When I used to be rising up in Central New Jersey, a typical weekend day journey consisted of a journey out to Lancaster, PA, higher often called Pennsylvania Dutch Country; so named for its massive Amish inhabitants. In these days, a visit to Lancaster meant a peaceable drive by means of the rolling farmlands previous farms and Amish locals touring by horse and buggy, topped off with a slice of shoofly pie.
Flash ahead thirty years and PA Dutch Country has change into fairly a household journey vacation spot, with numerous issues to do in Lancaster PA with youngsters. It makes an ideal weekend getaway vacation spot from Philadelphia, Baltimore, NYC, or Washington D.C.
Lancaster was the primary cease on one in every of our spring break street journeys to Gettysburg, Ocean City, and Chincoteague. If you’re visiting Lancaster, PA with youngsters, I’d suggest no less than a weekend keep, particularly you probably have toddlers or younger youngsters.
10 Things to do in Lancaster with Kids
I wish to thank the PA Dutch Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for internet hosting our journey, Plain and Fancy Farm for the scrumptious all-you-can-eat feast, and Aaron and Jessica’s for the complimentary buggy journey. All opinions are my very own.
Take a scenic drive
Lancaster, Pennsylvania is understood for its picturesque landscapes, rolling hills, and sprawling farmlands, making it a perfect vacation spot for a scenic drive. When we have been beginning out our journey, I apprehensive that each one the event that has gone on in Lancaster lately would make it exhausting to get away from the vacationer traps and benefit from the countryside with its farms and delightful landscapes.
I needn’t have apprehensive. Once you get off of Route 30 into a number of the again roads you should have loads of alternatives to benefit from the surroundings and begin a tally of the variety of horse and buggies you see alongside the best way.
One of the preferred scenic drives is the Lancaster County Covered Bridge route, which covers a distance of fifty miles and options 29 historic lined bridges. To begin, head to the city of Intercourse and comply with the indicators. Along the best way, you possibly can admire the gorgeous surroundings and cease at a number of factors of curiosity, together with the Cherry Crest Adventure Farm and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.
Another scenic route in Lancaster is the Welsh Mountain Loop, which covers 25 miles and presents stunning views of the countryside. Start within the city of Gap and comply with Route 772 to Route 897 North, after which comply with Route 23 West again to Gap. Along the best way, you possibly can benefit from the breathtaking vistas of the Welsh Mountains and cross by means of charming Amish communities.
If you’re in search of an extended drive, the Lancaster County Heritage Trail is a 27-mile route that takes you thru a number of the area’s most stunning landscapes. Starting in Columbia, comply with Route 462 East to Route 722, after which proceed on to Route 23 East to Route 772. Along the best way, you’ll cross by means of quaint cities, rolling hills, and scenic farmland. Don’t miss the chance to cease on the Conestoga Area Historical Society Museum and the Susquehanna Riverlands Visitor Center, each of which provide fascinating insights into the area’s historical past and pure magnificence.
Stop on the Hans Herr House for some historical past
The Hans Herr House is the oldest homestead in Lancaster County, courting again to 1719, and place to get acquainted with the settlers of the realm and their seek for non secular freedom. The home was constructed by Hans Herr, one of many earliest Swiss Mennonite settlers within the space, and is a testomony to the area’s wealthy cultural heritage.
The home is furnished with interval furnishings and artifacts, giving guests a glimpse into what life was like within the early 18th century. In addition to the home, there’s a reconstructed barn, smokehouse, and out of doors bake oven. We had enjoyable watching demonstrations of conventional crafts similar to blacksmithing and spinning.
A go to to the Hans Herr House presents a novel alternative to step again in time and expertise life because it was centuries in the past.
Ride the Strasburg Rail Road
If your little ones are in any respect into trains, they may take pleasure in a journey on the Strasburg Railroad, which transports you again in time to the golden age of steam railroading. The railroad, which dates again to 1832, presents scenic 45-minute round-trip rides by means of the picturesque countryside. You can choose to both journey in a historic steam locomotive or a classic diesel locomotive.
In addition to the prepare journey, the Strasburg Rail Road Station presents a present store, a working sign tower, and a museum that includes historic railroad artifacts and displays. Train rides run each day from April by means of December and on weekends in the course of the winter months. Check the web site for up-to-date data on schedules and occasions.
