Toledo through a last homestand, September 8–13, against Worcester. By October 15, 2026, that home season is finished.

On September 10, 2026, the team announced the ballpark will be renamed Jefferson Park beginning with the 2027 season. Coca-Cola stays the exclusive beverage provider. The ticket page says 2027 single-game tickets will be on sale soon and gives (610) 841-7447 for questions. There is no published 2027 single-game price to quote yet. A 2026 ticket price would be a price for a season that is already over.

PPL Center

PPL Center at 701 Hamilton Street is open for events, not on a daily attraction schedule. The A–Z guide says most events open doors one hour before start, and the QNB Box Office is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m., plus one hour before doors on event days. The guide lists (484) 273-4490 for box-office questions. The events page lists (610) 224-4625.

Ticket prices are set per event. On October 15, 2026, the upcoming calendar included Mis Raíces Latinas on October 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Lehigh Valley Phantoms games on October 24 at 7:05 p.m. and October 25 at 3:05 p.m. The Phantoms schedule continues through the hockey season. Check the event page for the price of the night you actually want.

Where Are the Parks Worth the Trip?

City parks are the free half of an Allentown day. Our directory, last verified in October 2026, lists these with the hours Google reports for each pin:

• Cedar Beach Park, 2600 Parkway Boulevard. 4.6 stars across 2,612 reviews. Listed as open 24 hours. The grounds include a lake, courts, and a seasonal pool. Pool dates are a city recreation question, not something to assume in October.
• Lehigh Parkway, Lehigh Parkway East. 4.7 stars across 2,092 reviews. Listed as open 24 hours. This is the long creek-side walk and bike route, and it is the setting for Lights in the Parkway.
• Lock Ridge Park & Furnace Museum, 525 Franklin Street, Alburtis. 4.6 stars across 364 reviews. Daily dawn to dusk. A short drive southwest when you want a walk plus an iron-furnace ruin.
• Trexler Nature Preserve, 5150 Game Preserve Road, Schnecksville. Our listing shows sunrise to sunset. The preserve and the zoo share that road. Give the preserve its own hour if wildlife viewing is the point.

The fuller comparison is our parks in Allentown guide, the Allentown parks directory, and the Valley-wide parks directory.

Is the Lehigh Valley Zoo Open, and What Does It Cost?

The Lehigh Valley Zoo is at 5150 Game Preserve Road, Schnecksville, PA 18078, phone (610) 799-4171. The visit page lists every day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission on that page, with pricing marked valid April 1, 2026, through November 1, 2026, is $18 for adults ages 12–64, $14 for seniors 65 and older, $14 for children ages 2–11, and free under age 2. Members are free.

The FAQ is more specific about the season change: April 1 through October 31 is daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and November 1 through March 31 is Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. An October 2026 accreditation note on the zoo site says the Wednesday–Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift starts November 2. Those two November start dates disagree by a day. Call or recheck the visit page the week you go. The zoo closes Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day.

EBT households can buy a daytime ticket at $8 per person for the cardholder and up to three household members, at the gate only, with matching ID. That discount does not cover premium events or Winter Light Spectacular.

Which Seasonal Events Still Have 2026 Dates?

Great Allentown Fair

The 2026 Great Allentown Fair ran September 2–7 at the fairgrounds. Opening night was 4–10 p.m. September 3–6 were noon–10 p.m. Labor Day, September 7, was noon–9 p.m. Adult gate admission was $10, and kids 12 and under were free. The fair's own schedule sheet closes with September 1–6, 2027. Those are next year's dates. The 2027 gate price is not on that sheet, so do not carry the $10 forward.

Lights in the Parkway

The City of Allentown says the 30th Lights in the Parkway runs November 27, 2026, through January 6, 2027, and is closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day. The display covers more than a mile of Lehigh Parkway. Mondays are a walk, run, or bike through the lights from 5:30 to 10 p.m., with no reservation. The Monday lineup includes a 30th-anniversary night on November 30, Hanukkah on December 7, Polar Express on December 14, Christmas on December 21, Kwanzaa on December 28, and Three Kings Day on January 4. The city page we checked does not print a drive-through vehicle price. Confirm that ticket on the city site before you count on a number from an older year.

Dorney, again, because it is the event that is on right now

If your trip is between now and November 7, 2026, the live seasonal event inside Allentown is Dorney's Halloween Haunt and Tricks and Treats, on the dates and prices in the Dorney section above. Mayfair does not have a 2026 date on the city events page we checked, so it is not on this calendar.

