Our Vision

The five-county Heritage Area is a thriving and economically vibrant region whose residents, visitors and communities understand, value and are fully committed to the stewardship of the Schuylkill River watershed and its heritage.

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area celebrates the Schuylkill River watershed as one of America’s most significant cultural, historical and industrial regions. The boundaries of the Heritage Area cover the Schuylkill River watershed in Schuylkill, Berks, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. This region is nationally significant for the role that its people, places, and events played in the American, Industrial, and Environmental Revolutions. The Heritage Area is home to over 3.2 million people across five counties. Approximately 1.5 million people draw their drinking water directly from the River.

A National Heritage Area is a place designated by the United States Congress where natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape. The Schuylkill River received this designation from Congress in 2000. The Schuylkill River watershed was designated a Pennsylvania Heritage Area by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in 1995. National Heritage Areas work to revitalize and restore the region through natural and cultural resource preservation, education, recreation, community revitalization, and heritage tourism. The legislation authorizing the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area is available from the Library of Congress. You can also learn more about other National Heritage Areas.