The Lancaster County Bucket List: 73 Things to Do

This list started in a Social Studies classroom at Lampeter-Strasburg, where a teacher named Mrs. Yowler gave students extra credit for checking off "Things to do in Lancaster County." It became the original bucket list on visitlancasterpa.com, and over the years visitors and locals alike have used it as their guide to experiencing the real Lancaster County, beyond the tourist strip on Route 30.

We've updated it for 2026, added details and links, and organized it by category. There are 68 items on this list. How many can you check off?

On the Water

1. Go tubing on the Pequea Creek: lazy summer float through farmland. Bring a cooler.
2. Canoe the Conestoga, Pequea, Octoraria, or Chickies Creek: four different waterways, four different vibes. The Conestoga is gentle and beginner-friendly. Chickies has more current.
3. Catch a bass, muskie, or walleye on the Susquehanna: or try trout fishing in the county's dozens of stocked streams. The Susquehanna is a world-class smallmouth bass fishery.
4. Explore the island on the Susquehanna at Washington Borough: wade out at low water to the islands near the old bridge piers. Feel like you've discovered something.

Hikes & Overlooks

5. Ramble through Tucquan Glen or Kelly's Run: hemlock-shaded creek trails with small waterfalls cascading to the Susquehanna. Kelly's Run is steeper and more dramatic. Both are excellent for photography.
6. Gaze at the Susquehanna from the Pinnacle (Holtwood Overlook): dramatic cliffs above Holtwood Dam. In winter, watch bald eagles hunt in the open water below.
7. Visit Chickies Rock County Park and find the ruins of the Henry Clay Furnace: quartzite cliffs 100 feet above the river, plus a hidden blast furnace ruin in the woods.
8. Take a hike in Lancaster County Central Park: 544 acres with trails, the Garden of Five Senses, and a nature center. The biggest park most people don't know about.
9. Hike to Turkey Point overlooking the Susquehanna: a stunning river overlook in the southern end of the county. Worth the trek.
10. Hike Horseshoe Trail: a 140-mile trail from Valley Forge to the Appalachian Trail that passes through Lancaster County. You don't have to do the whole thing.
11. Hike the Conestoga, Conewago, or Lancaster Junction Trail: rail-trail conversions perfect for biking or easy walking through farmland.
12. Take a hike in the Furnace Hills: forested hills in the northern part of the county with surprisingly rugged terrain.
13. Visit Theodore A. Parker III Natural Area: a quiet preserve that most locals have never heard of.
14. Check out the Susquehanna from the cliffs on the Maryland line: the views from the southern border are jaw-dropping.
15. Visit Susquehannock State Park: overlooks, old-growth trees, and one of the best views of the Susquehanna River gorge.
16. Smell the wildflowers at Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve: Virginia bluebells carpet the ground in April. One of the best wildflower displays in Pennsylvania.
17. Check out the unique rock formation at Money Rocks County Park: massive boulders and rock outcroppings perfect for scrambling and exploring.
18. View the geese at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area: thousands of snow geese and tundra swans stop here during spring migration (February–March). One of the most spectacular wildlife events on the East Coast.
19. Spelunk in Cold Cave: a real cave. Bring a headlamp.

History & Culture

20. Visit Wheatland, the home of James Buchanan, our 15th President: an 1828 Federal mansion with 11 acres of grounds. The Tanger Arboretum on the property is free and open dawn to dusk.
21. Go to the Cloister in Ephrata: a 28-acre National Historic Landmark with 18th-century buildings dating to 1735. One of the most unique historic sites in America.
22. Visit the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum: massive collection of historic locomotives and rail cars, right across from the Strasburg Railroad.
23. See where Robert Fulton was born: the inventor of the commercial steamboat was born in southern Lancaster County.
24. Visit Rock Ford Plantation and Kauffman Museum: the 1794 home of Revolutionary War General Edward Hand, overlooking the Conestoga River.
25. Visit the North Museum of Nature and Science and the planetarium: Lancaster's science museum on the Franklin & Marshall campus.
26. Find the Village of Mascot and tour Ressler's Mill: a working 4-story stone grist mill on Mill Creek. Free admission May–October.
27. See where the Christiana Riot started: the 1851 armed resistance to the Fugitive Slave Act, ten years before the Civil War.
28. Visit Bethel A.M.E. Church, a station on the Underground Railroad: Lancaster was a major stop on the route to freedom.
29. Find Thaddeus Stevens' grave: the radical abolitionist congressman who chose to be buried in a Black cemetery to make a point about equality. His grave inscription is unforgettable.
30. See where the 1st U.S. Speaker of the House and the 15th U.S. President are buried: both in Lancaster County.
31. Visit Temple Shaarai Shomayim: the 4th oldest synagogue in the nation, still active in downtown Lancaster.
32. Trace your roots at the Mennonite Historical Society, the Lancaster County Historical Society, or the Lancaster County Courthouse: deep genealogical records for families with local ties.
33. Visit the Lancaster County Heritage Center: local history artifacts and exhibits.
34. Visit the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia: 12,000+ timepieces. One of the most unexpectedly fascinating museums you'll ever visit.
35. Stride down Locust Street in Columbia: visit the Wright's Ferry Mansion, the market house, and the walkable historic district of this underrated river town.
36. Walk across the bridge at Columbia and attend the Bridge Bust Festival: the Veterans Memorial Bridge connects Lancaster and York counties over the Susquehanna.
37. Visit Donegal Mills Colonial Plantation: a preserved 18th-century milling community.
38. Visit the Masonic Homes: a massive campus with beautiful grounds in Elizabethtown.

