About Williamsport
Welcome to Williamsport
Welcome to Williamsport, the county seat of Lycoming County. We’re a small city of 30,000 situated in the Susquehanna Valley of the Bald Eagle Mountains.
While the Pennsylvania tourist guide refers to the area as the region of “woods, water and wildlife,” Williamsport is a bustling center for business, manufacturing, government, and finance. College students are welcomed here. Many take internships and part-time jobs in the city; some even play in the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra.
Williamsport is ranked as one of the top 25 safest “metro areas” in the U.S. You may already know that Williamsport is the Birthplace of Little League Baseball. When in town, catch the spirit of America’s homegrown sport at the Little League Museum and World Series complex.
Relive the colorful history of Williamsport’s glory days as lumber capital of the world at the Historical Museum or by touring Millionaire’s Row of 19th-century homes or the Freedom Road cemetery.
Shop downtown Williamsport for fine men’s clothing, artisan jewelry and local crafts. Relax and enjoy baked specialties and beverages at the Coffee and Tea Room or Joanna’s Bakery. Dine at some of the area’s favorites including Franco’s Restaurant, The Pub, and The Old Corner.
Just for fun, you can cheer on the minor league Crosscutters at historic Bowman Field, cruise the Susquehanna River on the Hiawatha paddleboat, tee off at White Deer 45-hole Golf Complex, or take in a touring show at the Community Arts Center.
Activities in Williamsport
Millionaires’ Row: We highly recommend either a self-guided walking tour of Williamsport’s historic district, or the trolley tour that departs from Park Place about 4 blocks down Fourth St. near the museums.
Biking and hiking: The Pine Creek rails to trails project (a 60-mile relatively flat bike trail) begins 15 miles from downtown Williamsport in Jersey Shore. We also have excellent (but hilly) biking routes departing from the Inn. Please ask about bikes and routes.
The Loyalsock Trail and other excellent hiking options are just a short distance away. Please ask for directions. Ricketts Glen State Park is about an hour away and is worth the drive. There are spectacular waterfalls along a beautiful hike. Williamsport has two parks (Brandon and Memorial) with pools, play areas and tennis courts.
Museums: There are four museums within walking distance of the Inn, as well as the Little League Museum, located across the river.
Reptileland: A unique and educational reptile zoo owned by local celebrity and friend Clyde Peeling.
Hiawatha: Williamsport’s own paddlewheel riverboat offers daily trips on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River from May to October.
Theatre and film: The Community Arts Center, in walking distance, is Williamsport’s historic theatre for big name acts at reasonable prices and independent films. The Community Theatre, also nearby, is Williamsport’s local theatre troupe. The new Cinema is a half block from us and has multiple movies playing.
Bars: Bar hopping is a popular activity here in Williamsport, and we have a wide array of venues —from the Bullfrog Brewery, an award-winning microbrewery, to Franco’s Lounge, our favorite local hotspot. For clubbing, we offer the Cell Block, a nightclub in a 19th century Quaker prison, and Club Z, the area’s hip new gay bar.
Shopping: Williamsport has an international jewelry following, due in large part to the innovation of local jeweler James Meyer. Though Meyer no longer has a storefront his jewelry can be found at Ann McKay’s, a protégé of Jim’s. Another unique, one of a kind jewelry store is Marc Williams. Both Marc Williams and Ann McKay are located downtown within walking distance. Several blocks from downtown is Goldcrafters with jeweler Stephanie Long.
For clothing, the Clothier in downtown Williamsport has a huge selection of menswear. Women’s specialty clothing, from local designers and merchants, can be found at Gifts of Art and the Coffee and Tea Room. The Inn is also a 30-minute drive from the Woolrich Outlet Store which has Clarks, Mephisto and Dansko shoes as well as Woolrich clothing and their famous blankets.
Gifts of Art also features a wide array of crafts and gifts by local artisans, and Adelyn’s is a find for anyone with a passion for dolls. Trimtex Mill Store is a hip new addition to downtown. It’s an outlet store for a local factory that makes trim which can be used in any type of sewing or arts and craft. The young women that run the store are into quilting and fabric arts.
Otto’s Bookstore is just a few blocks away on W. Fourth St., and has a very good selection. It’s one of the oldest independent bookstores in the country. The historic James V. Brown Library is also located in downtown Williamsport and holds book sales in April and October.
Food Markets: Downtown has an array of local food markets and coffee shops. For coffee, be sure to check out the Coffee and Tea Room, Williamsport’s most popular wireless coffee house with live music most weekends. The Java,Juice and Art Café is another great coffee spot, and Joanna’s Bakery not only serves coffee and espresso in a sunny storefront, they make excellent pepperoni rolls and sfogliatelle to accompany it. Don’t miss Joanna’s blackberry cabernet sorbet.
Helmrich’s, Williamsport’s local fish market, is a great place to pick up locally smoked shad, and in front of Helmrich’s every Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon, you’ll find the Williamsport Growers’ Market, a great local resource for fruit, vegetables and baked goods, as well as a good stop on Saturday morning for a cup of excellent French-press coffee from Guernica Coffee. For other picnic or snack needs, Waltman’s deli is within walking distance of the Inn, as is a PA State Liquor store. Wegmans is our local grocery store which is about 4 blocks from the Inn.
Antiquing: Our area features a good selection of antique shops, We have two in downtown as well as the Old Barn Center in Pennsdale B. J’s on Route 15 and the Roan Auction House on Lycoming Creek Road.
