yuengling tours

Visiting the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville: America’s Oldest Brewery

This is a guest post brought to you by Lance from TravelAddicts.net .

Among beer aficionados, Yuengling Brewery occupies a special place: it is America’s Oldest Brewery. They have been brewing continuously since 1829 – even through the American Prohibition (they produced medicinal porters).

Yuengling also serves a growing regional area – only 21 states. That kind of selective distribution brings with it an air of exclusivity and a tremendous desire to see what the fuss is about. And Yuengling is most definitely worth the fuss.

Coming up Mahantongo Street from downtown Pottsville, you happen on the two idyllic brick buildings housing Yuengling Brewery.

If you have toured large breweries, you begin to wonder, is this it? It’s cute, but it’s also really small. There’s no visitor center. There’s no security office. There isn’t even a parking lot (it’s all street parking; $0.25 per hour). What there is: the most authentic brewery we’ve ever seen.

As you walk into the brewery, you enter through one of the production rooms and follow the signs to the gift shop. The free tours leave from here either twice a day (weekdays) or three times per day (weekends). Specific tour times are noted on the brewery website and include a special summer schedule.

The tour length is approximately 75 minutes, which includes a tasting of two beverages (a non-alcoholic option is available for those who don’t want to imbibe).

The tour takes you into the brewhouse where they explain the Yuengling beer-making process. You will also see the bottling process in a second building.

That’s all interesting, but the highlight of the tour is the underground cave where Yuengling used to store their beer. It is carved several hundred feet back into the mountain. It is wet and cold and perfect for aging beer. During Prohibition, the Feds were concerned about bootlegging and walled off the cave with bricks – a small portion of the original wall still remains.

After our tour, our fantastic tour guide, Vickie, offered us samples of the brews. The brewery maintains a modest gift shop selling T-shirts and barware, but you can also purchase reproductions of their classic advertising through the years.

The walls of the gift shop also display artifacts from the company history. And if you are quiet and there at the right time of day, turn your head up to the ceiling and listen to the grain flowing the black pipes on its way to becoming beer.

If you’ve visited other breweries , we can assure you you’ve never visited one quite like the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

Getting to Yuengling Brewery

Yuengling Brewery is located in downtown Pottsville near Jerry’s Classic Cars and Collectables Museum in Schuylkill County within Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna Region . For information on the Yuengling Brewery tour schedule, visit their website . For detailed Yuengling Brewery directions, see the map below.

Continue your brewery crawl at the Susquehanna Brewing Company and at these breweries in Harrisburg . Or, visit Straub , the second oldest brewery in PA.

You can also head north of the border to the oldest brewery in New York: Genesee Brewing .

See map below for other area attractions.

More nearby places worth exploring

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Everything You Need to Know to Experience the Little League World Series in Williamsport (Updated for 2023)

Exploring the Abandoned Alvira Bunkers from World War 2

Hiking in Little Buffalo State Park to Discover its Beauty and History

Find more things to do in the susquehanna region.

The Travel Addicts are Lance and Laura, two professionals who are hooked on traveling and experiencing the world. Travel Addicts focuses on how to realize the best mix of value, comfort, and convenience when traveling.

2 thoughts on “Visiting the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville: America’s Oldest Brewery”

We visited way back in 1989. Unless memory is not serving me well, were there at one time muraled walls somewhere? Also is Fritz still around?

Yuengling now has a 2nd brewery in Tampa, FL. (previously Bud/Bush and Schlitz). It’s quite a popular beer here as well, but I suspect a lot is shipped north.

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Yuengling brewery tours.

501 Mahantongo St, Pottsville PA, 17901 (Get Directions)

Official Website

Operating Hours

• Mon - Fri: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m
• Sat (April thru December Only) 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m

Come tour the site of America’s Oldest Brewery. Discover the hand-dug fermentation caves that were used for storage before refrigeration. Wander through time and enjoy a taste of living history in a building that has produced fine beers through times of peace, prosperity, upheaval and world war.

Tours last approximately one hour and fifteen minutes.

All ages are welcome. A valid ID is required to sample Yuengling products at the end of the tour. There is soda available for those under the age of 21 and visitors who prefer non-alcoholic beverages.

All tour visitors must wear completely closed shoes. Tourists are required to go up and down approximately 120 steps while on the tour.

