meadowcroft rockshelter and historic village

Based on Tripadvisor reviews and few people that I know who have visited this site, I decided to trek out and see for myself. Traveling the deserted and narrow roads to Meadowcroft I wondered what I would find. Would it be worth the effort getting out here. YES! What a unique site --a triple combo of archeological site, 19th century village and museum on the life of Delvin Miller. The archeological dig is probably one of the rarest find in N.America with great video and guide. The 19th century village consists of authentic buildings including a covered bridge staffed with great guides and demonstration. And the Delvin Miller Museum follows the amazing life of this renowned jockey and founder of the Meadows racetrack. Worth a visit but check hours and days opens as they vary.

My children and I found information on this site in a local state history textbook. We put it on our list of sites to see. We should have done it sooner! Some of the highlights from the experience for our family of 6: the 3 level museum that had a display on barns, agriculture, the life of the Miller family (who owned the property), and the displays about Delvin Miller. We enjoyed the Native American village, where the staff provided information and interactive activites. We saw a blacksmith making hinges and heard Homefront perform in the church located in the 1890's town, which also had staff dressed in period costume. I could go on, but we plan on going back sometime. Maybe I'll write another review after that. We recommend seeing it for yourself!

The Meadowcroft Rockshelter consists of two attractions. Life as we know it in the Historic Village and a archaeological dig dating back 17,000 years under an enclosed roof. The historic village is handicapped accessible while the rockshelter must be climbed by 60 steps to view the excavation. It is explained by on site archaeologists. The site is affiliated with the Heinz History Center of Pittsburgh. The location is about a 45 minute drive from downtown Pittsburgh on Interstate and rural roads. The location is not far from shopping outlets, casino, and racetrack.

This wonderful rock shelter has hosted transient campers for over 10,000 years. Now easily accessible and lit with stage lighting, the shelter is a national treasure, the oldest site of human habitation in North American. The small gift shop with spotless facilities, covered and open picnic area, and displays of 1890 rural village and Native American villages make this a fine 4 hour event. Snacks only , so pack a picnic lunch.

I stumbled upon Meadowcroft on the Internet while planning a trip through Pennsylvania on the way to a family wedding and I am SO glad I did and that we made the effort to visit. One of the staff members told me that even a lot of locals don't know that it's right there in their back yard, so to speak. I traveled with my son (11) and my mom (70s) and all three of us really enjoyed our visit. Our only disappointments - 1, that we didn't allow even more time for the visit and 2, that they are not actively digging at the site, as I had thought. It would have been even cooler to have seen archeologists at work. As others have noted, the site is not completely accessible to all due to the fact that the rockshelter itself is in the side of a steep hill. I heard a staff member in the gift shop tell someone else that they are trying to find a way to make it more accessible. The Indian village and 19th century settlers' village are at the top of the hill, above the rockshelter, and there's no easy way to get to the rockshelter from there, so you drive back down the hill, park, and then climb stairs up. The structure they have built to preserve and showcase the rockshelter is stunning, though, just beautifully constructed, almost an attraction in and of itself. Allow plenty of time for your visit so you can walk around and see everything in the villages and also get a tour of the rockshelter. They have limited hours and only do a limited number of tours of the rockshelter each day. If we lived closer, we'd be back sooner but we may go back sometime, especially if they begin the archeological dig again! For kids, I'd recommend this mostly for kids who really enjoy learning, especially history, anthropology, and/or archeology. The gift shop is small but has some very nice items.

This is a Paleo-Indian location that became a National Historic Landmark, back in 2005. I went to the location as part of a class project. There’s a recreated Indian Village. The village is a good example of Native lifestyle and there's a lot of interaction with the staff. They tell of the life, culture, hunting and farming of the period. Kids will enjoy it because there are pelts for them to see and touch, as well as baskets, foods, and the wooden homes of the Indians. The rock-shelter itself is very neat. There’s a diagram in front which shows where items were found in the rock shelter means. To get to the rock-shelter you have to climb stairs to get to it, but the site is well worth it. The staff is great; they are all interested in the history of this location and are eager to answer your questions. There’s a movie that tell the history of the area, both the paleo and early Native American settlement/populations along with a gift store. It takes a while to get here, but it's well worth it. There's plenty of history, culture and nature to see here.

