Lancaster County, in southeast Pennsylvania, is a land of rolling farms, covered bridges and small towns, home to a long-settled Amish and Old Order Mennonite community in the country. The city of Lancaster sits at its center, with brick row houses and Central Market, a farmers market that has operated on its square since the 1730s. In the holiday season the city is trimmed in lights. The first day starts in town.
Lancaster Central Market
Where to eat: A soft pretzel and chocolate milk inside Central Market.
Arrive at Lancaster Central Market when it opens on a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday morning. Inside the 1889 red brick market hall, local farmers and bakers sell apples, cheese, soft pretzels, whoopie pies, sausages and flowers at long wooden stands. Let kids each pick one treat, and buy a bag of snacks for the week. Go early, as the market closes in the afternoon and gets busy by late morning.
Penn Square and downtown
Where to eat: Chicken corn soup at Prince Street Cafe on North Prince Street.
Step outside to Penn Square, where the Soldiers and Sailors Monument stands at the crossroads of King and Queen streets, wrapped in lights for the season. Walk the downtown blocks of brick buildings, toy and book shops and galleries. Kids may enjoy the window displays and the Christmas tree on the square. Lancaster was briefly the capital of the United States for one day in 1777, a fun fact for school-age kids.
The Hands-on House or a park
For younger kids, visit the Hands-on House Children's Museum on the edge of the city, with play rooms built around farming, grocery shopping, building and art. Older kids may prefer a walk in Long's Park, with a pond, ducks and trails, which also hosts a drive-through holiday light show in some years. Either choice gives everyone a calm afternoon before the train days ahead.
Holiday lights and an early dinner
Where to eat: Chicken corn soup and a sandwich at Prince Street Cafe.
As the light fades, drive through the neighborhoods to see homes trimmed for the holidays, or visit a local light display. Have an early dinner downtown or near your hotel. Lancaster's restaurants are casual and welcoming to families, and Pennsylvania Dutch dishes like chicken pot pie, which here is a thick noodle stew rather than a pie, are easy for kids to enjoy.
Where to eat and stop
- Breakfast · Lancaster Central Market — Penn Square Why here: Fresh treats from an old market hall.
- Lunch · Prince Street Cafe — North Prince Street Why here: A friendly downtown cafe.
- Dinner · Lancaster Brewing Company — Plum Street Why here: A family-friendly pub with local dishes.
- Quick stop (treat): Lancaster Central Market — Penn Square Why here: A Pennsylvania Dutch treat for the walk.
Lancaster is about an hour and a half west of Philadelphia and about an hour from Harrisburg by car. Park in a downtown garage and walk Central Market, Penn Square and the shops.
Where to stay
- A downtown hotel in Lancaster city — Hotels in downtown Lancaster sit steps from Central Market, Penn Square and the restaurants, about twenty minutes from Strasburg.
- A family hotel in Strasburg or Ronks — Family hotels along Route 30 and in Strasburg sit minutes from the railroad, the museums and the smorgasbords, many with pools and family suites.
Dinner: Chicken pot pie stew at Lancaster Brewing Company.
Tomorrow: Ride a steam train at the Strasburg Rail Road, see the locomotives at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and the toy trains nearby.
Bad-weather plan
On a rainy day, spend longer inside Central Market and the Hands-on House, then warm up with a bowl of chicken corn soup at a downtown cafe.
Central Market · Penn Square · Hands-on House · Holiday lights
Good to know: Central Market gets crowded by late morning; hold small hands in the aisles and pick a meeting spot near the entrance.