Where Do You Eat If You Want a Hall, Not a Reservation?

Allentown does not have an operating food hall. The Downtown Allentown Market, the 12,000-square-foot vendor hall at 27 North 7th Street on the ArtsWalk, held its last day on April 17, 2025. City Center said the space would be repurposed. Treat any page that still calls it Allentown's food hall as out of date.

The indoor market that is open is the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market at 1825 Chew Street, phone (610) 432-8425. It has been there since 1953 and lists more than 50 merchants. Hours are Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is closed Sunday through Wednesday. Stands cover produce, butcher meat, seafood, and prepared food. It is a market, not a dinner reservation.

The nearest full public market is the Easton Public Market at 325 Northampton Street in Easton. Hours are Wednesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Restaurants inside open at 11 a.m. Vendor hours can be shorter than the building. Our Easton restaurants directory covers the blocks around it.

For a sit-down meal in Allentown, our directory lists Union and Finch at 1528 West Union Street with a 4.5 rating across 1,989 reviews, open Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Grille 3501 at 3501 Broadway is 4.5 across 1,382 reviews, open Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. The full list is Allentown restaurants.

Coffee downtown: La Vida Café at 19 North 6th Street is 4.9 across 1,295 reviews, open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Gems & Joe at 1019 Hamilton Street is 4.9 across 293 reviews and is the one open on Sunday. The ranking is our Allentown coffee guide.

What Works for Families, and What Works in the Rain?

For a family day that is not a coaster day, buy Da Vinci, then add the zoo if you still have two hours and a car. The art museum is the free add-on on Thursday through Sunday, and Third Thursday art-making is built for families. Cedar Beach is the playground stop. Our family activities in Allentown guide goes further on kid-specific stops.

Tricks and Treats at Dorney is the daytime Halloween event the park describes as suitable for families. Halloween Haunt is the scare event. Read the name on the ticket before you take a younger child.

Rainy-day order, from the hours above:

• Tuesday or Wednesday: Da Vinci, and America on Wheels if it is Wednesday or later. Heritage Museum Tuesday through Saturday.
• Thursday through Sunday: art museum, plus Da Vinci, plus America on Wheels except Monday and Tuesday.
• Monday: the zoo is the attraction still on a daily October schedule. Downtown museums are closed. Parks are the outdoor fallback.
• Thursday through Saturday, if you want food under a roof: Fairgrounds Farmers Market.

Two Allentown Scavenger Hunts You Can Book

Viator's Allentown list is mostly self-guided hunts. Two of them are actually set in the city, have no rating under 4 because they have no published reviews yet, and meet downtown. We are not linking the Let's Roam "Art of Allentown" hunt, which Viator rates 2.3 from 3 reviews, or the 3Quest Allentown hunt, rated 1.0 from 1 review.

Both cards below were checked on Viator on October 15, 2026. Neither has a review score. Prices are the from-price that day, and they move.

La Vida Café, the meet point for the first hunt, is the same La Vida Café in our coffee directory. It closes at 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. on Saturday, and it is closed Sunday, so a 2 p.m. start still has the cafe open and a later start may not.

How Would We Spend One Day in Allentown?

1. Morning: Da Vinci Science Center if you reserved a ticket, or the art museum if it is Thursday through Sunday and you want to spend nothing.
2. Lunch: Fairgrounds Farmers Market on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Otherwise Allentown restaurants, with Union and Finch if you are on the west side.
3. Afternoon: America on Wheels if it is Wednesday through Sunday, or Cedar Beach if the weather is the point. The zoo replaces both if the group wants animals and can drive to Schnecksville.
4. Evening: Check PPL Center for a Phantoms game or a show. On a fall weekend, Dorney's calendar decides whether the night is Haunt.

A second day is the easy one: Lehigh Parkway in the morning, Heritage Museum if it is Tuesday through Saturday, and Bethlehem if you still have energy. Our things to do in Bethlehem guide and the Valley-wide things to do in the Lehigh Valley guide pick up from there. The city overview is Best of Allentown.

Bottom Line

The best things to do in Allentown, PA right now are the free art museum, Da Vinci, America on Wheels, the zoo while daily hours still hold, and the parks. Dorney is a fall-night decision, not an any-day theme park, until the 2027 season is posted. The Liberty Bell Museum is closed. The food hall is closed. The IronPigs are between seasons, and the ballpark's 2027 name is Jefferson Park. When a price or an hour is not on the operator's page, this guide leaves it out.

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