I visited the Strasburg Rail Road recently, but not for the train ride this time and it still…read moreturned into a really easy outing with kids. When we first got there, staff greeted us and let us know when the next train was leaving. I hadn't planned ahead to ride this time, but they also told us there's a park a little ways down that's included at no additional cost, which was a really nice option to have. From the parking lot at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, you can actually see the playground behind a fence across the street. Once we walked over, we just took our time looking at the trains up close, passing the shops, and letting the kids explore as we went. The playground isn't huge, but it works. It's not gated, but it's tucked in enough that I wasn't worried about my kids running off. The ground is tire shred (which I prefer over tan bark), and there's seating for adults nearby. Bathrooms are right by the playground, which makes a big difference with little kids. There's also a Thomas the Train LEGO display at the Toy Train Store (not too far from the playground) which my kids loved. Next time, I'll plan ahead to include the train ride, but this was still a really good visit.

We came here about an hour before our train and spent some time walking around the little shops…read more There was a small empty stage, and my sister stepped onto it for a quick joke picture my mom wanted to take. A man sitting nearby suddenly yelled at her that she wasn't allowed on the stage. My mom and sister apologized right away, but I jokingly said to my sister, "He probably doesn't even work here." The man immediately jumped into the conversation with an attitude and said, "I actually do work here." The whole interaction felt unnecessarily aggressive from the start. He was dressed in plain clothes with no name tag, uniform, or anything showing he worked there, so there was no clear way for visitors to know he was staff or that the stage was off limits. The situation could have been handled much more politely and professionally. Because of that experience, I honestly wouldn't come back. I also wanted to quickly add that if there was a sign, we did not see it.

Incredible experience! From the moment we arrived, the staff thought of absolutely everything. They…read moreexplained the process clearly, made everyone feel comfortable, and genuinely wanted to ensure that every participant had the best possible experience. The yoga session itself was fantastic, and the baby goats were the stars of the show! I smiled more in that hour than I have in a long time. It's impossible to be stressed, unhappy, or take yourself too seriously when baby goats are climbing on you and demanding attention. If you're even remotely considering goat yoga, stop thinking about it and sign up. Seriously. It was one of the most fun and joyful experiences I've ever had, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

The Amish Farm and House is a 5 Star tour guide service. Our…read morebus tour guide John was very knowledgeable and friendly. A well spent 90+ minutes into Amish Country PA.

"You come on like a flame Then you turn a cold shoulder…read moreFire and ice" (Pat Benatar) Lititz is one cool little town with a vibrant downtown of 60 shops, 20 restaurants and a pretty little park. To promote winter tourism, in February they host an annual 10-day bash known as the "Fire & Ice Festival". Local businesses sponsor the creation of an ice sculpture for public display, and we saw dozens of them on Main Street, Broad Street, Juniper Lane and at the entry to Lititz Springs Park. Some of the sculptures we saw were fire trucks, tow trucks, a snowman, Mr. Moneybags from Monopoly, an angel, a unicorn, the Liberty Bell, Mr. Potato Head, a bird, a dog and various other animals, a train, a bicycle, praying hands, and a palm tree. The Fire and Ice Festival also has food trucks, music, kid-centric activities, a photography exhibit and a Lititz pub crawl. We enjoyed looking at the ice sculptures, fed the ducks in the park, shopped at Wilbur Chocolate and the Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, and visited the town's Visitor Center to chat with Earl - one of the coolest ambassadors any town can possibly dream of having. Well done Lititz!!

Fun to see. Lititz has lots of interesting events through all the seasons and I live close enough…read moreto walk there.

Brought my kids here today before we could check in at our cabin at KOA. I wanted them to see about…read morethe history, and alil bit of how the Amish live. They got an eye opening experience, and they actually enjoyed it which surprised me very much. But I believe it's Important that they see and view how others live in this world, and how they grow up.

This is a very nice place, but if you want a better feeling for the Amish life, go to the Amish…read moreHouse. After having been there the last time I came to Lancaster, nothing compares. The price is very reasonable for what you get. You can tour the house, which was given by a very sweet lady. Then you can tour the grounds and they have a few shops. It's very clean and well laid out. We then went on what was supposed to be a 90 minute drive, but it ended up being 75. Our driver did not go out of his way to make the ride anything more than business. I was expecting it to be narration with a little bit of fun mixed in. He was very informative though. We stopped briefly at an Amish market, but I was hoping we would've stopped at someone's house like we did on the Amish House bus tour. On a cheaper budget, this will suffice to get to know about the Amish ways of living. But I highly recommend going to the Amish House by Target instead.

