Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Lancaster County
Lancaster, Pennsylvania is a place rich with Colonial history and full of natural beauty. So welcoming was this area that in the latter half of the 1700s through the first part of the 1800s, Lancaster was the largest town in America that wasn’t a seaport. Successful businesses such as Woolworth’s famous 5 & 10 Cent stores and Hershey's chocolate all originated in Lancaster. Today, Lancaster is proud of its heritage and traditions that make it a highly visited vacation spot – over 5 million people visit Lancaster County each year.
Known as Pennsylvania Dutch Country or sometimes as Amish Country, Lancaster County is home to the most well known Amish community. Known for their simple and self-sufficient lifestyle, the Amish lend an air of tranquility to the hustle and bustle of modern living. To understand more about the Amish culture and faith, there are tours available of Amish homes, a farm, a schoolhouse, and an Amish village.
Beyond the Amish, there is more to the Pennsylvania Dutch Country – there are the rolling hills, the quaint little towns, the stone mills, and the historic covered bridges – all 28 of them - carefully preserved. With all that, the usual 21st Century amenities are found, too – amusement parks, championship golf courses, professional minor league baseball, and hot air balloon tours. Visit the Farmer’s Market for fresh produce or for the home-baked pastries and treats – shoofly pie and pretzels are particular Dutch Country favorites. Tour one of the many wineries and breweries. Shop for unique, handcrafted Amish quilts and furniture or hunt for antiques. Lancaster has one of the country’s largest number of antique shops in one area.
Penn Square is the hub of center city Lancaster. Built in 1853, the Fulton Opera House is America's oldest theater in continuous operation. Central Market dates back to the mid-1700s. The 1729 Trinity Lutheran Church is the oldest congregation in Lancaster. History lovers will enjoy the Heritage Center Museum, Cultural History Museum, Museum of Art, Lancaster Newspapers Newseum, Lancaster Quilt & Textile Museum, and the North Museum of Natural History and Science. Or they may want to visit the historic Rock Ford Plantation or President James Buchanan’s home Wheatlands.
Gettysburg National Military Park
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was the site of the largest and bloodiest battle waged during the American Civil War. Over 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, captured, or missing. Three days of battle in early July of 1863 was a major turning point of the war, as the Union was victorious over General Robert E. Lee’s invasion of the North.
Abraham Lincoln’s immortal Gettysburg Address was delivered at the dedication of the Gettysburg Soldiers’ National Cemetary in 1863. In 1933, the National Park Service took control of the park to keep it as a lasting memorial to those who fought and died on the battlefield.
As a memorial to the Union victory, some portions of the battlefield have been preserved. The memorial park of over 1,400 monuments and memorials over 6,000 acres. Other sites to see at Gettysburg National Military Park include the National Cemetery, the Park Library, the museum collection, the bookstore. President Dwight Eisenhower’s farm adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield.
The museum collection is filled with relics of the Civil War. With over 26 miles of paved roads, visitors can tour the Gettysburg National Military Park in their own cars or take a bus tour with a guide on board. Park rangers lead special programs and walks during the summer.
The Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center is open year round. The buildings are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Independence National Historical Park
The “Birthplace of our Nation” is located in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Independence National Historical Park. The American Colonies’ principal and centrally located city in the late 1700s, Philadelphia was selected to host the First Continental Congress in 1774. At this meeting, delegates met to address their rights and liberties that they felt had been violated by the British government. Drafting a grievance to England’s King George III, and vowing to boycott goods from England was the resolution. When England ignored the complaints, a Second Continental Congress met at the State House in 1775. By this time, the revolution had started between the Continental forces and England, but independence was not proclaimed until the following year. The Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation managed to hold the independent states together for a common cause, they failed to unite the states after the war. In 1787, the Grand Convention met in Philadelphia, resulting in the ratification of the new Constitution of the United States. By this time, the United States capital had moved to New York. Philadelphia representatives attempted to bring the capital back to Philadelphia to no avail. Instead of being our country’s capital, Philadelphia stands in history as the place where the first steps were made leading to independence from England.
The 45-acre Independence National Historical Park has nearly two dozen park sites that are open to the public. Highlights of the park include the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. The site of Benjamin Franklin’s home offers information about the founding father who left an incredible legacy to the United States and endowed both the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (his birth state) and Pennsylvania (his adopted state) with a two hundred-year monetary legacy.
Other sites at Independence National Historical Park include Congress Hall, Old City Hall, the Second Bank of the United States, the New Hall Military Museum, Carpenters’ Hall (site of the First Continental Congress), Christ Church, Bishop White House, Independence Hall Museum, Free Quaker Meeting House, the Merchants Exchange Building, and more.
The Independence Visitor Center is the starting point for the Independence National Historical Park, housing exhibits and offering amenities such as parking, maps, dining, shopping, and a list of daily events and more.
Attractions at the Independence National Historical Park are open year round. Hours may vary between each site and may be seasonal.