Experiential Tours in Lancaster

Amish Foods & Celebrations:  Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord - Enjoy a meal with our Amish friend, Sarah. Hear stories, taste the foods and make the crafts that are a part of our Amish Wedding and Christmas gathering traditions. Available year round.

A Taste of Kitchen Kettle Village Walking Tour: Kitchen Kettle Village -Let us take you behind the scenes to get to know the characters who built Kitchen Kettle Village. Find out the stories behind this community of shopkeepers while you eat your way through 90 minutes of food and fun. Available March through December.

Across the Fence: Farmland Fun at Verdant View - Stroll through the beautiful countryside and chat with Amish neighbors "across the fence." Experience everyday conversation with the locals for a thought provoking Q&A session. Available year round.

Amish VIP (Visit in Person) Tour: The Amish Experience has created a unique opportunity for your group to personally interact with our Amish neighbors! Be welcomed into an Amish home to hear from your host what it's like to be Amish, visit an Amish working Farm for a tour with the farmer himself, and discuss daily life with an Amish schoolteacher. Welcome to authentic Lancaster County!

Amish Country Cookin' Tour:  The Amish Experience's tour invites you to a behind-the-scenes cooking demonstration at Plain & Fancy Farm. A couple of people from your group can even try their hand at preparing some local specialties! Partake in a Food Tasting Tour, twist a pretzel, and participate in a wine tasting before sitting down to an all-you-can-eat family-style dinner. Yum!

Amish Experience Theatre Behind the Scenes: The Amish Experience - Student groups in particular will enjoy this explanation & demonstration of effects used in the Amish Experience's popular show, "Jacob's Choice." Learn the secret behind the unique Pepper's Ghost effect, originated in the 1800's, and learn how to recreate it at home! Discover more, too, like how the amazing cannon machine works!

The Artist Encounter: Miller's Smorgasbord - This FREE activity allows group guests to meet face-to-face with an Amish painter at our art gallery or interact with a local quilter at our enormous quilt shop. Learn an expert's technique, ask questions and be amazed by the skill & craftsmanship of the works of art they create! Groups of 20+ (not more than 57) Approx 30-40 mins in length. Must be booked in conjunction with a group meal at Miller's Smorgasbord.

Behind the Scenes Tour: Sight & Sound Millennium Theatre - Go backstage and discover the technology and ingenuity that powers each show. You'll visit the nerve centers that keep the lights, sound, stage - and even the animals on cue. You'll also glimpse a state-of the-art scene shop creating sets for upcoming shows; learn about the process to bring a story to life, and step up to the stage for an actor's view! Available Tuesday-Friday, Spring through Fall.

Herr's Snack Factory Tour: Herr's Snack Factory - See Herr's potato chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, cheese curls and popcorn being made right before your eyes on this free tour. Sample our tasty potato chips, fresh and warm from the cookers. Late afternoon or evening tours are available to groups. These tours must be scheduled in advance. Reservations required for all large groups. Available year round.

Noon Mechanic Shop Tour: Strasburg Railroad - Get a behind-the-scenes guided tour of the railroad's mechanical shop, where trains are built and refurbished. Due to safety regulations, children under age 5 are not permitted on the tour. Ticket availability is limited for the tour, and we strongly recommend you purchase tickets in advance, as the tour often sells out for the day. Available year round.

The Old & the MOO Tour: The Amish Experience has created two truly unique experiences for your group: Visit two dairies to discover how milk reaches your table from an Amish vs non-Amish farmland explore a working farm aboard the Farmland Fun Wagon Tour OR learn fun farm facts first-hand at Kreider's Dairy Farm as you drive right through the dairy barn!

A World of Choices: Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant - The Smucker family brings Choices to life through the personal story of one of their Amish-Mennonite neighbors, who tells about a family tragedy and the ultimate impact of their choice to forgive. Not just a family style meal but a lesson in non-violent conflict resolution. They'll never look at silly putty in the same way again! Did your choice make the conflict bigger or smaller?

Amish Wedding Celebration: The Amish Experience - Participate in the Amish Experience's original Amish Wedding Tour, designed to give you insights into the fascinating wedding traditions of the Amish! Be a part of the Amish Wedding Vows reenactment, then enjoy a specially-prepared all-you-can-eat family-style dinner at Plain & Fancy Farm.