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Virtual Roadtrip: D.G. Yuengling & Son Brewery

May 25, 2020 | Northeast , Brew, Distill & Ferment

Tour the Oldest Brewery in America

Stop #21 on our Virtual Road Trip is the D.G. Yuengling & Son Brewery in Pottsville, Pennsylvania! Established as the Eagle Brewery in 1829, Yuengling is the oldest operating brewery in the United States. The Company kept the original iconic eagle logo and has expanded over the years with a second brewery in Pennsylvania and another in Tampa, Florida. In 2019 it was ranked the largest craft brewery in the United States and sixth largest brewery in the world according to sales volume.

Today, you can tour the Yuengling Brewery and learn about nearly 200 years of family and brewing history. From the hand-dug caves that were used for beer fermentation to surviving the depression with “near beer” and expanding capacity due to demand, it’s all covered on the tour.

Did You Know? The original brewery was destroyed by fire in 1831. The building that you tour today was the second brewery built by the Yuengling family in the sleepy coal mining town of Pottsville.

Travel Tip: Tours last about one hour and are available all year. Check the website for current tour times, as they vary from January to March and April to December. Also, for safety reasons don’t forget to wear closed-toe shoes; sneakers are recommended.

Following the Connection

From one sleepy coal mining town to another, our next stop is White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The Yuengling tour featured historical hand-dug caves, and the Greenbrier Resort has a bunker that is buried 720 feet underground. The entrance is perfectly hidden from guests and it can survive a direct nuclear strike!!

Next Stop: The Greenbrier Resort Bunker Tour , White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia

Detour: A trip to the coal mining region of Pennsylvania is not complete without a visit to Eckley Miners’ Village Museum , the location used for the filming of the movie The Molly Maguires. The town is now a museum with tours provided by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. It really does look like a set from a movie!!

• Plan Your Trip

Pottsville is located in the Schuylkill region of Upstate Pennsylvania. The town is located about an hour drive from Allentown, Harrisburg/Hershey, and Wilkes-Barre. The region is loaded with family fun, including amusement parks, museums, attractions, and unique small towns. Here are some recommendations from the travel desk at Check-it-Off Travel to consider while planning your trip.

Photo: Courtesy of D.G. Yuengling & Son

Where to stay.

Bear Creek Mountain Resort (Macungie) Glasbern Inn (Fogelsville) Inn at Jim Thorpe

Where to Eat

Cafe Toscana (Wilkes-Barre) Grill 305 (Allentown) The Blind Pig Kitchen (Bloomsburg)

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Don’t Miss the Ever Satisfying Yuengling Brewery Tour

Yuengling lager.  Ahh yes, deliciousness in a can.  We were recently traveling through Pennsylvania looking for some cool things to do when we came across the Yuengling Brewery Tour which is the oldest brewery in America.  Sign. Me. Up.

I’ve become a big fan of this rich amber colored beer ever since we started visiting Bryanna’s grandparents in Florida.   It was always on tap at the restaurants and bars we went to, so I figured it was southern beer.   Little did I know it was a northerner, just like me.   I like it so much in fact, I’m drinking one right now.   Hey, when in Rome..or writing about Rome…or something like that.

The brewery is located in Pottsville, Pennsylvania and the streets in the town are so sloped you have to lean forward when walking up hill.   It’s on the side of a mountain, which I’ll talk about in a bit and it’s located next to a church, which I find ironically awesome.

Table of Contents

Yuengling Brewery Tour

Alright, enough already, on with the tour.   Our guide was a young college student that was pretty soft spoken, but he definitely knew his stuff regarding the beer, the brewery, and their history.   We started by going down to the basement.   And by basement, I basically mean cave.   We’re talking Goonies here.  

Our guide explained the brewery was built in this location so they could mine into the base of the mountain it was next to.   It served as the perfect refrigerator for brewing and storing their beer.   It stays at a consistent 54 degrees all year round.   It also had a stream of water coming into the basement from the mountain. Yuengling actually used this water in their brew early on before switching over to city water.

Along one full side of the long hall in the basement was a thick cinder block wall.   Our tour guide did a quick quiz on what that was for.   There were a lot of guesses: securing the beer, reinforcing the ceiling.   Well, it was put up by good old Uncle Sam during prohibition.   The entire brewing room was sealed off.   Our guide said the first shipment of beer was put on the truck and out for delivery at 12:01am the day prohibition was lifted, which is very curious since it takes 24-28 days to brew a batch 🙂

We then went upstairs and got a good look at the giant kettles used in all the phases of brewing.   Turns out this brewery is very small compared to their larger brewery in Tampa.

