Clark Weeks is interested in oil wells but he hasn’t looked at the fracking areas of Pennsylvania yet to our knowledge. So, we thought we would give Clark Weeks a tour of this part of Pennsylvania.

The section of Pennsylvania where fracking is most prevalent is the western part of the state. There is an area just south of Pittsburgh with a large concentration of wells and another smaller grouping just north of Pittsburgh. Then there is an even larger concentration of wells in between the towns of Williamsport, Scranton and Binghamton. There are also a scattering of oil wells between those two concentrations.

Believe it or not, Pennsylvania has almost 130,000 oil and gas wells. Most are conventional. But just over 10,000 of these were fracking wells. They are concentrated in the areas mentioned above.

Pittsburgh

So we will take you on a tour of Pittsburgh and the other towns. The city has some odd and interesting museums and also has sports venues, shopping and more.

Bicycle Heaven Museum

That may sound a bit crazy to have a museum dedicated to bicycles and motor bikes but they do and there are hundreds, possibly thousands of them. From the very earliest bikes made to the latest models. Incredibly, it is the collection of a single man who still runs the museum.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

They have a gem collection and a top flight dinosaur collection. You can argue whether it should be called an apatosaurus or a brontosaurus but they have one. There are also sections on Egyptology, the Polar regions of the world, Native Americans and more.

Carnegie Museum of Art

Beginning to get the idea that Andrew Carnegie was a major force and benefactor in Pittsburgh? They have a large collection of impressionist art which is always a favorite, but also old masters and modern as well.

Duquesne Incline

These are cable cars built in 1877 that go up Mt. Washington. The view at the top is a stunning panorama that allows you to see Pittsburgh and the surrounding area.

Andy Warhol Museum

You would never guess what is in this museum. Lots of paintings by Andy Warhol.

Frick Art and Historical Center

This is highly recommended. There is a garage that is not your typical two car garage. No, this is a garage befitting a robber baron. There is a whole car museum inside this garage. You can tour the house which also has an art collection. This is the same Frick that also owned the Frick Gallery in New York City.

Sports

You can go to Heinz field and see the Steelers play or PNC park and see the Pirates play. You could also go to PPG Paints Arena to see the Penguins play.

There are other parks, museums, restaurants, shopping and things to do in Pittsburgh. We continue our Clark Weeks tour of the fracking and oil well region of Pennsylvania for your enjoyment and education.

Williamsport

Since Williamsport is a much smaller city than Pittsburgh, there isn’t as much to see and do. However it is easier to get around.

Little League Museum

Williamsport is where they hold the Little League World Series each year. There is the original field and a museum which is free. There is also the Williamsport Crosscutters minor league team that you could go and see.

Thomas Taber Museum

It has a lot of exhibits about local history but the section that will probably appeal to kids of all ages is the model train room. They have a lot of them on display but the piece de resistance is the working train set-up. It should keep your kids occupied for a while.

Scranton

There are a lot of interesting museums in Scranton as well as parks and other natural things to explore.

Museums

There is the Steamtown National Historic Site with a variety of locomotives to explore. There is the Electric City Trolley Station and Museum. Some more unusual museums include the Antracite Heritage Museum and the Houdini Museum which has magic shows as part of its repertoire. The Everhart Museum has a collection of art of primarily local artists as well as a stuffed bird collection and gems.

Aquarium

The Electric City Aquarium also has a reptile den. They have an exhibit of predatory reptiles which you can watch do their thing and prey.

Binghamton

This is also a small town but there are some things to do here. They include the Bundy Museum of History and Art, the Cutler Botanic Garden, the Roberson Museum and Science Center, the Binghamton Zoo, and the Phelps Mansion Museum.

We hope our Clark Weeks tour of the area will give you some ideas for a tour of your own. Perhaps Mr. Weeks will come here and check it out. For more travel blog posts go here