Fractur: The Craft of the Pennsylvania Dutch: Landis Valley Museum - Roll up your sleeves to learn one of the most unique and elaborate crafts of the Pennsylvania Deutsch (Dutch), Fraktur. Learn the history of this craft, and try your hand at creating this beautiful art form. Make your own sampler of Fraktur to take home with you. Your Visitor Experience includes: *Tour specific building where children would have learned Fraktur *See examples of this art form and create your own message in Fraktur. Available year-round.

Free Amish Pretzel Making Demonstration: Plain & Fancy Farm Restaurant - Conducted by a member of the Amish community, this truly authentic experience offers much opportunity for interaction with your Amish host, and enjoy tasty samples too! Groups of 20+ (not more than 57), approx. 30 mins in length. FREE, but must be booked in conjunction with a group meal at Plain & Fancy Farm. Not available on Sundays.

Gingerbread Decorating: Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn - Everyone receives a gingerbread man, unlimited icing, and unusual decorating items. Decorate like you were 10-years-old, but remember each will be judged by our head chef for the most creative. The winner will receive a prize and everyone gets to take home their gingerbread. Available year round.

Heirloom Gardens of Landis Generations: Landis Valley Museum - Take a stroll through our 1700s and 1800s herb, vegetable, and flower gardens, interlaced with tales of early garden folklore. Learn about our nationally recognized Heirloom Seed Project, including a tour and packaging demonstration. Learn how heirloom vegetables are making a big comeback in culinary and gardening circles. Take a backstage tour into our Seed Building and watch how they package seeds. Your Visitor Experience includes: *Tour the gardens and greenhouses *Learn the history and folklore about gardens and why they were so important to the lifestyle and health of early communities. *Learn about the vegetables, how they are grown, and the food process from beginning to end. *Identify and pick mint (for our tea) out of the garden and prepare your own meadow tea. * Watch a demonstration about another farm tradition, the essential "tussie mussie" and receive definition and instructions on how to make your own! April-October.

Hershey Farm Cooking Class: Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn - Let one of Hershey Farm's trained cooks guide your group step by step to create two of Hershey Farm's signature bakery items, Shoo-fly pie and whoopie pies. Volunteers will receive hands-on experience and everyone will receive complimentary whoopie pies to cap off the demonstration. Available year round.

HERSHEY'S Chocolate Tasting Adventure: HERSHEY'S Chocolate World Visitor's Center - Join our chocolate expert, Dr. Livingston McNib, for a guided, interactive, multimedia discussion of chocolate lore. You'll taste HERSHEY'S creamy milk chocolate, our robust dark chocolates, and various chocolates with unique inclusions. After completing your Chocolate Tasting Adventure, you'll receive an official Masters Degree in Chocolate Tasting from HERSHEY'S University! Admission can be purchased at the 3D Theatre Box Office inside HERSHEY'S CHOCOLATE WORLD. Embark on an entertaining and educational journey into chocolate that is sure to please guests of all ages. Available year-round.

Interactive Cooking Tour: Sticky Buns in the Tavern Culinary and Food Craft: Landis Valley Museum - You will experience the traditional way of baking over an open hearth in our historic tavern. This includes instruction and hands-on baking of our famous sticky buns. Assist the tavern keeper in the making of the buns, roll the dough, and sample the goods! Experience another Pennsylvania German craft in our Visitor Center. Your Visitor Experience includes: *Your will learn how to make our famous sticky buns, and sample them, of course! *Learn the history of taverns and the role they played in transportation, socialization, and stagecoaches. *Learn preservation and storage of food for the winter. *Watch a demonstration of another Penn Dutch Craft. Available year-round.

Mural Arts Tour: All-in-One Tours  - (partnered with Quilt & Textile Museum and Heritage Center Museum). See some of Lancaster's beautiful murals and learn how they are created. You'll also get to experience the basic steps of mural painting! Available year round.

Shoo-Fly Pie Workshop: Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn - Start with a 9 inch pie shell, fill it with the ingredients to make Hershey Farm's delicious shoo-fly pie. While you enjoy shopping in our large gift shop and have a delicious PA Dutch lunch or dinner, our bakery staff will bake and package the pies for you to take home. Available year round.

