The Horseshoe Curve winds along three rail tracks on the outskirts of Altoona, Blair County. Built c. 1854, it is 2375 feet long and about 1300 feet in diameter; the curve bends around a dam and a lake and is five miles west of Altoona in Logan Township. It was built to lessen the grade while climbing to the summit of the Allegheny Mountains. As early as 1879 an observation park was built for visitors. Today the curve is a National Historic Site and overseen by the Railroaders Memorial Museum.
Location
Glenwhite Road
Altoona, Pennsylvania, 16601, United States