There are additionally many seasonal occasions and actions to take pleasure in on the Strasburg Railroad. During the summer season months, you possibly can participate in particular occasions just like the Day Out with Thomas, the place youngsters can meet the well-known blue engine and take a journey on a prepare pulled by Thomas. In the autumn, the railroad presents scenic rides by means of the autumn foliage, and in the course of the vacation season, guests can take a journey on the Santa Express prepare.
For true prepare fanatics, the quaint city of Strasburg additionally presents a railroad museum and the Choo Choo Barn at Traintown USA, that includes a 1700 square-foot mannequin prepare show. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania has over 100 locomotives and railcars on show. After spending time with the trains, the remainder of your loved ones members may take pleasure in a stroll by means of the charming city of Strasburg.
Take a buggy journey
After seeing numerous buggies alongside the byways of Lancaster, your youngsters can be clamoring for a journey of their very own. There are many various choices for buggy rides and also you may wish to analysis forward of time to grasp your choices for the kind of tour and buggy expertise you need.
For instance, we took a journey with Aaron and Jessica’s Buggy Rides, conveniently positioned on the Plain and Fancy Farm. They supply a lot of tour choices of 25-50 minutes in length that go to a farm, cease on the town, or take a “cookie run.” Keep in thoughts that these should not non-public buggy excursions (though non-public excursions can be found), and a few buggies are extra like carriages that maintain as much as 15 folks.
If you possibly can’t make a reservation prematurely, remember to give your self loads of time to attend your flip and put your title on the checklist as quickly as you arrive. Another factor to remember is that with some excursions, like Aaron and Jessica’s, you possibly can ask questions of your Amish information and study extra in regards to the neighborhood and customs.
Visit an Amish Farm
On our go to, we determined to mix the buggy journey with a farm go to in order that we may see the workings of an genuine Amish farm. At the farm, we stopped in on the barn, the place we noticed the cows that the farmer spends about 4 hours a day milking.
After a fast go to with the horses and probably the most cute calves, we climbed again into the buggy for our journey again. If you want to spend extra time at a farm and study in regards to the Amish way of life, you might additionally go to The Amish Village or the Amish Farm and House.
You may additionally spend a day on the Cherry Crest Adventure Farm for some “agritainment” like corn mazes, wagon rides, visits with child animals and extra.
Ride the rides at Dutch Wonderland
They weren’t open for the season throughout our keep however Dutch Wonderland is good for little youngsters overlaying an space of 48 acres with over 35 rides, sights, and exhibits. It is designed for households with younger youngsters, making it a well-liked vacation spot for households with youngsters between the ages of two and 12.
Dutch Wonderland options a wide range of rides, together with curler coasters, water rides, and basic carnival rides like bumper automobiles and a Ferris wheel. Some of the preferred sights embody the Duke’s Lagoon water play space, the Sky Ride, and the Kingdom Coaster. There are additionally a number of dwell exhibits and leisure choices, such because the Storytime with Princess Brooke present and the High Dive and Dolphin Show.
Dutch Wonderland is open from late April by means of early October, with various hours relying on the season. You also can take pleasure in seasonal occasions together with Happy Hauntings (choose weekends in October) and Dutch Winter Wonderland (choose days in November and December). Tickets might be bought on-line or on the Park entrance.
Shop til you drop
As with any touristy space, you could find the ever present outlet procuring malls. There are two most important outlet malls in Lancaster: the Tanger Outlets and the Rockvale Outlets.
The Tanger Outlets is positioned on Stanley Ok. Tanger Boulevard and options over 65 outlet shops. Some of the flagship shops on the Tanger Outlets embody Nike, Coach, J.Crew, and Tommy Hilfiger. The outlet mall additionally presents a wide range of eating choices, together with quick meals chains and sit-down eating places.
The Rockvale Outlets, positioned on Lincoln Highway East, options over 70 outlet shops, together with manufacturers like Gap, Levi’s, and Under Armour. The outlet mall is designed to seem like a standard Lancaster County village, with quaint storefronts and charming landscaping. Visitors to the Rockvale Outlets also can take pleasure in a wide range of eating choices, together with a number of locally-owned eating places.
If you’ll fairly strive one thing extra genuine, cease on the Kitchen Kettle Village with over 40 outlets with genuine PA Dutch merchandise and locally-made merchandise.
If you’re on the town on a Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday, you too can try the Central Market Lancaster, the nation’s oldest repeatedly working farmer’s market, with native PA Dutch specialties; or go to the Bird-in-Hand Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays – Saturdays.
