Overview
Lancaster is a city of around 59,000 people (2021) in Lancaster County in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. It is one of the oldest inland towns in the United States, and the center of an area inhabited by many members of the Amish community.
19 sights · 19 things to do · 12 places to eat · 8 bars & cafés · 16 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Lancaster
Historic Lancaster City
The City of Lancaster was established in 1730 and is now designated as one of the largest historic areas of the country. Begin your tour of the city at the Visitor’s Center near Central Market Center, corner of Queen and…
Franklin and Marshall College
Founded by Benjamin Franklin and John Marshall (separately, as Franklin College and Marshall College, respectively), this college is on the highest hill in the city of Lancaster.
Millersville University
Founded in 1855, Millersville University is one of the most highly regarded public universities in its region of the United States.
National Watch and Clock Museum
Strasburg Rail Road
All aboard America's oldest short-line railroad, where you'll ride authentically restored passenger cars pulled by a huge, coal-burning steam locomotive. See our Amish neighbors up close as they work and play on nearby f…
Demuth Museum
Museum of paintings by Charles Demuth.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 87°F; winter lows dip to about 26°F. Wettest: Jun and Jul. (climate data from nearby Wilmington)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- LNS Lancaster Airport, Lancaster — 6 mi away. Directions
- MDT Harrisburg International Airport, Harrisburg — 26 mi away. Directions
- PHL Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia — 57 mi away (major hub). Directions
Interstate highways lead most traffic into Lancaster County.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $139–$139 a night (typical $159), from 2 listed prices.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$180, mid-range ~$230, comfortable ~$300.
Options are grouped as Budget, Mid-range, Splurge in the Sleep guide ↓.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning The Amish Farm and House, American Music Theater, Amish Village
- Lunch Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord
- Afternoon Choo Choo Barn - Traintown U.S.A., Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
- Dinner Belvedere Inn
- Evening Lancaster Brewing Company
Day 2
- Morning Historic Lancaster City, The Ware Center, Fulton Theater
- Lunch Neptune Diner
- Afternoon Demuth Museum, Lancaster Museum of Art
- Dinner Lyndon City Line Diner
- Evening Bube's Brewery
Day 3
- Morning National Watch and Clock Museum
- Lunch El Serrano
- Afternoon Rainbow Dinner Theatre
- Dinner Shady Maple Smorgasbord
- Evening Stoudt's Brewing Company
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Lancastrians are well known for their local food, including the traditional "smorgasbord" (PA Dutch-style buffet). Most chains have a presence here.
Lancaster is home to a large number of resettled refugees, giving it's local cuisine far more international options then similar American cities.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
History
Founded in 1729, Lancaster was the capital of the United States for a single day on September 27, 1777, as the founding fathers fled the British. Lancaster has evolved from Pennsylvania's capital back in 1799, before Harrisburg was named the capital in 1812, to a strong and well known city in Pennsylvania. It is the oldest inland city in the United States.
Lancaster has grown from a hub and market town for the county, into a diverse, cosmopolitan city with first rate dining, shopping, architecture and arts, well worth a weekend visit.
Visitor information
Get in
By train
- Routes stopping at Lancaster:
- Keystone multiple trips per day between Harrisburg and New York City with stops in Elizabethtown, Lancaster, Coatesville, Downingtown, Exton, Paoli, Ardmore, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark. Some trips operate between Harrisburg and Philadelphia.
- Pennsylvanian operates daily between Pittsburgh and New York City with stops in Greensburg, Latrobe, Johnstown, Altoona, Huntingdon, Lewistown, Harrisburg, Elizabethtown, Lancaster, Exton, Paoli, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark.
By car
Interstate highways lead most traffic into Lancaster County.
- I-76, also known as the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
- One of the most pleasant routes from the East Coast Cities is via I-78 through New Jersey to exit 13, Bethel, then Route 501 south to Lancaster. It is a beautiful farmland drive, especially at sunset.
- Another good routing from I-78 is exit 54A, US-222 South (Hamilton Boulevard). This is also very scenic, but a faster and more direct routing.
