Erie Insurance Arena – Area Bucket List

Erie Insurance Arena is a dynamic indoor venue located in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania. The venue’s versatility allows it to host a variety of events, such as concerts, basketball and hockey games, ice performances, graduation ceremonies, and more.

While attending an event at Erie Insurance Arena, you’re in the perfect place to experience all that Erie has to offer. Not only is the venue in the downtown area, but it’s close to Lake Erie as well. This bucket list guide to Erie will bring you to all the main spots in the area.

Warner Theatre

It’s something special when historic structures are immaculately maintained and used for generations. This is the case for Warner Theatre, a stunning theater built in 1929 and located right around the corner from Erie Insurance Arena.

The Warner brothers themselves commissioned the theater to be built, and it opened in 1931 as a movie theater. It served this purpose until the late 1970s, when it was converted it into a performing arts center. Since then, Warner Theatre has hosted an incredible amount of performances, packing the schedule to include more than 150 shows annually.

The outside of Warner Theatre has a classic, Golden Age of Hollywood look. It features a large, vertical sign with “Warner” emblazoned on it and completely lit up. Below it is the marquee, beautifully designed with plenty of bright lights.

However, the exterior is only the beginning of what makes this theater so magnificent. The inside of the Warner Theatre features high ceilings with ornate decorations, detailed paintings, and warm, glowing lights. When you attend a show at the Warner Theatre, you’re not only admiring the performance, but the venue as well.

Erie Art Museum

The Erie Art Museum is a relatively small destination, making it an ideal place for a family outing. One of the most unique exhibits is by local artist Roman Glass, who turned an entire gallery into an outdoor street environment, asphalt and road signs included.

In addition to rotating exhibits, the Erie Art Museum has a large, permanent collection. Unlike most art museums, who rotate through their collections, the Erie Art Museum put every single one of their pieces on display. This massive amount of artwork covers the walls, creating an outstanding experience where more than a thousand pieces of art have been unleashed for all visitors to enjoy.

You never know what you’re going to experience at Erie Art Museum, which is why you should absolutely take the short seven-minute walk from Erie Insurance Arena to check it out.

Erie Maritime Museum

A five-minute drive from Erie Insurance Arena is the Erie Maritime Museum, which focuses on the role Erie played in the War of 1812. Upon entering, guests watch a movie about the nautical history of the area.

Afterwards, visitors go on a self-guided tour through the museum to view its many artifacts. These artifacts include ships in a bottle, the helm of a boat, intricate ship bows, antique cannons, and more. Visitors can touch and interact with many of these items, making it ideal for families with curious young children.

Outside, guests will enjoy walking aboard a huge, vintage ship and going below deck to see the living quarters. The museum even offers activities, such as a knot-tying class. At the Erie Maritime Museum, not only will you learn a lot about Erie’s involvement in the War of 1812, but nautical life in general.

Bicentennial Tower

An eight-minute walk from the Erie Maritime Museum and a six minute drive from Erie Insurance Arena is the Bicentennial Tower.

There you can climb 210 steps to visit the tower’s highest observation deck. This observation deck is 138 feet in the air, providing spectacular views of the city, as well as Lake Erie. In addition to a great vantage point, signs throughout the Bicentennial Tower educates guests about the history of the city.

There’s a small fee to climb to the top of the tower, but it’s an affordable $5 for adults. For those unable to climb the stairs to the top, there is an elevator up to the observation deck.

Erie Brewing Company

Adults interested in a cold, refreshing beer should look no further than Erie Brewing Company. This establishment was originally a gastropub, and has since grown into an expansive production facility.

Erie Brewing Company produces six year-round beers and five seasonal beers, and distributes their brews to 13 states. They have also won multiple awards, including two medals from the Great American Beer Festival.

Erie Brewing Company is a point of pride for the community and is the perfect place to gather and support a local business. There’s beer on tap for almost all tastes, including IPAs, sours, ales, stouts, and more. Visitors can also take a guided tour of the brewery, which staff gives each Saturday. Take a tour, chat with their knowledgeable staff, and learn about what makes this brewery, and this community, something special.

Presque Isle Lighthouse

The Presque Isle Lighthouse is one of Erie’s landmarks that should definitely be on your area bucket list. This lighthouse was built in 1873, making it the second-oldest on the Lake Erie shore. There is a brick home attached to the lighthouse, which once housed the lighthouse keeper and his family. Back in the day, the lighthouse keeper climbed to the top of the lighthouse three to four times each night to ensure there was enough fuel in the lamp.

Today, the light is completely automated, but visitors can still follow in the lighthouse keeper’s footsteps. There are almost 80 steps up into the tower, and at the top is a picture-perfect view of Lake Erie. In the summer, guided tours of the lighthouse are available. For less than $10, you can explore the lighthouse and brick home while learning about the nautical history of Erie.