Community Corner

Cheap Trips: Art School, Pottsgrove Manor, Notable Cemetery

Find three local attractions you can visit on one tank of gas.

Want to get out of town and go for a trip, but looking to save money?

Try one of these three trips you can enjoy on just one tank of gas: West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pottsgrove Manor and Baum School of Art.

West Laurel Hill Cemetery

Address: 215 Belmont Ave., Bala Cynwyd
How far from Upper Macungie Patch? 52 miles/60 minutes
Admission: Free and free parking is available
Hours: Gates are open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and until 6 p.m. May through October.
Summary: Though a cemetery could be considered an unorthodox location for fun community events, West Laurel Hill Cemetery has made itself a legitimate destination for regional travelers that way, as well as through its impressive roster of local notables buried there. The cemetery hosts monthly Boneyard Bookworms reading clubs and organizes an annual Beer Barons to Homebrewers event, where visitors taste varieties of home brews at the mausoleum of an early 20th-century brewer.
The cemetery was incorporated in 1869 and includes an arboretum and a sculpture garden. The newly opened Cynwyd Heritage Trail sends hikers and bikers right past the property. A segment of the cemetery's website lets visitors browse for notable burials.
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Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration at Pottsgrove Manor

Address: 100 W King St, Pottstown
How Far From Upper Macungie Patch? 28 miles/53 minutes
Hours:

  • Exhibition closes Jan. 29.
  • Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
  • Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m.


Admission: Donations accepted. Groups of 10 or more should pre-register by calling 610-326-4014.
Summary: This open-hearth cooking demonstration will feature Pottsgrove Manor’s historic cooks preparing authentic 18th century recipes for sweets and treats made with a variety of libations.
The program wraps up the exhibit “Spirituous Liquors and Healthful Distillations: Alcohol in Colonial America.”
Pottsgrove Manor was built in 1752 for John Potts, ironmaster and founder of Pottstown. The mansion has been restored to give visitors a glimpse into the lifestyle of the Potts family and the colonial American time period.
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Baum School of Art

Address: 510 W. Linden St., Allentown
How Far From Upper Macungie Patch? 11 miles/18 minutes
Hours:

  • 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday
  • 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday
  • Closed Sunday


Admission: Free
Summary: Celebrating its 85th year, the Baum School of Art in Allentown includes two galleries that are free and open to the public. The East Central Pennsylvania Scholastic Art Awards Show runs January 15 through February 5. About 6,000 visitors enjoy the work of students as well as local and regional artists each year. The highlight of any visit to the Baum School is the 12-foot replica of "Leonardo's Horse," a sculpture commissioned in 1482 of Leonardo da Vinci by the Duke of Milan. The imposing equine statue stands in Allentown's Community Art Park next to the Baum School.
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