Allentown, Pennsylvania, served as the hiding place for the Liberty Bell when it was removed from Philadelphia for a short period in 1777 to keep it out of the hands of the British.
The Liberty Bell Shrine at Zion Reformed Church allows visitors to see the place where it was stored. Area history is also the focus of the Lehigh Valley Historical Museum. The Allentown Art Museum, considered one of the best small art museums in the U.S., has American and European works and the Fuller Gem Collection, which is made up of some 300 precious stones.
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown is an amusement- and water-park complex. Among its attractions are the Dominator (a vertical thrill ride), Thunder Canyon (a re-creation of white-water rafting), the Red Garter Saloon (a restaurant modeled after a turn-of-the-19th-century barroom) and White Water Landing (billed as one of the highest and fastest waterfall plunges in the world).
The Great Allentown Fair takes place late August through Labor Day (don't miss the mashed-potato wrestling competition).
