Top 5 Things To Do near Lancaster, PA with KIDS!

There are so many things to do in Lancaster, PA with kids! This list could be longer.

A couple of weeks ago, I (bravely) took the kids with me… alone… to visit family in PA and NJ. On the way up, we stopped in DC for 3 hours and saw a few great sights! On the way back down, we stopped at Dulles to see the air and space museum. It was a fun week, but oh so hectic. If baby girl didn’t hate the car seat so much, I think it would’ve gone a lot smoother. But what can you do? I’ve taken plenty of road trips alone with my son, so I was happy to have him there to help. He was the perfect distraction for her in the car, and he is currently obsessed with taking pictures so he got a lot of shots of me and Hattie girl for me. It worked out great. One of the things we loved was having a few hours one day in the Lancaster, PA area. I wasn’t sure what to do with kids in Lancaster, PA so I asked my family in the area. They gave me some great tips! One of the things I had been considering was taking Jude to Hershey, so we made it a point to do that too. We both can’t wait to go back in the future and hit up all the stops we missed! Here are my favorite things we did in Lancaster, and some more that we WANT to do soon!

• Kitchen Kettle Village – My five-year old LOVED taste-testing all the wonderful jams and honey at a store in Kitchen Kettle Village. He even insisted that I buy him some orange marmalade because it was his favorite. We ended up bringing home a set of six mini jams and butters. I can’t wait to go back and stock up more! We got there pretty late in the day so we didn’t get to spend as much time as I would have liked, but I loved all the farmhouse decor (yep, I bought a new sign for the house!) and walking around in the nice weather. We sat on a bench and split some pretzel bites before leaving. My son ran around a bit to release some energy. It was the perfect afternoon!
• Hershey Chocolate World – About 28 miles from downtown Lancaster is a treat for kids (and adults) of all ages: Hershey!! Hershey, PA was a small town but they were super busy with tourists at the Hershey attractions. Hershey Chocolate World offers a free tour too! Don’t be blinded by the line to buy tickets for different attractions. If you want to do this quick and easy, walk past everyone in
•  line and straight to the tour start location. The only thing you have to pay for is the extras like a make your own candy bar. We didn’t need all that so we opted for the free tour. You can also head next door to Hershey Park and have fun at the amusement park! It was a cold rainy day so that wasn’t an option for us. We did the tour, ate lunch in the huge food court, and then bought some treats and souvenirs at the store!
• Horse & Buggy Ride – I’m so sad we didn’t get a chance to do this. Jude was dying to get a shot at riding in a horse and buggy. Unfortunately, because we go to Kitchen Kettle Village only shortly before closing, the horse and buggy station was already closed. This is a for sure for next time!
• Strasburg Rail Road – This was a highlight for us! My aunt, uncle, and cousins
• came with us to take a ride on the Strasburg Rail Road! It was Easter weekend so what made it even more fun was that the Easter bunny was on the train and then they had an Easter egg hunt for the kids in the field nearby. Definitely eat before you go because there’s only one café and it’s overpriced and way too small. Jude got a conductor’s hat from the gift shop and he enjoyed wearing that around all day. The only downside for us was that it was raining and we had a wait because we didn’t purchase tickets in advance (you can do so online – do it!).
• Dutch Wonderland – We came to PA literally a month before Dutch Wonderland was set to open. My son was bummed! This is a great amusement park for kids that we plan to go to when we go back during summertime.

Other things to do in Lancaster, PA as a family?

• An Amish farm and house tour – If we had more time, one of the things we would do is an Amish farm and house tour. My son loved hearing about how different the Amish lifestyle is and I’d love for him to see firsthand!
• Lancaster Science Factory – This would have been fun for my son who loves himself some science!
• The Pennsylvania National Fire Museum – Since Jordan is becoming a firefighter, it would’ve been cool to go to this museum had he been with us – next time!
• Turkey Hill Experience – Who doesn’t love ice cream?!
• Sight & Sound Theatre – I’ve heard a lot of people recommend this theatre!