Mix up some enjoyable on the Turkey Hill Experience
Turkey Hill’s chocolate peanut butter is my favourite ice cream taste and it makes me lengthy for my pre-lactose intolerance days. A go to to the Turkey Hill Experience enables you to strive a lot of their well-known flavors of ice cream, iced tea, and lemonade whereas mixing up some taste enjoyable.
But don’t get confused, the Turkey Hill Experience shouldn’t be an ice cream manufacturing facility tour. In truth, it’s positioned in an outdated silk mill, not a dairy in any respect. But the constructing has character and the Experience presents a lot greater than a manufacturing facility tour.
There are a few methods to do the Turkey Hill Experience. The normal expertise covers loads of floor together with samples galore and the flexibility to create your individual digital taste, packaging and business and it takes about 60-90 minutes to get to do all of it.
The different possibility is so as to add the Taste Lab, which helps you to carry your digital taste to life with a hands-on expertise mixing flavors and add ins to create the perfect taste profile. If you wish to do the Taste Lab, remember to plan forward and make a reservation as a result of seating is restricted and the final Taste Lab of the day begins at 4:15pm.
On our go to we arrived just a little after 4pm and couldn’t get into the Taste Lab, however we nonetheless had loads to do. We began out with samples…why not, that was the primary motive we have been there proper? After swigging down some Turkey Hill Lemonade and Peach Tea, we sauntered over to the ice cream counter to take our time making our alternatives.
After hanging out on the “porch” in some rocking chairs, we moseyed over into the displays. We skipped the play space for the little youngsters with a ball pit, slide and quaint truck, and went proper into studying about how ice cream is constituted of a brief movie (narrated by the cows.)
We then we moved onto the primary attraction. We pulled out our tickets with a novel Create Your Own (CYO) code for constructing your individual taste. First cease, a contemporary scratch and sniff — extra of a press and sniff. By urgent down on a scent stamp you get an olfactory preview of the flavors you need to work with.
The subsequent step was to create your digital taste. Using the contact screens you enter your code and phone data, then get mixing. You can select to start out with a chocolate or vanilla base, then add fruit and different add ins to create the mixture of your creativeness and provides your masterpiece a reputation. My baby named hers Mango Chocolate Delight.
After you create your taste you progress on to packaging. Using the touchscreen to pick out a background, select a font, and drag and drop sticker fashion decorations, you don’t must have any design expertise to create a novel package deal to your ice cream.
Then comes the ultimate stage, stepping by means of the blast freezer to movie and edit your individual business. Standing in entrance of a inexperienced display, you possibly can select what sort of business you wish to do (my daughter picked the within the discipline interview…with a cow). You can comply with the teleprompter or create your individual script, then head over to the enhancing station so as to add music and produce your remaining business. At every cease alongside the best way, you possibly can have your creations emailed to you or submit them on Facebook.
It was an ideal expertise and one in every of our favourite issues to do in Lancaster with youngsters.
See a present
The Amish Experience theater at Plain and Fancy Farm tells the story of “Jacob’s Choice,” which helps clarify what it means to be Amish. For one thing extra dramatic (and non secular) the Sight and Sound Theater is a Christian theater that “brings the Bible to life” with exhibits like Moses and Jonah, if you’re into that type of factor.
EAT (A Lot!)
One factor that PA Dutch Country is known for is its smorgasbords or all-you-can-eat buffets. These should not only a option to stuff your gullet, but additionally one strategy to sampling all of the native meals and PA Dutch specialties (see my submit in regards to the must-try PA Dutch meals.)
On our go to, we didn’t do a standard smorgasbord however we did get to strive many PA Dutch meals from the Amish Farm Feast on the Plain and Fancy restaurant. Made well-known on the Travel Channel’s Man v Food with Adam Richman, the Amish Farm Feast supplied up greater than we may eat of salad, cinnamon raisin bread, rooster pot pie, fried rooster, chow chow (pickled greens), corn, roast beef, buttered noodles, mashed potatoes and a lot extra together with shoofly pie!
Other well-liked smorgasbord buffets embody Miller’s or Shady Maple.
Where to Stay in Lancaster with Kids
There are many enjoyable spots to remain in Lancaster with youngsters and among the best is the Cartoon Network Hotel. They supply family-friendly rooms with bunk beds, an indoor pool with a waterslide, and an outside seasonal pool and splash pad play space. The lodge additionally has an on-site restaurant and an arcade/sport room.
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