Allentown Park Log 6: The Fish Hatchery

The fish hatchery is one of the most unique attractions in the city of Allentown. In brief, it is an organization of concrete pools built to spawn fish.


The longer explanation and history can be explained well by the wonderful signs in the center of the pools:

(If you click the picture it will open larger in a new window)


Those are the kind of markers I would love to see explaining the lime kilns, etc, in the Parkway. Behind the main pools is a deep rock pool full of old and very large fish.

A couple more footsteps will take you to a vey unique room full of taxidermy. Most importantly it will lead you to the vending machine where for 50 cents or a dollar you can buy fish food. Feeding fish at the hatchery is not just awesome to do when you’re a child; it ruled pretty hard the other day:

(That is my first ever youtube video upload.)

Being able to come so close to contact with these beautiful river fish serves as a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with the natural world and see life in its various developmental stages.



The fantastic thing about the Fish Hatchery is that it is free to visit. I recommend taking a visit there if you have never been; it is just a really cool place to check out and even if you have visited but haven’t in a few years, I promise it is as interesting as it was when you were a kid.


Across the street (and be careful crossing, people drive very quickly around there) is another extension of the Parkway and it is as beautiful as the rest.



Hidden in the undergrowth a little trail will take you stream side to a beautiful dam:


There is also another old spring bed with stone walls and a stone bridge to the right:


Back at the Hatchery, there is a memorial arboretum that is absolutely worth taking a stroll through. If you plan to visit, please do it is a wonderful Allentown attraction. Heck, bring a picnic lunch with you while you’re at it; just don’t bring sushi.