- A very nice, scenic drive that takes you through the heart of the Pennsylvania Amish Country is a connecting road between Route 30 West from Philadelphia and Old Philadelphia Pike, Newport Road. The gentle rolling hills take the road through open Amish farm land and passes by Pequea Valley High School. Not only is Newport Road a nice, refreshing, scenic road, it also bypasses all the traffic of the Lancaster Outlet areas and takes you to Old Philadelphia Pike which puts you right back on the highway portion route 30 towards York County.
By plane
Go Lancaster Airport (LNS)
Has non-stop service to Pittsburgh and BWI (Baltimore/Washington, DC) airports via Southern Airways Express. There are more airlines and destinations operating from the airports in Philadelphia (PHL) and Harrisburg (MDT).
Get around
By car
Not strictly necessary for the city, which is quite walkable, a car will however open up the whole county.
The many large parking garages, some a bit hidden, are an excellent choice to stash your car for a day or evening of city exploring safely and conveniently
Amish buggies are infrequent in the city proper, but standard protocol is to be patient, treat them like any other vehicle and give a wide berth when passing.
By bus
Go Queen Street Station
The central nexus of the RRTA network. Includes a parking garage and bike parking.
By buggy
It is sometimes possible to pay for a buggy ride. Yes, horses do relieve themselves on the road. If you must dodge "road apples", please be careful!
By bike
The city is increasingly bike friendly and has many bike routes including some dedicated, separated lanes.
A bike share is available with regular and e-bikes, and numerous convenient stations. https://bikeitlancaster.com/bike-share-program/
By foot
Very walkable city. Almost anything to see is in a radius of less than a mile/1 km from the center of town.
By limo
See
The Amish
Although the Amish culture dates back hundreds of years, they have not done much to change their lifestyles. They are traditional and they have a strong sense of community. They exist inside a larger community and everyone gets along without internal problems. They keep to themselves, but they give back to the outside Lancasterian community with their goods.
Many of the venues which explain "The Simple People" and allow the voyager to learn about how the Amish live are in small nearby villages, such as Bird-In-Hand and Intercourse.
See Mennonite Information Center
Information on the life and faith of the Amish and Mennonites, quilting information, guided tours of Lancaster, Biblical Tabernacle as a reproduction of the original Old Testament tabernacle.
See Amish Village
Take an educational guided tour through this 1840s farm house furnished as a typical Lancaster County Old Order Amish house. Grounds include barn with farm animals, operating water wheel, smoke house with Pennsylvania Dutch foods, blacksmith shop with tools of the smithy's trade, village gift shop and picnic area after tour.
Neighborhoods
See Historic Lancaster City
The City of Lancaster was established in 1730 and is now designated as one of the largest historic areas of the country. Begin your tour of the city at the Visitor’s Center near Central Market Center, corner of Queen and King Streets.
Museums and history
See Rock Ford Plantation (General Edward Hand House)
A 1790s plantation that has been turned into a museum.
See Wheatland
This was the home of President James Buchanan. They give costumed tours of his historical mansion. This place has been around for ages and has a lot of history inside the walls.
See The Ware Center
The Ware Center is a state-of-the-art performing arts and events venue located in downtown Lancaster. The Office of Visual and Performing Arts at Millersville University owns and operates the venue, which seeks to foster creativity and appreciation for the arts by hosting diverse events and creating unique experiences. The Ware Center is open to the public and has several areas that are available for private events. Visit the website for upcoming events, tickets, and venue rental information and photos.
Culture
- Gallery Row: Prince Street downtown. The epicenter of art galleries, in a vibrant local scene. https://www.discoverlancaster.com/directory/gallery-row/
Do
Theaters
Do Dutch Apple Dinner Theater
You may have heard about dinner and a movie, but how about dinner and a broadway show. This is the place to go for quite an experience. This place has a fun atmosphere which is great for groups to come and dine and watch a broadway performance. Friends, food and theater.