On a small, side street stands a brick building. Black shutters hug the windows while the flower…read morewindow boxes above loom over the sidewalk below, waiting for an audience. A Historic Marker proclaims that a famous puppeteer was born nearby. The white door left slightly ajar wears a sign, "Sold Out." Some places might feel forlorn wearing those words, but not here--this is the home of Lancaster Marionette Theater. From the moment you walk into Lancaster Marionette Theater, the magic surrounds you, and what Robert Brock has created on Water Street in historic downtown Lancaster is something out of a storybook. From the John Durang Puppet Museum, to the Backstage Tour, and most of all to the delightful marionette performance itself--everything about this charming building is full of Brock's heart and soul. When I first heard about this small but quaint theater, it gave me visions of memories growing up watching The Sound of Music. We all remember the famous scene of Maria and the children performing their marionettes while singing "The Lonely Goatherd." When I ordered tickets to see Peter Pan, I did not know what to expect but I was looking forward to sharing this experience with my twelve-year-old son. Brock, a native of Lancaster, fell in love with theater and puppets as a little boy when his dad made a puppet play theater for his sister one Christmas. As an adult, he went to Boston Conservatory and majored in Music Theater. In 1990, Brock's Hole in the Wall Theater opened with hand puppets, but when his shoulders gave out, he switched to all marionettes ten years later. January of this year, the name was changed to Lancaster Marionette Theater, and with it came renovations including a new "green" updated lighting system. There are so many parts of creating each show. Making wooden carved puppets, creating patterns for costumes, cutting out the material, sewing clothes, sculpting clay for the heads, painting the marionette, writing the script--these are just a few of the steps Brocks takes. Perhaps that is what makes this small theater so unique. The audience gets the chance to meet the founder and artistic director, Robert Brock, during the Backstage Tour. While learning that it takes him 50-60 hours to build each marionette, audience members feel Brock's charisma and passion for the theater. During the tour that day, Brock told the crowd about a project he is currently working on about dinosaurs. While he still performs some of the same shows each year, he continues to create new ideas. My son and I arrived that Saturday in October for the last performance of the year for Peter Pan. There was a large group of young children attending, and the theater has a policy about children being quiet during the performance. This policy was explained and delivered from one of the staff before the show, standing right in front of the stage, and it was aimed at the children so they could understand. Somehow--it worked. I did not hear a peep from the children throughout the 35-minute show. Brock explains on his website, "Shari Lewis used to say, 'Never write down to children.'" Perhaps that is the key. We left that day with a new appreciation for puppets. It was amazing how Peter Pan was brought to life with just one man--with music, strings and some pixie dust.

This place is great! Go see a show! Then see another one! We have taken our nieces and nephews…read moreseveral times to the kid-oriented puppet shows. They are between the ages of 6-11. All enjoyed themselves. The pre-show backstage tour is fascinating to them because it also includes jnfo on how the artist makes the puppets so don't miss out on that. We recently attended one of the more adult oriented shows. It was over the top awesome. We would definitely do this again for date night! It was funny, minimally baudy.... Great costumes and singing. It is a very small theatre which means every seat is a good one.

It Takes a Village…read more Forty acre village comprised of a farm, historic buildings, artifacts and some amazing craftspeople. We didn't really know what to expect coming here but were completely blown away by what we found. The Good: *Firstly, the craftspeople that were here during our visit were all simply amazing but special big ups to the Tinsmith and Blacksmith as they were both a pure joy to talk to. They both possess so much great knowledge and skill in their crafts. It was truly amazing to talk to people like this. *One of the better gift shops we've encountered, as it has wares produced by the craftspeople, as well as locally-made Amish wares and even packets of heritage seeds. *Great historic antique-filled buildings to wander around at your leisure. *Be sure to watch the short film about the history of this place at the Visitor Center. *We were here for almost four hours and still didn't see everything! The Meh: *Some of the trails are a bit suspect, so keep an eye on any old folks you bring along. The Ugly: *The farm part of this place could use a little love, but I'm just being nitpicky. TLDR: Great place for lovers of history, but definitely make sure you take full advantage of the craftspeople that are there that day. They're def the heart and soul of this museum. Without them, this would be a 3.5* experience.

Friendly staff and volunteers!! Lots of beautiful outdoor spaces and free parking. History is on…read moredisplay here

Very knowledgeable about the places visited and games at different times to make the travel time…read moreentertaining. Restaurants chose were very good food. I would definitely recommend.

Listen, due your homework before checking out a place. Don't do what I did before I showed up here…read more Check to see what the hours are before you venture here and have to figure out what to do for your day since it is not open. As you can see, this is a local museum and it truly does embrace the community it sits in. The time that I visited this they were having an exhibit that showcased local artists. That would be why you don't see any pictures of the art from me out of respect for those local artists. They were actually getting ready to switch over exhibits when I visited. Even though it looks small from the outside, the inside is quite spacious and totally gives off the art gallery vibe. Rooms that echoed if you spoke or simply took a step. The exhibit stretched multiple rooms on each floor. Since this was an exhibit for local artists you were able to purchase the art on display. When I was here there was an older couple that had come in and talking with the employees. They had purchased a few pieces over time from here. What was nice was that you could vote when you finished your visit on which piece of art you thought was extraordinary. I wonder what the results was of that vote. I'm going to have to look into that.

Kind of lame. There's only 3 rooms and we were only there for 10 mins. Good thing we didn't drive…read moreall the way up to Lancaster just for this. Go to Gallery Row if you want to see art galleries for more than a few mins.