January 09, 2018
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
Yuengling, based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, is the country's largest craft brewery.
As the oldest brewery in the U.S., the Pottsville headquarters of Yuengling is already the biggest tourist attraction in Schuylkill County, bringing in tens of thousands of visitors a year. Now superfans of the lager can look forward to an expanded Yuengling museum showcasing the brewery's 185-year history.
D.G. Yuengling & Sons Inc. recently received a $1 million grant from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, which awards funds for cultural and historical projects in Pennsylvania. According to Lehigh Valley Business, a portion of that grant will go toward creating a Yuengling historical project, including a museum.
Despite reaction after owner Dick Yuengling Jr. offered public support for Donald Trump – which earned the brewery its fair share of boycotters and an unsavory association with Neo-Nazis – Schuylkill County still counts on the brewery to bring the area even more visitors as the region tries to revitalize and grow more attractive to tourists.
The grant for Yuengling comes in conjunction with another $1 million awarded to the Schuylkill Economic Development Corp. for spearheading those efforts to make Pottstown more alluring.
The brewery already houses a museum within the original brewery to showcase pieces of its long history to visitors, but the expansion would include a better tour route, more parking, and an event space.
Though Yuengling is a staple in most Philly non-craft beer bars, the brand has hinted plans for expansion beyond its current 20-state, largely East Coast distribution area. A December Instagram post by the brand teased that the next state to get Yuengling would be Michigan, Kentucky, Arkansas, or Texas, before announcing it was officially headed for Arkansas.