Food & Markets

39. Buy some cup cheese at the Central Market: America's oldest continuously operating farmers market (since 1730). Cup cheese is a tangy, spreadable cheese unique to the PA Dutch. If you've never tried it, this is the place.
40. Buy some schnitz, scrapple, or a whoopie pie at the Green Dragon: the legendary Friday market in Ephrata. Part farmers market, part flea market, part Amish auction, entirely Lancaster County.
41. Watch produce being sold at the Leola Produce Auction: where local farmers sell their harvest. It's fast, loud, and fascinating to watch.
42. Satiate a sweet tooth at Wilbur Chocolate: the Lititz chocolate factory (now part of Cargill) with a candy shop that's been a destination for decades.
43. Visit Kauffman's Hardware in New Holland, especially at Christmas: an old-fashioned hardware store with a legendary holiday display.
44. Get a taste of Lancaster's ethnic diversity at Lancaster Fest: the annual celebration of the city's growing international food scene.

Amish Country & Country Life

45. Go to a mud sale: the classic Lancaster County experience. Amish benefit auctions at volunteer fire companies, February through September. See our complete mud sale guide.
46. Make a purchase at a country auction: not a mud sale specifically, but any of the regular auctions held throughout the county. Bid on furniture, tools, or quilts.
47. Go to a fair in Quarryville, Ephrata, Manheim, or New Holland: Lancaster County's agricultural fairs are the real deal. Livestock judging, tractor pulls, funnel cakes, and 4-H exhibits.
48. Visit and sketch one of the 29 covered bridges in the county: bring a sketchbook, not just a camera. Slow down and really look at the bridge. Our photography guide has the best ones.
49. Go to Moravian Square in Lititz, walk across the street, and twist a pretzel: at Julius Sturgis, America's first commercial pretzel bakery (1861). Full pretzel guide here.

Performing Arts & Entertainment

50. Go to a play or opera at the Fulton Opera House: one of the oldest working theaters in America (1852), right in downtown Lancaster.
51. Go to a dinner theater or attend a play at the Ephrata Playhouse: community theater at its best.
52. Attend the Renaissance Faire at Mount Hope: the PA Renaissance Faire runs August through October with jousting, turkey legs, and committed performers.
53. Listen to a concert at Long's Park: free summer concert series on Sunday evenings. Bring a blanket and a picnic. One of the best free things to do in Lancaster.
54. See the slide show at the Southern Market: the former Chamber of Commerce exhibit on Lancaster's history (check current availability).

Trains

55. Catch a ride on the Strasburg Railroad: America's oldest continuously operating railroad. Steam-powered trains through Amish farmland, multiple daily departures year-round.
56. Visit the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania: right across the street from Strasburg Railroad. Massive locomotives, interactive exhibits, and train history.

Quirky & Unique

57. Ride to the top of the Griest Building: Lancaster's tallest building. The views from the upper floors look out over the entire downtown and into the farmland beyond.
58. Race the goat at Falmouth Goat Races: yes, this is a real thing. Goat races in the tiny village of Falmouth. Peak Lancaster County.
59. Spelunk in Cold Cave: worth listing twice. It's a cave. In Lancaster County.
60. Visit Quarryville on February 2nd for Groundhog Day: Quarryville has its own groundhog tradition. Take that, Punxsutawney.
61. Go to the Rough and Tumble in Kinzers: a steam engine and antique machinery show. Loud, smoky, and completely wonderful.
62. Enter a 5K run in Lancaster County: dozens throughout the year, often through beautiful farmland or historic towns.
63. Visit That Fish Place, That Pet Place!: one of the largest pet stores on the East Coast, in Lancaster. Even if you don't have a pet, the fish room alone is worth the trip.
64. Visit Steinman Park, especially near Christmastime: a small downtown park that transforms during the holidays.
65. Support the Lancaster County Conservancy's annual geocache event in October: combines hiking with treasure hunting across the county's preserves.

Outdoor Clubs & Resources

66. Join the Lancaster Hiking Club: organized group hikes throughout the county, all skill levels.
67. Connect with the Safe Harbor Climbers' Coalition: rock climbing along the Susquehanna River gorge.
68. Spend an afternoon in Marietta and find the canal ruins: the remnants of the old Pennsylvania canal system are hidden along the Susquehanna in this river town.

Churches & Sacred Places

69. Visit Lititz Moravian Church or St. James Episcopal Church: two of the most beautiful and historically significant churches in the county.
70. Visit Temple Shaarai Shomayim: the 4th oldest synagogue in the nation (listed above but worth emphasizing).
71. Visit Bethel A.M.E. Church: Underground Railroad history in a still-active congregation.

Take a Tour

72. Take a walking tour of Lancaster City: the downtown is walkable, historic, and full of surprises. Self-guided or organized tours available.
73. Look at the Holtwood Dam from the Face Rock Overlook: maybe you can spot an eagle. In winter, this is one of the best bald eagle viewing spots in the state.

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This bucket list was originally created by Mrs. Yowler, a Social Studies teacher at Lampeter-Strasburg, who gave extra credit to students who checked off items. It was first published on visitlancasterpa.com in 2014 and has been updated for 2026.

How many have you done? Share your progress, and if we're missing something that belongs on this list, let us know.

Explore more things to do in Lancaster County →