West Chester, PA Road Trips

The entire town is rich with history. The cobblestone streets were put in the 1700s. The soldiers of the Revolutionary War walked through West Chester on those very cobblestones. Visitors along with residents marvel at the building where Abraham Lincoln started his journey towards the presidency. West Chester has more than 3,000 structures built before the colonial time which puts the entire downtown on the list of National Registered Historic Places. The town was home for the legendary African-American folk artist, Horace Pippin, Pulitzer Prize winning composer Samuel O. Barber (1910-1981) along with many other aspiring and proven artists. 1 Chester County Historical Society (Museum & Library), 225 N. High Street, ☏ +1 610 692-4800. Museum & Library: Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM; Museum Shop: M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Definitely bigger and fancier than your average Historical Society Museum. One of the buildings was originally an opera house designed by the same architect who designed the capital dome in Washington, DC. Not as good as a Smithsonian or something, but if you're into history at all and you're in the area, it's definitely worth seeing. Genealogical and newspaper records at the library are very comprehensive. 2 Chester County Courthouse, 2 N High St. A sight to see. It is one of the most historic buildings in the town. William Penn established Chester County as a member of the three first counties of the Colonial Pennsylvania in 1682. In 1724 a courthouse was built near the Delaware River in Chester. Because of population growth the courthouse moved inland into West Chester.

There are so many exciting things to do in West Chester. With all of the restaurants, bars and shopping there is an activity for everyone. West Chester University is a major attraction to the area. Many families visit the campus in hopes of sending their children to a highly accredited university. Because the school is located in the heart of the town it is mainly seen as a college town, which means the nightlife is always active and exciting. For those who enjoy golf there are more than five golf courses in West Chester. Parking is free all weekend in the Parking Garages & Lots and on-street meters. And you never have to feed the meters after 5 pm everyday. Televised home shopping channel QVC's headquarters and main broadcast studios are just north of town. Studio tours, which are $7.50 ($6 for children), run several times daily, and tickets to special live-audience events are available in advance via the website. A company store selling fan ware with the QVC logo as well as a small selection of popular items is on the premises. [1] For those interested in the arts, downtown West Chester is home to more than 15 shops containing art gallery work. 1 American Helicopter Museum, 1220 American Boulevard, ☏ +1 610-436-9600. W-Sa 10AM-5PM; Su noon-5PM; M Tu groups by reservation only. An aviation museum devoted exclusively to helicopters. They collect, restore and display historic aircraft and chronicle the origin and development of rotary wing aircraft. This museum can be interesting to actual pilots down to people who know nothing about helicopters.

Downtown West Chester is known for its bars and restaurants. The town offers a variety of over 25 restaurants. The restaurants range from coffee to sandwich shops to Italian cuisine. Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, located at 3 West Gay street, serve fresh beer, fresh food, and interesting culture. The laid-back atmosphere only adds to the appeal of this self beer brewing restaurant. Another fantastic restaurant is the Lincoln Room. It is located in one of West Chester's most historic and famous structures. This classical establishment is known for its early morning tea and luncheon menu. These restaurants represent the pinnacle of fine dining. Some local favorites include: Lorenzo's Steaks and Hoagies, 216 East Market Street, ☏ +1 610 696-5660. Local hoagie shop specializing in Philly cheese steaks. Offers appetizers, lunch, dinner, and breakfast. Menu includes cheesecakes, hot and cold sandwiches, wings, and fried chicken and seafood. Large portions. Quick service. (updated Apr 2018) Country Bagel, 145 East Gay Street, 929 South High Street, ☏ +1 610 696-8890, +1 610 696-7440. 2 locations, one downtown, other in Parkway Shopping Center just outside downtown. Local Bagel Shop with variety of breakfast options. Also offers lunch. Menu includes 25 varieties of fresh bagels, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, wraps, pastries and muffins, and coffee. (updated Mar 2021) Café Fiorello’s, 730 East Gay Street, ☏ +1 610 430-8941. M-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su 4-10PM. Serves authentic, old world Italian dishes inspired by the best of Sicilian and Mediterranean cuisine.

Being a college town, West Chester has many bars to offer its visitors and residents, like Barnaby's of West Chester that is filled to the max every Friday and Saturday night. The Note offers live entertainment and musical performances. Jitters Sports Bar, 146 West Gay St., ☏ +1 610 696-0427. Kildare's Irish Pub, 18-22 West Gay Street, ☏ +1 610 431-0770. Ryan's Pub, 126 West Gay Street, ☏ +1 610 344-3934. Square Bar, 250 East Chestnut St., ☏ +1 610 696-9825. Teca, 38 East Gay Street, ☏ +1 610 738-8244. Barnaby’s of West Chester, 15 South High Street, ☏ +1 610 696-1400. Jake's Bar, 549 S. Matlack Street, ☏ +1 610 431-3900.

There are many hotels in and around the West Chester Area. As the suburbs expand more and more hotels are being built. 1 Warner Hotel, 120 N. High Street, ☏ +1 610 692-6920. The only hotel in downtown West Chester. (updated Nov 2019) 2 Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham, 500 Willowbrook Lane, ☏ +1-610-674-1224, toll-free: +1-800-771-7171. (updated Nov 2019) 3 Holiday Inn Express & Suites (formerly Comfort Inn & Suites), 1310 Wilmington Pike, ☏ +1 610 399-4600, [email protected]. (updated Nov 2019) 4 Sheraton Great Valley Hotel, 707 East Lancaster Ave, Frazer, ☏ +1 610 524-5500. (updated Nov 2019) 5 Quality Inn & Suites (formerly Days Hotel), 943 S. High St, ☏ +1 610 692-1900. (updated Nov 2019) The Brandywine Valley is home to many upscale bed and breakfasts.

SEPTA Route 104, follows West Chester Pike into Downtown West Chester, ending in a stop on the campus of West Chester University. 1 Brandywine Airport, 1205 Ward Ave, ☏ +1 610 692-6100, fax: +1 610 692-6213, [email protected]. Small, private airport for corporate or personal flights. 2 Philadelphia International Airport (PHL IATA), 8000 Essington Ave, ☏ +1-215-937-6937, [email protected]. About 45 minutes away from West Chester, the Philadelphia International Airport is much bigger than the Brandywine Airport. It has many commercial airlines that fly in from all over the world

No taxi services run steadily through downtown West Chester, but the downtown area is an easy walk from one end to another. Walking around downtown is nice because of the historic atmosphere and brick sidewalks with a mixture of shops, bars, restaurants, and local offices.