Meadowcroft Rockshelter
Meadowcroft Rockshelter, located near Avella in Washington County, Pennsylvania, is a world-renowned National Historic Landmark recognized as the oldest verified site of human habitation in North America. Formed by a massive sandstone overhang overlooking Cross Creek, the rock shelter provided refuge for prehistoric hunter-gatherer bands beginning over 19,000 years ago. Operated as a division of the Heinz History Center, the site encompasses the ancient excavation pit alongside a recreated 16th-century Monongahela Indian Village and a 19th-century rural hamlet. Steeped in thousands of years of human presence, staff and visitors report eerie spiritual sensations, disembodied whispers, flickering lights, and lingering specters of ancient occupants.