After seeing this, we went to the bottling room.   This giant room was filled with conveyer belts all jammed with empty beer bottles waiting for the next shift.   We visited on a Saturday, so production was stopped, but if you come during the week, you can see this all in motion during the Yuengling Brewery Tour, which would be very cool.

The last stop on the tour, and probably the best part, the tasting in The Rathskeller tavern!   They have all of their brews on tap, including a seasonal brew and you get to choose 2 to try.   You get an 8-ounce cup and your guide switches over to bartender mode.   We had 6 kids with us and they have a local root beer on tap for them.   My little tip for all the parents out there- I’d say 1 glass of root beer is quite enough for a little one, and since you wouldn’t want their second one to go to waste….well, you catch my drift.

So you finish up the tour by  the gift shop where we picked up a few things.   Overall it was a great tour that I would highly recommend to anyone traveling in the area.   Check out Yuengling’s website for more information on the tours and directions to the brewery www.yuengling.com .

Few things to take note of:

• The Yuengling Brewery Tour runs every hour from about 10am until 1pm Monday through Saturday.  It is all first-come, first-serve, so plan on getting there early enough to make a tour.  We arrived at about 10am and just made it into the 11am tour.  Check their website for specific dates and times www.yuengling.com/breweries/pottsville/ .
• Narrow, steep hills getting to the brewery.   No problem in a car, but definitely plan on leaving your rig elsewhere.   The folks at the brewery said we could bring our rig and park it on the street during the tour, but after going there, I would not recommend this at all.
• Be sure to wear close toed shoes.   They enforce this pretty strictly.
• Bring your camera. They have no restrictions on pictures/flash/etc.   Take advantage of this since most tours don’t allow it.
• Bring your id.   For the tasting you’ll have to show you’re 21 or older.
• Try to go on a week day.   Seeing everything in motion would be pretty cool.
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2 thoughts on “Don’t Miss the Ever Satisfying Yuengling Brewery Tour”

Is the brewery open during January, February & March? Can a reservation be made for a specific day & time? Thanks.

Here is the info on their tours – https://www.yuengling.com/visit-us/pottsville-faqs/

Comments are closed.

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Yuengling Brewery Tour: America's Oldest Brewery

Step back in time—cold beer in hand—and discover the origins of America’s oldest brewery: the Yuengling brewery (Yuengling, pronounced YING-ling), is best known for its mild amber lager and also produces other beer varieties.

While you might not take your kids to a bar, the family-friendly brewery offers tours that are open to all ages. Complete your free walking tour with samples of their beverage—perfect after a sweltering day in Tampa .

Sunday is a day of rest everywhere, including Yuengling; it's the only day tours aren't offered. Beer also isn’t produced on Sundays, so Mondays through Fridays are the best days to go. There are typically three tours on each weekday—and two on Saturday—offered between mid-morning and early afternoon. Reservations aren't required, but since tour times are subject to change, give the brewery a ring before heading over for a tour. It’s also closed on major holidays.

Getting There

The brewery is about 9 miles northeast of downtown Tampa. If you're staying right in Tampa, use our Tampa travel guide to plan your trip before and after your visit to the brewery. Drive into the "Biergarten Entrance" on 30th Street and you'll find ample parking. If you prefer to kick back and let someone else handle the driving, take the Route 18 bus to 30th Street at East 109th Avenue, and you'll be let off in front of the brewery. Starting the day with a brewery tour and beer tasting could relax you just enough to be ready to take on a hectic amusement park, so it's convenient that Yuengling is located just 2 miles north of the main entrance to Busch Gardens.

What to Expect

Listen to a guide tell the tale of Yuengling's history, which began when a German immigrant named David Yuengling opened his original brewery located in Pennsylvania. You'll be led through the plant on a 75-minute tour of the beer-making process and may get the chance the chat with a master brewer and ask questions. Next, pull up a barstool in the biergarten, which serves as a tasting room. Sip samples of Yuengling's different brews, and go back for seconds if the staff is still serving. Soda is also available for the under-21 set and nondrinkers.