Activities
Do Long's Park
In the summer Long's Park has "Summer Music Series", which is free concerts being held at the park each Sunday. Also, the park has an annual "Art's and Craft" festival which showcases 200 top artists and craftspeople from across the United States, Canada and beyond. Long's Park is also known for their annual Sertoma Chicken Barbecue (known as the World's largest chicken barbecue in the Genius Book of World Records!)
Do Louise Arnold Tanger Arboretum
Events
Sports
Do Lancaster Stormers Baseball (Penn Medicine Park)
An independent baseball team that plays in the Atlantic League. Very competitive baseball with very reasonable ticket prices. All home games are played at Penn Medicine Park in the James Street District of downtown Lancaster. The tickets are cheap and the games are fun. In the winter time, they turn the stadium into an ice skating rink.
Buy
Markets
Shop Antiques Capital
The Antiques Capital in Adamstown is the premier year-around antiques destination with 5,000 quality dealers, farm markets, golf courses, easy access to Lancaster and Reading outlet centers, auto racing, micro brewery, fine lodging, dining, camping, Amish and Mennonite culture and more.
Malls and outlets
- And plenty of other places (such as Amish businesses) are listed here.
Eat
Lancastrians are well known for their local food, including the traditional "smorgasbord" (PA Dutch-style buffet). Most chains have a presence here.
Lancaster is home to a large number of resettled refugees, giving it's local cuisine far more international options then similar American cities.
Budget
Eat Pine View Acres Dairy
This is not a "sit down" restaurant! This dairy is a small, old fashion convenience store. Pine View is very inexpensive and sells the quality homemade ice cream, juice, and milk (the beverages are in bags, the old fashioned way). There is also an area to pet baby cows.
Mid-range
Eat Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord
Farm-fresh smorgasbord (PA Dutch-style buffet), menu-dining, and take out. Kid-specific buffet too. Breakfast, lunch, dinner smorgasbords are all different. Near Dutch Wonderland, Rockvale and Tanger Outlets, and the Village of Intercourse, PA.
Eat El Serrano
Mexican/Peruvian restaurant in a Latin-style castle. Food is high quality.
Eat Lyndon City Line Diner
Most popular diner in Lancaster with a huge menu of items. This place always seems to be crowded. Be prepared to wait for a table during busier times, especially on Sunday mornings after church.
Eat Neptune Diner
Classic diner on the north side of the city.
Eat Olde Hickory Grill (Olde Hickory Inn)
Very good breakfasts at good prices. Can get very crowded, especially on Sunday mornings after church lets out.
Eat Shady Maple Smorgasbord
Shady Maple's breakfast, lunch, and dinner smorgasbord of food has everything you could ever want to eat.
Eat Taj Mahal
Indian food. The naan, or flat bread is delicious and they have all kinds of curry dishes.
Eat Villa Nova East Restaurant
Italian.
Eat Callaloo Trinidadian Kitchen
Serves Bus-Up-Shut, Doubles, and other Trinidad cuisine.
Splurge
Eat Belvedere Inn
This is in the city, near lots of bars and restaurants. Two story restaurant with seasonal outdoor for amazing food and drinks in one of the nicest bars in town. Contrary to its name there's no lodging, but a great piano bar on second floor.
Eat Osteria Avanti
Cozy restaurant in the heart of Leola Village offering simple, rustic Italian cuisine. No dress code and reservations are not required, but recommended.
Drink
Up until Prohibition, Lancaster had several fine breweries which earned it the reputation as Munich on the Conestoga. With the resurgence of microbrewing in the last decade or so, a few new breweries have cropped up.
Drink Annie Bailey's Irish Pub
Your typical Irish pub. Good atmosphere for the older folks. It has a very large deck to handle the smoking crowd and the addition of an "Irish Tiki Bar". Solid middle price range ($3.50-5 for a mixed drink) and good food. Young professional crowd over lunch, college students on Friday and Saturday nights.
Drink Brendee's Irish Pub
The pit stop for those who live on the West End of Lancaster. Good food, good prices, good staff. Smoking is permitted inside. Low to medium price range ($3.50-5 for a mixed drink). Usually a neighborhood crowd, some young locals mixed in. Limited seating in the back. Excellent jukebox. The Dutchland Rollers (the local roller derby team) sometimes calls this bar home.
