Pennsylvania Chautauqua
Where Nature, Culture, and Community Thrive
About Pennsylvania Chautauqua
Pennsylvania Chautauqua is part of a national movement that began in 1874 on Lake Chautauqua, New York.
It quickly grew into a vibrant model of community life centered around the four traditional pillars of Chautauqua: education, religion, the arts, and recreation.
At its peak, more than 200 Chautauqua communities flourished nationwide. Today, fewer than twenty remain.
Pennsylvania Chautauqua is proud to be one of them—continuing this historic tradition within the borough of Mount Gretna, where culture, nature, and community come together.
Today, visitors experience a place where lifelong learning, creativity, fellowship, and civic engagement remain part of everyday life.
Learn more about the broader Chautauqua movement through the Chautauqua Trail at www.chautauquatrail.com
Learn More About Our History
The Mount Gretna Area Historical Society preserves and interprets the rich history of both the Pennsylvania Chautauqua and the broader Mount Gretna community.
Through archival materials, historic photographs, exhibits, and educational programs, the Society helps tell the story of how Mount Gretna and the Chautauqua movement evolved together while remaining distinct institutions.
Explore their collections and learn more at: