Latrobe: Art, Fred Rogers, and Local History

Latrobe offers travelers several cultural points of interest that can shape the theme of a stay: Fred Rogers, regional art, local history, and the Lincoln Highway. When choosing a destination, it is helpful to distinguish between these different areas of interest. In Latrobe, you’ll find a public, interactive Fred Rogers Exhibit, memorial sites in James H. Rogers Park, an arts center, and the Lincoln Highway Experience. Latrobe is also connected with the origin of the banana split. You can tailor your stay to whichever topic interests you most personally.

Fred Rogers in the Exhibit and Cityscape

The Fred Rogers Exhibit at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe is a public, interactive exhibition. Objects on display include the Neighborhood Trolley, puppets from the show, and Daniel Tiger’s clock. Fred Rogers’ signature sweaters and sneakers are also part of the exhibit. The exhibition explores the subject through specific objects connected with Fred Rogers and the show.

A statue in downtown’s James H. Rogers Park depicts Fred Rogers sitting on a bench. The park, on Main Street, is also home to a Pennsylvania State Historical Marker about Mister Rogers; it was installed in June 2016. The exhibit, statue, and marker offer different perspectives: an interactive exhibition, a figure in the park, and a historical marker.

Community Art and History

Those more interested in Latrobe’s community and art history can explore two other institutions. The Latrobe Area Historical Society is dedicated to collecting, researching, and documenting the heritage of the Latrobe community, as well as preserving its local history and ethnic roots. The Latrobe Art Center displays inspiring works of art and crafts by artists from across the region. It is also a stop on the Fred Rogers Trail. These interests—preserving local history, regional art, and the connection to Fred Rogers—can each be part of a stay.

The Lincoln Highway: Tour and Virtual Bike Ride

The Lincoln Highway Experience focuses on the Lincoln Highway. A self-guided tour with an audio wand includes 16 stops. The attraction also offers a virtual bike ride along the Lincoln Highway across the United States. The two formats offer different perspectives: the audio wand tour takes visitors through 16 stops, while the virtual bike ride presents the highway’s route in the context of the United States. The Lincoln Highway Experience also includes a restored 1938 diner where pie and coffee are served.

Latrobe and Its Culinary Connections

At the birthplace of the banana split in Latrobe, you’ll find an oversized banana split sculpture and a Pennsylvania State Historical Marker explaining its origin. For breakfast or lunch, Ricolita’s Café in the Rogers Building offers another place to eat. Together with the pie and coffee at the diner, these provide different dining options: a café serving breakfast or lunch and a restored diner serving pie and coffee. The banana split marker adds a local story about the dessert’s origins to these places.

If you’re looking for a hotel in Latrobe, you can first consider which topic you’d like to shape your stay: Fred Rogers, regional art, the community’s history, or the Lincoln Highway. The places mentioned offer a range of cultural and historical points of interest, without requiring you to limit your interests to just one type of visit.

Discover more destinations: Jones Mills, New Florence, New Kensington, Scottdale, Acme, Ligonier, New Stanton, Donegal

For the broader travel guide: Westmoreland.