Harrisburg, PA Conference Program

Hilton Harrisburg Hotel: August 2010 Conference Site. The Hilton Harrisburg Hotel is in the heart of historic downtown Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania. The hotel offers the area's best accommodations, shopping and entertainment all under one roof. The hotel is just a short drive from the town of Hershey, Historic Gettysburg, the Pennsylvania Dutch Region, and famed outlet shopping in Lancaster County. For complete information about the hotel and local attractions, go to www.harrisburg.hilton.com.

Connected by an enclosed walkway to the Hilton Hotel is Strawberry Square, a retail complex for shopping, the 3-story Whitaker Center for Science & Arts with hands-on exhibits that investigate physical science, natural science, life science, mathematics and technology, as well as the Sunoco Performance Theater that offers a diverse mix of performing arts genre.

In Harrisburg, visit the State Museum of Pennsylvania that includes fine art galleries, a Planetarium, Dino Lab, Mammal Hall, a Civil War exhibit, a hands on learning environment for children and one of the country's largest collections of Civil War memorabilia. The National Civil War Museum is the only museum in the United States that portrays the entire story of the American Civil War without bias to Union or Confederate causes. There is even a Doll House Museum. Opposite downtown Harrisburg is Riverfront Park and City Island with 63 acres of fun-filled, parkland entertainment in the center of the Susquehanna River – a great area for walking, biking, jogging, canoeing, paddleboating, sports entertainment and beautiful skyline views. City Island (off Market Street Bridge) also is home to savory eats and sweets, quaint shops, miniature golf, a restored carousel, a train, carriage rides, and the Washington Nationals AA baseball stadium. Cruise the river on the Pride of the Susquehanna, an authentic stern paddlewheel riverboat.

Twelve (12) miles from the hotel is the town of Hershey where the aroma of chocolate actually lingers in the air. Here you will find Hershey Gardens, Hershey Museum, Hershey Antique Auto Museum, Hershey Theatre, Hersheypark (with roller coasters, water rides, games and entertainment), free Hershey's Great American Chocolate Tour, and retail shops. Forty (40) minutes from Harrisburg is the hallowed ground of Gettysburg National Military Park. Here you will find one moving tribute after another to the men who fought on this famous Civil War battlefield where more men fought (170,000+) and more men died than in any other battle on North American soil. Thirty-five (35) minutes from Harrisburg is Lancaster County, home to the oldest Amish settlement in the U.S. where the Amish still live without electricity and use mule teams to plow the fields. Relax and unwind to the clip-clop of horses' hooves echoing down quiet country roads. Drive through some of the 28 covered bridges. Enjoy beautiful scenery dotted with one-room schools and handmade clothes and quilts blowing in the breeze. Take in the Dutch Wonderland Family Amusement Park, nearby museums, cultural attractions, and outlet shopping. Nearby Strasburg is home to the National Toy Train Museum and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Take a relaxing ride aboard America's oldest short-line railroad through Pennsylvania Dutch Country and a ride on a miniature steam train or authentic pump car.