Johnstown Inclined Plane – Hope You Feel “Inclined” to Visit!

Looking to grab some delicious Mediterranean food, some ice cream from local dairy farms, get a great city view, or ride the world’s steepest incline? Then let’s go once again to my hometown and check out the Johnstown Inclined Plane.

The Johnstown Inclined Plane is located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in my neighborhood of Westmont. It’s another place that’s very special to me. It can carry both people and automobiles. It was built in 1890 following the Johnstown Flood, in order to move people to higher ground following the flood damage downtown. As a result of the flood, horses and carriages couldn’t transport people to higher ground. And since it was the 1890s, automobiles hadn’t been invented yet. So the Incline was the only way to get people to higher ground. The Incline was also essential in bringing people to higher ground during another flood that occurred in 1936. It is known as the steepest incline in the world, and it’s one of the best things to see when you come to Johnstown. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the Pittsburgh area and may want to extend your trip. There’s so many things to do at the Incline besides riding it.

Before I talk about some of the Incline’s featured attractions, I’ll say a little bit about the Incline itself. What’s great about the Incline is that it provides both a great view of the city and simple transportation from Westmont to downtown, and vice versa. You can enjoy the view from the Incline whether you ride it or not, because the view is visible from both a viewing ledge and from the Incline itself. The viewing ledge is a great place to get pictures of the city; in fact, a lot of my friends used to use the viewing ledge as a location for taking prom photos. Riding the Incline also gets you easy transportation from Westmont to downtown Johnstown, and vice versa. People who live in the Old Westmont area, the section of Westmont where the Incline is located, often take advantage of this in order to go downtown for an event at the Point Stadium, the War Memorial, etc. This is great because these people don’t have to worry about parking during large-scale events. My elementary/middle school is located only a few blocks from the Incline; in fact, my class took a field trip to different locations in downtown Johnstown, and we walked to the Incline and rode it into downtown. What was great about that field trip was that we didn’t need transportation at all thanks to the Incline. However, the Incline does carry vehicles as well, so this is a good option in case of events like a road closure or icy/snowy road conditions (or if you just want to ride it for the experience). However, the Incline only gives rides from April 1-December 31. While I’ve been to the Incline area several times, I’ve only rode it a handful of times. But to see what the riding experience is like, and learn a bit more about the Incline’s history, check out the video below. You’re sure to get both a great view and convenient and quick transportation when you ride the Incline.

There’s so much more to do at the Incline than just check out the view and ride it. From April 1-December 31, you can visit the gift shop, where you can buy all kinds of Inclined Plane souvenirs and merchandise from postcards to t-shirts. If you enter the building where the Incline is located, you can check out the Visitor’s Center. In the Visitor’s Center, you can see the central machinery and mechanisms of the Incline (it’s really cool to see them moving whenever the Incline is in motion). You can also see portraits and models of Johnstown that portray the city before and during the flood. The Visitor’s Center is open year-round, as is Asiago’s, the restaurant located below the Visitor’s Center. Asiago’s opened in 2013, and it serves some of the best Italian and Mediterranean food in the area. What’s great about it is you can both enjoy your meal and get an incredible view of the city. Its popularity resulted in a second location opening in Pittsburgh’s North Shore neighborhood, but this location closed after about two years. Asiago’s is also a great place to check out for anyone looking for a job in the Johnstown area; a lot of my friends have gotten jobs here. The Incline also contains an ice cream shop near the viewing ledge. The ice cream shop sells ice cream made by Galliker’s, a dairy company based right in Johnstown (I’ve never had the ice cream, but I’m sure it’s good, because Galliker’s milk is really good). The ice cream shop is usually open during the summer months (late May to early September). And the final thing you should check out when you visit the Incline is the Mound. The Mound is a park located across from the Incline. It contains a large playground, as well as an open field with one of the world’s tallest American flags. This was my favorite playground as a kid; we have several playgrounds in my area, but this is the one I went to most often. The flag was planted in 1989, to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Johnstown Flood. What you can do at the Incline is not limited to riding up and down and checking out the view of the city; there’s so much more to discover and take in.

There’s so many events and traditions that go on at the Incline area, some that are held annually and some that repeat throughout the year. For example, I absolutely love seeing the Incline during the holiday season, because the standard lights surrounding the rails are replaced with red and green colored lights. And speaking of holidays, there’s nothing like celebrating some of your favorite holidays at the Incline. For example, the Incline holds event for children and families every Easter, Halloween, and Christmas. On Halloween, kids can dress up, get professional photos, and play games. On Easter and Christmas, kids can meet and get photos taken with the Easter Bunny and Santa, respectively. And on all three holiday event days, kids ride the Incline for free. To see what types of events are going on at the Incline, check out their website. Now, if you want to celebrate an occasion with Italian and Mediterranean food as the grub and the city of Johnstown as the backdrop, an event at Asiago’s is always great as well. While Asiago’s isn’t too well known for hosting its own events, it’s a great place to hold private events. People have taken advantage of the Asiago’s banquet hall for several occasions, from office parties to rehearsal dinners. Go to the Asiago’s website (hyperlinked above) to learn more about hosting a private event, as well as to book your event. The Incline is magnificent any time of year, but going to an event there is sure to make your visit even more memorable and special.

Whether you’re looking to ride the world’s steepest incline, check out one of the world’s tallest American flags, get a bite to eat, or just take in the view of Johnstown, there’s no better place to do it than the Johnstown Inclined Plane.