Roadside America

Roadside America, located in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania, was on my bucket list visit for years before I finally got there in 2018. The layout was the dream of one man, Laurence Gieringer, who worked on its hundreds of miniature buildings for years before finally displaying them for the public in 1935. In 1953, it opened in its current building, where it has operated ever since. Even though an interstate runs right by its front door, the nearest exit is a little down the road, making it somewhat of a hidden gem.

In Roadside America's brochures and billboards, just small details of the layout are shown, along with the slogan "Be prepared to see more than you expect." Once you enter the gift shop, there are no windows into the display whatsoever, not even on the door. However, there is a sign that states, "If you think this a trap, or a 'gip', so to speak, just ask anyone coming out, and they will tell you otherwise. " Then you push away the door and see this:

I had to steal this picture because my pictures have bad flash.

The scene when you step inside is truly jaw-dropping (if somewhat amplified by the rear mirror). Roadside America is 8,000 square feet, and it isn't until you go in for yourself do you become aware of its magnitude. Every one of these tiny buildings was handmade by one person. There are so many awesome details, from the working waterfall along the wall (go underneath and see a Luray Caverns mock-up) to the hundreds of tiny figures.

From the RA website

One of the cool things about the layout is observation decks that put you a good ten or so feet above the scenes.

 If you look at the bottom here, you can see some of the many push buttons that operate little movements around the layout. Oh yeah, and there're (O gauge) miniature trains too!

When Gieringer died in 1963, the display was preserved as-is and has been for more than 50 years. It is one of the closest things to a time capsule that you can get in a roadside attraction anywhere. It's even still owned by his extended family, although they are looking for an owner who can take it over for the future.

By far the most impressive moment of the Roadside America experience is the "Night Pageant," which occurs every half hour. The first warning is a muffled announcement over the loudspeaker, which you are only starting to decipher when the lights begin to dim and interior lights turn on in the little buildings. Projections of Jesus are juxtaposed against a waving American flag, and the pageant ends in an epic performance of "God Bless America" by Kate Smith. It's a kind of patriotism that you don't get anywhere anymore and is good for everyone once in a while. My favorite part is when right on cue with "from the mountains..." backlights light up right behind them along the wall!  The video doesn't do it justice. Okay, I'll stop rambling. Just get out to central PA and see it for yourself!

Note 11/2020: Roadside America permanently closed before this post was written in March 2020, although the closure was not announced until November.