Michelle Valentine

One of the most extraordinary places I visited in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, was the breathtaking Columbus Chapel inside the Columbus Chapel & Boal Mansion Museum. ✨

Filled with heirlooms from the Columbus family, magnificent gilded architecture, and beautiful 17th-century paintings, the chapel is unlike anything I expected to find. Among its most treasured artifacts are two relics traditionally believed to be pieces of the cross of Jesus Christ, making this a place of deep historical and spiritual significance for many visitors.

It's a remarkable finale to a destination filled with stories that span centuries.

Part 6 of 6

📍 Columbus Chapel & Boal Mansion Museum • Boalsburg, Pennsylvania

📺 Full episodes of Love Eat Travel with Michelle Valentine airing nationwide on PBS member stations. Check local listings.

One of the best parts of exploring historic destinations is uncovering the unexpected connections to America's past.

Standing outside the beautiful Boal Mansion with the museum director, I learned how the Boal family's history is intertwined with some of the nation's most well-known historical figures. It's fascinating to discover how one family's legacy can provide such a unique window into the people and events that helped shape our country.

Experiences like this remind me that every destination has remarkable stories waiting to be discovered.

Part 3 of 6

📍 Columbus Chapel & Boal Mansion Museum • Boalsburg, Pennsylvania

📺 Full episodes of Love Eat Travel with Michelle Valentine airing nationwide on PBS stations. Check local listings.

One of the things I enjoy most about traveling is discovering the stories that have been carefully preserved for future generations.

At the Columbus Chapel & Boal Mansion Museum in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, I learned how eight generations of the Boal family helped preserve an extraordinary collection of artifacts that tell the story of America's past. Walking through the mansion, you quickly realize this isn't just a historic home—it's a remarkable legacy passed down through one family for centuries.

It's places like this that make history come alive and remind us why preserving our heritage matters.

Part 2 of 6

📍 Columbus Chapel & Boal Mansion Museum • Boalsburg, Pennsylvania

📺 Full episodes of Love Eat Travel with Michelle Valentine airing nationwide on PBS stations. Check local listings.