Things to do in Lancaster
Lancaster is the county seat and largest city in Lancaster County. The historic downtown surrounds Penn Square, anchored by Central Market — America's oldest continuously operating farmers market.
Browse Lancaster by category
Where to eat in Lancaster
More →Annie Bailey's
Fivepointville Bible Conference
Groovy Greens
Lynn & Gray Coffee Co.
Safe & Sweet
Scott's Artisan
Where to stay in Lancaster
More →DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Lancaster
Lovelace Manor Bed & Breakfast
Glenwood Bed & Breakfast
Lancaster Bed & Breakfast
Lancaster Bed & Breakfast, The
Walnut Lawn Bed and Breakfast
Things to do in Lancaster
More →2395 COVERED BRIDGE DRIVE
Bailey Crossroads Road
Baileys Crossroads Road
Carousel
Conestoga Valley High School, Rill Gymnasium
Edgewater Meadow Park
Upcoming events in Lancaster
All events →Bus Tour to Museum of the Bible
Community Yoga w/ Jill
Grateful Yoga
Community Yoga w/ Jill
Kindermusik Class
Fall Whiskey Dinner
Major Vibes: Friends-Days
Shade Tree Commission
Community Yoga w/ Lija
Kickboxing
Articles featuring Lancaster
More articles →Lancaster PA Christmas Activities: A Guide to Lights, Shows & Holiday Trains
The working guide to Christmas in Lancaster County: Koziar's, Sight & Sound, the Strasburg Rail Road holiday trains, and where to eat.
Romantic Getaway in Lancaster PA: Where to Stay, Eat & Drink
A working list for couples planning a Lancaster County weekend — the best inns, the fine-dining rooms that own the evening, the wineries worth the drive, and the country drives that take you off the tourist track.
Where the Locals Send Visitors
We collect what Lancaster locals tell their out-of-town visitors when asked. The patterns are clear: skip the polished tourism-trail recommendations, eat at the staples, time the Central Market visit to a Tuesday, and don't underestimate the small streets.
Lancaster Nightlife: Where to Drink, Hear Music, and Stay Out Late
Downtown Lancaster keeps a real nightlife scene for a city its size: a five-story Irish bar with a rooftop deck, a bowling-alley cocktail lounge, two speakeasies, a brewery row, and live music seven nights a week. Here is where to go.
Visiting Lancaster
Lancaster City is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States, chartered in 1742 and briefly the national capital for a single day in September 1777 as the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia. It later served as Pennsylvania's state capital from 1799 to 1812. The red-brick downtown radiates from Penn Square, where Lancaster Central Market has operated continuously since the 1730s, its standholders selling produce, Pennsylvania Dutch staples, and prepared food three days a week.
The city works as a base for the whole county. Dutch Wonderland's kingdom-themed rides and The Amish Farm and House sit along the Route 30 corridor, the American Music Theatre stages concerts and its own original shows, and Park City Center and Tanger Outlets cover a rainy shopping day. Downtown, gallery walks, boutiques, and a dense restaurant row along King and Queen Streets reward exploring on foot.
Dining spans scratch-made Italian at Buona Tavola to classic 24-hour plates at the Park City Diner and Lyndon City Line Diner, with Fox Meadows Creamery for farm-made ice cream. For overnights, the Eden Resort & Suites and the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square anchor opposite ends of the spectrum: resort pools on the edge of town versus a convention-center high-rise steps from Central Market.