Whoopie Pie Checkers: Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn - Play checkers Lancaster County style. The checkers are made of our mini chocolate or red velvet whoopie pies. When a checker is jumped, you eat the jumped checker. To king a checker, another whoopie pie shell is added! Afterwards, each person in the group gets a whoopie pie. Available year round.

Yesterday and Today: The Evolution of Farming in Lancaster County: Landis Valley Museum - Step back in time and explore the everyday early farming of the Pennsylvania Dutch. You will visit the state-of -the-art Landis Valley Farm Machinery and Tool Exhibit. Get an insider's look at the technology of agriculture, and how it has evolved since the simple shovel! You'll work shoulder-to-shoulder with one of our farmers to learn about our historic breeds of animals here at Landis Valley. You'll receive hands-on experience by hitching up a couple of Clydesdales for a day in the fields. Your Visitor Experience includes: *Tour the farm and learn about the daily life of a farmer *Learn the role of animals on a farm and meet the array of animals at Landis Valley, including Percherons, Belgian Draft and Clydesdale horses, Tunis sheep, Dornick pigs, Lineback cattle, oxen, geese, and chickens. Available year round.

Amish Camp: Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn - Camp includes: Overnight stay Amish style, Amish fashion show, culinary experience, ice cream social, activities on Amish farm, lesson in Amish school, buggy ride and more. Available year round, Monday-Friday.

Bizarre Foods of Lancaster County: Plain & Fancy Farm Restaurant - Join us in the Demonstration Kitchen for an interactive demonstration, lecture and tasting of the Bizarre Foods of Lancaster County. Among other things guests will learn what's really in scrapple, how (and why) chow-chow is prepared and canned, and enjoy the simple goodness of shoo-fly pie while learning it's origin and much more! Available year round.

Cannin' and Jamming: Kitchen Kettle Village - Roll up your sleeves and help us make a batch of apple raspberry jelly. You even get to label your jar and take it home to enjoy. Learn more about the art of canning in Lancaster County. Available year round.

Celebration of the Plain People: National Christmas Center - Step into a world of Christmas and meet Susie, a local Amish woman who will interact with the group, explaining Amish Christmas celebrations. Susie can talk about the Amish way of celebrating as well as everyday life in this unusual culture. Available year round.

Come Quilt With Me: Mennonite Information Center - Hear about the history and origins of quilting in Amish and Mennonite communities as you put your own stitches in a keepsake patch. Each person can choose their own fabric, trace a pattern and practice the art of hand quilting. Then add your group's stitches to a quilted wall hanging to be sold at the PA Mennonite Central Committee Relief sale held each spring. Your quilting will be part of a demonstration of love and giving to all humankind. Available all year.

Fraktur - The Craft of PA Dutch: Landis Valley Museum - Roll up your sleeves to learn one of the most unique and elaborate crafts of the Pennsylvania Dutch, Fraktur. Learn the history of this art-form and try your hands at creating this beautiful art. Make your own sampler of Fraktur to take home with you! Available year round.

Fresh from the Garden: Inn at Leola Village - Select your herbs and get ready to cook! Enjoy a cooking class in the region's state-of-the-art Tuscan style kitchen for a culinary class with our Executive Chef! Available year round.

Professional Chef's Cooking Demonstration: Plain & Fancy Farm Restaurant - This fun & fast-paced demonstration by a Plain & Fancy Farm chef will allow group guests to experience (some first-hand) the preparation of our famous shoofly pie and homemade chicken pot pie noodles. Groups of 20+ (not more than 57), approx. 40 mins. in length. $5 per person (must be booked with a group meal at Plain & Fancy).

Savor the Flavor: Kitchen Kettle Village - This fast-paced workshop is filled with nutrition, quizzing, tasting, and our favorite ingredient: fun! A history of our canning process with nutrition in the mix gives you a healthy serving of the importance of reading and understanding labels. A friendly quiz bowl tests your knowledge with a tasting/identifying challenge. Available March through December.

Yesterday & Today: The Evolution of Farming in Lancaster County: Landis Valley Museum - Explore the everyday farming of the early PA Dutch. Visit the modern Farm Machinery and Tool Exhibit for an insider's look at how agricultural technology has evolved from the simple shovel! Work with our farmer to learn the care and work of our historic animal breeds. Hitch up a couple of Clydesdales for a day in the field. Available Spring, Summer, and Fall.