Drink Bube's Brewery
Bube's Brewery is an intact historic 19th-century brewery and museum complex. Bube's has had a few different restaurants operating for several years. Alois is located in a Victorian section of the building and hosts events such as murder mysteries. The Bottling Works tavern is based in a former bottling plant. There is a Biergarten and a restaurant in the cellers called the Catacombs.
Drink Hildys
Local watering hole. Drinks only, no food, therefore: you can smoke inside, it can get thick at times. Older local crowd before 8PM, Franklin and Marshall students and younger crowd after that. Mostly bar seating, some tables. Low to medium in terms of drink prices ($3-5 for a mixed drink).
Drink Lucky Dog Cafe
Good for both younger and older crowds. Fun bar atmosphere. Must try the wings and on Thursdays try the $.25 great-tasting shrimp.
Drink Shamrock Cafe
The downtown "blue collar" bar. Low prices for drinks. Smoking friendly. Pool table. The bartenders here are the old school sort: if you tip well, and they get to know your name, you will be taken care of. Limited take out options. Has an undeserved reputation for being a "rough" joint, but pay no mind. Give it a shot and make some new friends.
Drink Stoudt's Brewing Company
Has the distinction of being the first microbrewery in Pennsylvania and has won several awards for its brews.
Drink Lancaster Brewing Company
Great food, great micro brews, and you can see how it is all made with the tours they have to offer.
Sleep
Budget
There are plenty of cheap options, including camping, cabin rentals, and cheap hotels.
Mid-range
Stay Bird-in-Hand Family Inn
Resort-style hotel in Amish Country between Lancaster and the Village of Intercourse. 1 outdoor pool, 2 indoor pools, hot tubs, tennis and basketball courts, a picnic pavilion, fitness room, game room, business center, various meeting rooms, laundry room, and gift shop. There are a smorgasbord restaurant and live theatre onsite. Free Wi-Fi. Group discounts.
Stay Country Acres Campground (Country Acres Family Campground)
Campground and RV park in Gordonville, Lancaster County’s Amish Country, next to farmland. Pet-friendly. Pool, playground, dog-run area. Free Wi-Fi. Cabin rentals, tent camp sites, RV sites (including sites with 50 amp and cable hookups). Includes free guided bus tour of Amish Country.
Stay Historic Smithton Inn (The Smithton Inn)
The Historic Smithton Inn Bed and Breakfast is a 9 guest room B&B with gorgeous grounds and an on-site wine bar and restaurant. Breakfast is included. All rooms have a private, en suite bathroom and working fireplace (or fireplace feature in 1 room), reliable high-speed internet and flat-screen TVs. They also have an EV Charging station.
Stay Travelers Rest Motel
The Travelers Rest Motel offers a daily deluxe continental breakfast with homemade baked goods and coffee and tea available all day. Each room has free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a refrigerator, a hair dryer, a microwave, and a coffee maker. There are also non-smoking rooms available. Guests are allowed use of the indoor and outdoor pools at the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn.
Splurge
Go next
Boroughs
Nearby
Nearby destinations suitable for day trips include:
- Allentown — Pennsylvania third largest city.
- Gettysburg — Explore Civil War country.
- Harrisburg — Explore the Capital of Pennsylvania.
- Hershey — Explore chocolate country.
- Intercourse — Amish country.
- Mount Gretna — Explore Central PA country.
- York — Explore Central PA country.
Nearby
Landisville
City / town · 4 listings · 7 mi away
Strasburg
City / town · 16 listings · 8 mi away
Lititz
City / town · 28 listings · 8 mi away
Intercourse
City / town · 21 listings · 10 mi away
Ephrata
City / town · 3 listings · 11 mi away
Wrightsville
City / town · 9 listings · 12 mi away
Mount Gretna
City / town · 3 listings · 17 mi away
Elizabethtown
City / town · 10 listings · 18 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.