Tips and Guidelines

You may need to save your favorite shoes for another day. You won't be allowed on the tour wearing anything except closed shoes; even shoes with closed toes but openings elsewhere, such as clogs, aren't allowed. If you're over 21 and planning to sample the goods, make sure to bring your ID. Since tours are first-come, first-served, aim to arrive at least 15 minutes early. On a rainy day, you won't be the only one trying to duck the drizzle with an indoor tour, so you may want to arrive even earlier to beat the crowds. Bottoms up!

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Yuengling Mansion, Schuylkill County Council For The Arts

1440 Mahantongo St. Pottsville, PA 17901 Phone: 570-622-2788 Region: Upstate PA

The former home of the Yuengling family is now the headquarters of the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts. The center offers guided tours and year-round events including seasonal festivals, educational activities and gallery exhibits.

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Visit OUR DRAFT HAUS & KITCHEN

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HOURS* & DIRECTIONS

Monday & Tuesday: CLOSED

Wednesday & Thursday: 4 PM – 10 PM

Friday: 11 AM – 11 PM

Saturday: 11 AM -11 PM

Sunday : 11 AM – 10 PM

*Kitchen Closes 1-Hour Prior to Closing Time

11109 N 30th St, Tampa, FL 33612 Phone: (813)-488-6444

WHAT’S ON T AP?

Curious what delicious beers we have on tap? Click the link below and find out what we are serving up.

Seasonal Exclusive: Bock only available in Tampa, FL at the Draft Haus & Kitchen restaurant and retail store while supplies last.

R ESTAURANTS

Check out our constantly evolving food and beverage menus for each of our unique spaces within our campus – including ‘To-Go’ ordering!

While you’re here, be sure to pick up some of your favorite Yuengling swag! Can’t make it to Tampa? No problem, check out our online shop below.

ENTERTAINMENT

We offer an amazing variety of distinctive special events and entertainment in our property for all to enjoy.

Visit us in Florida as America’s Oldest Brewery opens its one-of-a-kind destination venue experience in our second home of Tampa.

PRIVATE E VENTS

Yuengling is now hosting private events. Learn more about our spaces and how we can create the perfect occasion for you and your guests.

ATTRACTIONS

Located right between the University of South Florida and Busch Gardens, we are in the center of the best attractions that Tampa has to offer.

We will be closed Saturday, 4/27 until 4:00 PM due to a Private Event.

Regular operations will continue at 4:00 PM.

Khabarovsk, Russia

Tours, Attractions and Things To Do in Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk travel guide.

• 1. Architecture
• 2. Attractions
• 3. Cultural life
• 4. Souvenirs

Khabarovsk, Russia fascinates visitors with its unusual heritage and fabulous untouched nature. Tourists are drawn to the native culture, eclectic architecture and mesmerizing waters in this off-the-beaten-track destination, which promises a unique and memorable vacation.

As the center of Russia’s far eastern region of Khabarovsk Krai, the city offers celebrations throughout the year which are sure to give added flair to your trip, from traditional culture days to large-scale food fests. It is easy to keep a full itinerary during your stay thanks to its many theaters, museums, restaurants, workshops and quest rooms. Guests who want a more relaxed holiday can venture into the serenity of Khabarovsk nature, including the coast of the Sea of Japan or one of the region’s many picturesque lakes .

Khabarovsk Architecture

Khabarovsk architecture surprises with its harmonious blending of varying types and styles. This is due in large part to major changes which the city underwent in the mid-19th-early 20th centuries in conjunction with developments in the political, economic, scientific and technical spheres. The search for new trends in architecture came after the death of the classicism style, which had dominated the Russian Empire and the wider world for centuries. Beginning in the mid-19th century, the practice of mixing eclectic architectural styles began to emerge, leading to an era of amazing stylistic improvisations.

During the final decades of Romanov reign, many educational institutions for architects and engineers were opened. As a result, the face of numerous Russian cities began to change rapidly. Art Nouveau - a new, modern trend that absorbed several preceding styles – had come to dominate the architectural scene.

Many Art Nouveau buildings can still be seen in central Khabarovsk. These include:

• Takeuchi apartment building (5 Muravyov-Amursky Street)
• Esplanade Hotel (18 Muravyov-Amursky Street)
• Luhta apartment building (84 Komsomolskaya Street)
• Zandau apartment building (34 Muravyov-Amursky Street)

Khabarovsk also has many Gothic buildings, a style distinguished by its elegance and attention to detail. Every element of Gothic architecture emphasize a vertical orientation, as seen in the massive walls and columns, round arches and wide windows which contrast with narrow towers, pointed peaks and lancet windows.

