Formalized in 1989, the Pennsylvania heritage development movement was first established as the Pennsylvania Heritage Parks Program.  Pennsylvania’s Heritage Areas – as they are now called – tell the stories of Pennsylvania’s rich history and the roles it played in the development of the nation.  Each Heritage Area highlights places of interest, people, traditions and events special to the region and gives visitors a taste of what Pennsylvania’s heritage is all about.  The program is a key component of the state’s tourism industry, and is administered by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) in conjunction with the State Heritage Areas Interagency Task Force, which is comprised of the Pennsylvania Departments of Community and Economic Development, Education, Transportation, the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

Pennsylvania’s formally designated Heritage Areas and Corridors joined together to create the Pennsylvania Heritage Area’s Association as a resource for professional leadership, experience, coordination and advocacy within the Heritage Area community, and to further the Heritage Areas’ shared missions of developing tourism, preserving history and providing public education.

In 2008 the Association was rebranded as HeritagePA, adopting the theme “Honor Our Past – Build our Future”, to more accurately reflect the broader missions of its member agencies.