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Lancaster, PA (Amish Country)
Information and
Review
Lancaster County has more
than 2,500 miles of country roads, farmland, small towns, charming boutiques,
museums and
galleries. This picturesque area is located about an hour and a half
west of Philadelphia. If you haven't been to the Lancaster area
it's a great family place with friendly people, good food, and a lot of fun
things to do.
You can step back in time
and visit the home of the oldest and largest settlement of Amish,
Mennonite and Brethren people. The area offers a look at the simple life
of the Amish people, who live as they did more than 200 years ago.
Imagine driving down the road with a horse-drawn buggy in front of you.
Cars and electricity are not a part of their life. You will find
many stores that offer handcrafted furniture, outdoor structures, and toys as well as
hand-made quilts. Restaurants include family style,
all-you-can-eat smorgasbords or fine dining with local specialties like
shoofly pie.
You can enjoy Lancaster Country on your own or
book one of the many tours to get an inside look at the Amish houses and farmland. Amish Farm & House, Amish Experience
Homestead, and Amish Village all offer house tours, and you can get a
farmland tour through the Mennonite Information Center, Amish Country
Tours, and Old Order Amish Tours. Buggy rides are also available at
Abe’s Buggy Rides, AAA Buggy Rides, and Aaron and Jessica’s Buggy Rides.
The
Mennonite Information Center is located on 2209 Millstream Rd.
and the phone number is 717-299-0954. You can also get additional
information through the
Pennsylvania
Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau. The phone number is
800-PA-DUTCH and they have tons of brochures on area attractions.
While staying in
Lancaster you can also visit nearby Hershey, Harrisburg, and Gettysburg.
Lancaster is an area that we often visit and always enjoy.
Fun Activities
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Kids will enjoy the
Cherry Crest
Adventure Farm with 36 farm fun activities including: wagon ride
through cornfields, a farm animal center, goat walk, baby chick
hatchery, a hands on educational center, and a 5 acre corn maze as well
as cafes. You can even bring your own picnic lunch if you desire.
The Strasburg
Railroad- You can take a 45-minute ride aboard the
Strasburg Railroad, America's oldest short-line railroad. You will
enjoy authentic trains, shops, dining and more. You can even ride a train pulled by Thomas the Tank Engine™, a full-sized operating
steam locomotive, and meet Sir Topham Hatt™.
The
Lancaster Train Museum
is located across the street from
the Strasburg Rail Road. This is a great museum that the kids
will love. You will find a great number of authentic
steam engines, cabooses and passenger cars from the mid-19th and
20th centuries. In addition, exhibits include railroad
artifacts, books, photos and art work. The Museum includes
an indoor and an outdoor area.
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My kids loved the
The
National Christmas Center which is a terrific family attraction that
is dedicated to the history, tradition, and magic of Christmas.
Here you can relive the magic all year round. The exhibits
contain antiques and collectibles that date back to the1800s.
You will enjoy a variety of Christmas trees, vintage toys and
electric trains. Santa's workshop, 1940s and 1950s living
rooms, hundreds of Nativities from around the world as well as
an animated story book village make this museum fun for all. You
will absolutely enjoy Mary and Joseph's journey from "Nazareth"
to "Bethlehem" with its historically accurate replicas of
clothing, buildings and artifacts.
Dutch Wonderland
is a 48-acre amusement park just east of Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, appealing primarily to families with small
children
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The other big attraction in
Lancaster is the Rockvale Square outlets which offer a great selection
of outlet stores that carry everything from designer clothes to
household items.
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The
American Music Theater gets great reviews from all
visitors. This theater offers the terrific entertainment
ranging from legendary performers like Jewel, and Willie Nelson
to acclaimed original musical productions and national Broadway
tours. The Christmas show is terrific and absolutely worth
seeing. The address is 2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster (Rt.
30 across from Rockvale Outlets) and the phone number is
800-648-4102, 717-397-7700.
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