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Here are just a few of the things you will find within a short drive of Pittsburgh. For more information, check out Pittsburgh + Its Countryside, and contact VisitPittsburgh's Marketing + Communications staff to plan your itinerary.

Armstrong County

Armstrong County Tourist Bureau

Armstrong County offers fascinating museums, historical destinations and opportunities for outdoor recreation. Visit the Drake Log Cabin, an 1816 one-room cabin that shows how early settlers lived. The Nellie Bly Childhood Home is open to celebrate the journalist who circled the globe in 72 days, and the Smicksburg Specialty Shops in Amish Country are a great way to spend the day. Or check out Casino Theatre in Vandergrift, southwestern Pennsylvania’s oldest active theatre.

Beaver County

Beaver County Recreation & Tourism Department

Beaver County is one of the region’s best-kept secrets. Old Economy Village takes you back in time as costumed guides lead you around the village’s 17 original buildings and gardens. The Grove Cemetery, dating to 1859, is a National Audubon and Wildlife Sanctuary. Frankfort Mineral Springs in Raccoon Creek State Park once attracted thousands of visitors who believed in the healing powers of its waters.

Butler County

Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau

Butler County is home to dozens of historical sites and the state’s largest manmade lake. The Glass Blowing Center offers live glass art demonstrations and the Maridon Museum is the only museum in western Pennsylvania that focuses specifically on Chinese and Japanese art and culture. Playthings, Etc. is a one-of-a-kind toy store housed in a building that looks like a stealth bomber. Check out the North Country Brewing Company in Slippery Rock, and DIRT Motorsports/Lernerville Speedway in Sarver.

Greene County

Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency

Greene County is a wonderland of rolling farmlands and charming small towns. History buffs will want to check out the original county courthouse, a log structure built in 1796. The town is home to Mason-Dixon Historical Park, a recreational facility located on the most famous boundary in America.

Indiana County

Indiana County Tourist Bureau

Known as the Christmas Tree Capital of the World, Indiana County is a one-hour drive from Pittsburgh. Visit Dane Castle, a medieval castle complete with drawbridge, suits of armor, a throne and live Great Danes. The Thunder Mountain Lenape Nation Festival celebrates Native American cultural heritage. And the Jimmy Stewart Museum is a tribute to one of America’s most beloved screen stars, born in Indiana, PA.

Relax and rejuvenate at the Woods Spa, a full-service spa and day retreat nestled in the hills of Indiana County. Windgate Vineyards and Winery, an award-winning winery in Smicksburg, offers tours of their facility. For a taste of the country, Kay Arena features live rodeos and line dancing. Buttermilk Falls Natural Area is the site of an impressive 45-foot waterfall, one of the tallest in Pennsylvania.

The Laurel Highlands

The Laurel Highlands abound with cultural, natural and historic treasures. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater is arguably the most iconic example of 20th century American architecture; his lesser-known house on Kentuck Knob is only a few miles away. More adventurous types can tackle Ohiopyle State Park’s Class-IV whitewater on the Youghiogheny River or hike the Great Allegheny Passage, a rails-to-trails project connecting Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. If you want history, Fort Necessity National Battlefield marks an early engagement in the French + Indian War and is the site of George Washington’s only military surrender. Or take a trip down the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, a 200-mile roadside museum of historic, cultural and recreational attractions along the country’s first transcontinental road.

Lawrence County

Lawrence County Tourist Promotion Agency

Lawrence County offers history, adventure and small-town simplicity. The county has two covered bridges: the McConnell’s Mill Covered Bridge, a registered National Historic Landmark, and Banks Covered Bridge. History buffs will enjoy the Cascade Center Riverplex in New Castle, which houses the refurbished Warner Theater, the site of the Warner Brothers' first movie theater. Nestled in the Amish countryside, the quaint villages of Volant and New Wilmington offer a variety of diverse farm, country and specialty shops. Animal lovers should check out the annual Memorial Classics Dog Show, one of the largest five-day dog shows in the country.

Mercer County

Mercer County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Mercer County is known for its unique shopping, attractions and golf. Exceptional shopping venues like Prime Outlets at Grove City, Reyers, the world’s largest shoe store, and The Winner, the world’s largest off-price fashion store, make it a favorite for bargain hunters. Tour Wendell August Forge to view handcrafted metalworking or take a chocolate candy tour at Philadelphia Candies or Daffin’s Candies.

Washington County

Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency

Follow ribbons of country road to covered bridges, unique shops, restaurants, fairs, festivals, museums and more. The Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Museum of Rural Life provides a glimpse into the lives of North America’s prehistoric people. The stately 1812 LeMoyne House is the first National Historic Landmark on the Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania. Sports fans can check out Washington County’s Falconi Field, home to Washington Wild Things of baseball’s Frontier League. The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum features dozens of cars on display: with several to ride, you can feel nostalgia for the past or the thrill of riding a trolley for the first time.