Pennsylvania's Lancaster County is the perfect weekend escape—pie, carriage rides and all

Sure, New York is packed with landmarks, museums, farmers' markets and endless shopping, but can you roll your own pretzel, snack on stroopies or ride in an Amish horse-drawn buggy there? Pennsylvania can, and if those sound appealing, Lancaster County is a delightful choice for a weekend trip.

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Less than three hours from NYC by car, Lancaster County and the city of Lancaster sit in South Central Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River, each with its own attractions. Founded in 1729, Lancaster County lies in the middle of Pennsylvania Dutch Country and is home to river towns and the Dutch Wonderland family amusement park. It holds the oldest Amish community in the U.S. and stands as a major agricultural center devoted to preserving farmland, with many family-operated farms.

It isn't all rural, though: the city of Lancaster is an urban hub with arts venues, Federal-style architecture, a lively dining scene and independent shops and boutiques. Having served as the nation's capital for a single day in 1777—when the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia ahead of advancing British troops—Lancaster city holds its own as a metropolis and makes for a wonderful weekend destination.

Whichever you pick—and honestly, why not both?—here's what to see and do in the City of Lancaster and Lancaster County.

Browse Lancaster Central Market

Open since 1730, Lancaster Central Market is the oldest continuously running public market in the country. Set inside a historic brick building and open Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, it spotlights Pennsylvania foods and farm-fresh produce.

Wander a grid of vendor stalls selling produce, baked goods, specialty groceries, pantry staples and ready-to-eat local fare. Grab chocolate milk from Maplehofe Dairy, whoopie or shoofly pie (a rich molasses pastry) from Marley's Country Goods, or cured and smoked meats like regional Lebanon Bologna from S. Clyde Weaver. A handful of tables on the upper level let you enjoy your haul on site—but be sure to bring home a bag of Pennsylvania-made crunchy hard pretzels.

Explore the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History & Democracy

If you've seen Steven Spielberg's film Lincoln, you likely remember Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th U.S. President. But Tommy Lee Jones also delivered a key supporting performance as Republican Congressman and abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens.

The real Stevens grew up in Vermont and moved to Lancaster as a young man to open a law practice. As a radical Congressman, he championed voting rights for African American men after the Civil War and was instrumental in crafting and introducing the Fourteenth Amendment.

Stevens also employed Lydia Hamilton Smith as his housekeeper. She went on to become not only his confidante but a prominent and influential local businesswoman.

Opened in May 2026, the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy occupies his former Lancaster home and law office. Beyond telling both of their stories, the center examines civil rights history and teaches about freedom seekers and their allies.

History lovers should also visit Historic Rock Ford, a homestead once owned by Edward Hand, an Irish-born physician who served in the American Revolution. Its on-site museum digs deeper into regional history. You can also learn about Pennsylvania's German communities at the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, a living history museum built on a former rural German village and founded by brothers George and Henry Landis to preserve their heritage through an enormous collection.

Dine around Southern Market Lancaster

Once a food market and later offices for city agencies, this public market relaunched its culinary chapter in early 2022. Southern Market Lancaster features a first-floor hall with Bar 1888 at its center and a 30-seat spot run by mixologists. Thirteen chef stations dish out everything from schnitzel and sushi to pizza and tacos, and trivia nights and themed events are held regularly. Note it's closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Lancaster's multicultural dining landscape shines through fusion restaurants and cuisines spanning Burmese, Puerto Rican, French and Japanese. Try Passerine, which has a bottle shop and a seasonal brunch and dinner menu—start with a brûléed grapefruit topped with cornflake streusel, wildflower honey and Maldon salt. For nighttime, Tellus 360 is an Irish-rooted music venue with regular live shows and pub food.

See the art at Lancaster Art Vault

The ground floor of this former bank building on North Queen Street now houses open gallery spaces featuring local and nationally known artists, while its former offices have become small studios.

The lower level of Lancaster Art Vault still holds three original bank vaults plus a large classroom and a photography room where member artists can showcase their work.

Discover even more creative spaces along Lancaster's Gallery Row on North Prince Street, home to fine art galleries, creative studios and local shops.

Catch a show at Fulton Theatre

Book a ticket for—or just peek inside—Fulton Theatre, a regional treasure as old as Lancaster itself with show-stopping architecture. America's oldest continuously operating theater, it stages popular Broadway productions and family shows in its main auditorium plus thought-provoking work in the intimate Tell Studio Theatre.

Its stage has hosted legends over the years, from Ethel Barrymore and Sarah Bernhardt to Louis Armstrong, Debbie Reynolds and Lancaster's own Jonathan Groff.

Venture into Amish Country

A side trip into Amish Country reveals a more rural, slower-paced side of the region. Bird-In-Hand, a village about 15 minutes from Lancaster City, links to this heritage through working Amish farms, buggy rides and traditional markets.

Aaron & Jessica's Amish Buggy Rides puts you in horse-drawn carriages with a local as both driver and expert guide to the area's Amish businesses and farmlands.

Try a Pennsylvania Smorgasbord—the tradition of a massive all-you-can-eat spread of Pennsylvania Dutch comfort food—at Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord, where you might find buttered noodles, ham balls, shoofly pie and other regional dishes.

Take a side trip to Lititz

About 25 minutes from Lancaster city, Lititz is a charming small town with historic homes in a range of architectural styles, a welcome center, history museum, antique and specialty shops, and appealing dining options.

Fronted by a highly photogenic pretzel statue, the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Factory tells the story of the founder behind today's Tom Sturgis Pretzels—the man credited with popularizing the hard pretzel. The factory began in this historic stone building before moving to nearby Shillington in 1970. Still, the Lititz site offers short introductory tours and a chance to try rolling pretzel dough by hand, and the gift shop is ideal for stocking up on the brand's many pretzel varieties, which are otherwise mostly sold regionally.

The Wilbur Chocolate Retail Store is the place to buy confections and candies. Lititz Shirt Factory is great for local live music, while Lititz Springs Inn has a British pub and an elegant yet relaxed dining room.

Getting to and around Lancaster

Downtown Lancaster is easy to explore on foot, and public parking garages are common if you drive. Uber and Lyft operate here, but finding a rideshare gets tougher the farther you go from the city center.

For the most flexibility, driving down or renting a car is your best bet.

Hertz has two city locations—one right at Lancaster's Amtrak station and another on Marshall Avenue about three minutes away—and Enterprise has a nearby location on Manheim Pike.

It's roughly a three-hour drive via Interstate 95 South to Interstate 76 West on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Another option, taking Interstate 78 West to U.S. Route 222 South toward Reading and Lancaster, takes about three-and-a-half hours but usually sees lighter traffic.

To travel by train from New York City, board Amtrak at Penn Station's Moynihan Hall bound for Lancaster on the Keystone Service or Pennsylvanian routes.

Where to stay

Lancaster offers a range of lodging, from familiar hotel brands to more distinctive stays made memorable by their history and design. A short drive from downtown, the Lancaster Arts Hotel is a beauty—originally a late-19th-century tobacco warehouse, this boutique property retains many original brick walls and wood floors. Along with its fine art gallery, the on-site John J. Jeffries restaurant showcases the region's seasonal bounty in a refined setting.

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