You need GPS to find Medowcroft, but it is well worth the effort. We arrived just in time to see the nearest village attraction before the next rockshelter presentation. As stated by others you need to drive from the main village site to the rockshelter, but you should be sure to go there. Note, however, there are a lot of stairs to climb to reach the rockshelter, so it is not accessible to all. The young staff are highly informed and the explanation of how the shelter was found, used, and excavated was fascinating. Back at the main village the attractions are very well done with Native American and settler villages. Try your hand with a tomahawk or Native American games. Further on you can learn how to apply the three sisters planting scheme in your own garden. Children will enjoy handling the types of pelts that Native Americans used as clothing. All of the village staff are knowledgeable and engaging. This is a fabulous attraction for anyone with an interest in American history, from my history major daughter to those just looking for an enjoyable stroll in the Pennsylvania countryside. Bring a picnic and enjoy your day.

The grounds here are lovely and all the employees were amazingly helpful. The docents clearly love what they are doing and gladly shared stories about how our ancestors lived - down to how they made fishing line! We took our time strolling around and had a nice time. The Rockshelter was very nice - be sure to go there, even though you need to drive from the main village area to see it. Unfortunately, the video wasn't working at the Shelter when we visited - it would have helped to illustrate what the guide tried to explain. We didn't find the museum displays very interesting, but enjoyed our afternoon anyway.

Took my 9 year old there for a change up while we were visiting the Fur Takers Annual Rendezvous in nearby Washington. We homeschool and his past year work included native american studies so it was a natural fit. The Atlatl competition was an added benefit.-All the staff were very helpful, attentive, and willing to jump in and explain etc. including the Director.-The displays and living history type exhibits were well maintained with the demonstrators being very well versed in the details of there area (more so than many other similar museums we have attended)-The grounds are stunning, peaceful and well maintained.Hat's off to the staff and leadership: Local residents should be very proud to have this gem in their backyard!

Interested in early Americans? Interested in archaeology? Then visit Meadowcroft. I was there during a downpour, but it was well worth the visit. Located off the beaten path near Washington, PA, Meadowcroft rock shelter is revealing a fascinating story of people who passed by there some 16,000 years ago. Not only can you see the results of the dig to date, but you can see how archaeologists document a site. A reconstructed Indian village and museum are on the grounds.

It's been over a year since I visited Avella. I went on the recommendation of a local historical society member. The original attraction ( before the rock shelter was famous ), was a reconstructed village on a reclaimed strip mine. It attracted a lot of bus tours. The buildings are authentic and full of historical items. On the day that I visited, I was alone. A very knowledgeable young lady was my guide, and the tour was enjoyable. When you visit be sure to wear walking shoes. The area is hilly. There was a small concession area in the main building.

This place takes around 3 hours at most to see everything. I have been there several times because I like spending money locally and also like to see the improvements. It can be interesting, but it depends on what you are into. If you are into this type of stuff with the Indian lore and history then you will have a great time. If you are just looking for something to do or have kids that are high strung then it is probably not the place for you.

I am interested in all that the Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village has to offer and it is worth more exploration than maybe just one visit. It was more than I expected. I was part of a bus tour to this location and was treated to a number of expert talks about the history of the Rockshelter. Here the story of the most recent discovery and research conducted there is explained in a manner all can understand. An historic village has been recreated with tour guides in many buildings. On my visit I enjoyed the talk by a very good teacher in the "common school" that was interesting for us children of all ages! Also there was an American Indian village to explore with a most knowledgeable guide. There were lots of things to see and touch and do. Finally I toured the Miller Museum that was an extra bonus. The gift shop was very nice and there are lots of things children would like. All I could think about is I want to come back. There is a special Indian activities program during the last weekend of September that I will return for in 2014. There was plenty of parking in this beautiful setting, very clean restrooms, and snacks and goodies for sale. This is a must see when you are looking for something different to explore. I understand that the attraction has seasonal hours so I suggest calling to check hours of operation.

Visiting the rockshelter that has artifacts that dating at least 16,000 years was amazing stimulation for the imagination. It appears that there is a movie and narrator every hour or so that gives you an overview of the history of Meadowcroft Rockshelter. Part of the appeal of the visit is the story behind the site so I will omit the particulars here. The history will reveal the reasons behind the "Village" that sits up by the Welcome Center. There is also a replica of a Native American Indian village to tour at your leisure.Smaller children would probably enjoy walking through the villages but may become restless at the actual archeological site (rockshelter). Adults interested in history and archeology will be riveted. Standing on the deck by the site overlooking Cross Creek, one can almost imagine the ancient 'campers' who passed through and stayed at this shelter so many years ago.

I'm an archaeologist, so this was right up my alley. The visitor's center has a gift shop and area where you can view a video about the history of the site. There is also a living history museum with set ups of different time periods. You can learn about the natives, settlers, etc. The rockshelter is a short drive away. There is a guide there to explain all about it and its set up as it would be during an excavation. It's a great spot to visit if you're even vaguely interested in history.