Khabarovsk’s Gothic architecture is best represented by the artillery warehouse buildings located at 16 Komsomolskaya Street. Another notable example is the Red Guard Headquarters (105 Komsomolskaya Street), which has been preserved in its original form. The complex consists of two identical two-story brick buildings with unusual motifs containing pseudo-gothic elements.

Also of note is the early 20th-century Treasury Building, a luxurious red brick structure with openwork balconies that exudes an architectural grace.

Khabarovsk also has many Soviet-era buildings which were mostly designed in the constructivism style. Characterized by their enormous size and grotesque shapes, they often occupy most of the block and dominate the surrounding space.

During your Khabarovsk excursion, be sure to appreciate its unique architectural heritage by going for a walk downtown .

Khabarovsk Attractions

The layout of Khabarovsk is very simple: its 3 main streets of Lenin, Muravyov-Amursky and Seryshev pass through the downtown area, while Ussuriysky and Amur Boulevards run perpendicular to them. A distinctive feature of Khabarovsk are its many hills, so we recommend wearing comfortable shoes for your walk.

Begin your walking tour of Khabarovsk from the train station, where you can see the monument to Yerofey Khabarov, the famous explorer for whom the city is named. Nearby is a sculpture of a double-headed eagle, erected in memory of soldiers, officers and builders of the Far Eastern Railway. Moving from the station along Amur Boulevard you will reach the central market, just past which is Lenin Square. A spacious area with a granite fountain in the center, it is the main plaza of Khabarovsk and the site of the city’s Christmas and New Year celebrations. Next to the square is Dynamo Park, famous for its three ponds and Ferris wheel.

From Lenin Square, move along Muravyov-Amursky Street to reach Amur Embankment, passing most of Khabarovsk’s famous 19th-20th century buildings along the way. Descend to the embankment via two grand staircases or make a small detour onto Shevchenko Street, where you can follow the slope until you reach the embankment’s main stretch. Among other things, the area is home to the House of Officers and three museums.

As you move along the embankment through a park you will come across the city symbol of Khabarovsk, a building set on a steep cliff above the Amur River. It was at the foot of this cliff that the founders of a military post, the first semblance of civilization in the area, first landed.

After reaching the river and walking along Ussuriysky Boulevard to Turgenev Street, turn right to reach Glory Square. Here you will find another famous Khabarovsk landmark, Transfiguration Cathedral, along with a magnificent view of the Amur River and its dreamy islands. Glory Square concludes the main walking route of Khabarovsk, but from here you can reach any part of the city by public transport or taxi .

Khabarovsk Cultural Life

Khabarovsk entertainment centers around its many theaters and museums. Visit Khabarovsk Museum of Local Lore to get a better glimpse of city and regional life. Children and adults alike will want to visit Fishes of Amur River Museum, an aquarium which is home to some 90 species of the underwater world. To catch the vibe of local artists, head to the Far Eastern Art Museum.

There are several theaters in Khabarovsk, each of which is worth visiting:

• Khabarovsk Regional Puppet Theater;
• Triad Pantomime Theater;
• Khabarovsk Regional Philharmonic;
• White Theater, and others.

In addition, Khabarovsk offers several concert halls, culture houses, cinemas and art institutions .

Khabarovsk Souvenirs

While the city’s souvenir selection is not as diverse as in other Russian cities, guests can still find something suited to their tastes on their tour to Khabarovsk. Amur River and the Sea of Japan offer an abundance of seafood that can be tasted on the spot or brought home in dried or smoked form. Yet it is the rich culture of the local indigenous peoples which provides the largest selection of national souvenirs.

If you’re looking for an original gift, traditional Nanai slippers are comfortable and warm. Sewn from leather or fabric and decorated in a bright, colorful style before being trimmed with fur, they make the perfect house shoes in winter. Traditional decorations include amulets which are made from animal bones, fur or fabrics and decorated with ribbons and colored beads.

Standard souvenirs like plates, magnets, mugs and flasks stamped with images of Khabarovsk or its coat of arms can be purchased in souvenir shops, which are mostly located downtown and at the airport and railway station.