What to Do ~ Tours
Reynolds mansion
Tours Daily! 11-1:30pm.
$3.00 self-guided tour of First Floor
$5.00 includes guest rooms
Children are half price
Each couple who tours the mansion will receive a Select Registry Guide which features over 400 distinguished inns all across North America. It features a frequent stay discount program.
Tours
Customize a group visit to Bellefonte’s Attractions
A variety of affordable, organized tours give visitors an in-depth look at the history, culture and beauty of Victorian Bellefonte and its surrounding countryside.
Victorian Bellefonte Tours arranges itineraries customized to fit the interests and schedules of visiting groups, each at a cost of $4 per person for groups over 20 or $5 per person for groups of 10 to 20. Topping the list of attractions are three unique programs that immerse participants in the heritage of Bellefonte:
Walking Tours of Bellefonte
Gingerbread & Iron: Weaves history, architecture and local legend into an enjoyable narrative of Bellefonte’s days as a political and cultural center. An expert guide tells tales of seven governors, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, vaudeville, Thomas Edison and the iron ore industry. One hour.
Billiards & Brandy with the Major: In the late 1880s, wealthy businessman Maj. W.F. Reynolds entertained Bellefonte’s prominent gentlemen with after-dinner billiards, brandy and cigars. Guides lead modern gentlemen — and ladies — to view the Reynolds Mansion’s ornate fireplaces, hardwood parquet floors, hand-carved staircase and ceiling fresco. 45 minutes.
An Interlude with a Queen: Tours the impeccably restored Queen Anne home that is now The Queen, a Victorian Bed and Breakfast. Every room is a museum housing antiques and collectibles that provide a delightful glimpse into the past. Participants try out the Victorian pastimes of playing the Victrola, pumping the player piano and viewing scenes on the stereoscope. 45 minutes.
Groups can enjoy many of Bellefonte’s attractions at no cost, including:
• Shopping in the commercial historic district for antiques, collectibles, gifts and crafts. Time varies.
• Touring the Fisherman’s Paradise hatchery and/or feeding trophy trout at Talleyrand Park. Time varies.
• Visiting the Anna Keichline Exhibit showcasing Pennsylvania’s first female registered architect. 20 minutes.
• Exploring the stamp exhibits at the American Philatelic Society’s international headquarters. One hour.
• Viewing seasonal exhibits at the Bellefonte Museum for Centre County in a 200-year-old home. 20 minutes. ($1 per person donation recommended.)
• Seeing some of the 4,000-plus items displayed at the Centre County Library and Historical Museum, spanning Native American times to the early 1900s. 30 minutes. ($1 per person donation recommended.)
All-day guided tours — including two mansions, historic districts and lunch in a restaurant or boxed for picnicking in the park — can be arranged for an average cost of $25 per person. Add a ride on the Bellefonte Historical Railroad for an additional $12. Victorian teas can be arranged at the Reynolds Mansion (from $7 per person), or gourmet meals in a 200-year-old mill or restored opera house (cost varies).
Two-day tours feature lodging at one of eight bed and breakfasts within walking distance of each other in the residential historic district ($50 to $135 per weeknight, double occupancy; some rooms accommodate three or four guests).
To schedule a tour contact Nancy Noll at 814-357-8068.
