Winter Things to Do in Lancaster PA

November 25, 2023

Wondering if there’s anything to do during the winter months in Lancaster, PA? Here are 37 Winter Things to Do in Lancaster PA from a Lancaster PA Bed and Breakfast Innkeeper, Rebecca Gallagher, owner of the Historic Smithton Inn.

Winter Things to Do in Lancaster PA, Historic Smithton Inn

1-4 Check Out These Covered Bridges:

Lancaster County is known for having a large concentration of covered bridges scattered throughout our rolling hills and farms of Amish country. There are a few clusters of bridges that are easy to put together as a “loop”. Searching out these historic covered bridges will set you up to see some incredible sights. You'll see lovely countryside, farmland and forests.. This particular group of four covered bridges in the southern tip of the county is basically my favorite: (bridge descriptions are from Wikipedia)

This post is all about Winter Things to do in Lancaster PA

Southern Lancaster Bridges Tour:

Mercers Mill: The Mercer's Mill Covered Bridge or Mercer's Ford Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans the East branch of the Octoraro Creek on the border between Lancaster County and Chester County in Pennsylvania, United States. Plug this address into your GPS: 3771 Bailey Crossroads Rd, Atglen, PA
Pine Grove: The Pine Grove Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans the East Branch of Octoraro Creek on the border between Lancaster County and Chester County in Pennsylvania, United States. It is the longest covered bridge in Lancaster County. The bridge was built in 1884 by Elias McMellen. Plug this address into Google Maps: Pine Grove Covered Bridge, Nottingham, PA
White Rock: The White Rock Forge Covered Bridge or White Rock Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans the West Branch of the Octoraro Creek in southeast Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the West Octoraro #2 Bridge. Plug this address into GPS: 248 White Rock Rd, Kirkwood, PA
Jackson’s Mill: The Jackson's Sawmill Covered Bridge or Eichelberger's Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans the West Branch of the Octoraro Creek in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the West Octoraro #1 Bridge. Plug this address into GPS: 1128-1198 Mt Pleasant Rd, Quarryville, PA

Pro-tip: If you have any difficulty finding any of Lancaster County’s covered bridges, simply open a web browser on your phone. Type in “Covered bridges near me” and you’ll be directed to the bridge closest to you.

covered bridges book

If you’d like to read more about these bridges or even include more into your quest, you can purchase this terrific book from the Historic Smithton Inn’s Gift Shop.

RELATED: Covered Bridges in Lancaster PA

5-10 Take the Ephrata Craft Beverage Pub Crawl:

Lancaster County has a fantastic variety of craft wine, beer and spirits venues. If you’d like to check some out, the best place to focus your efforts is Ephrata, PA. This small town boasts SIX venues within 2 miles of one another. These pubs & bars are all small and privately owned. Odds are, you’ll meet one of the owners when you’re there, they may even be your bartender!

Weathered Vineyards Ephrata: Cozy Wine Bar with a Mediterranean Bistro menu. Address: 900A W. Main Street, Ephrata
Boniface Craft Brewery: Craft Brewery with fantastic Pizza & Stromboli. Address: 1701 W. Main Street, Ephrata
Old Republic Distillery: Craft Distillery with flat bread pizzas and pressed sandwiches. Address: 3 Dutchland Ave, Ephrata
Black Forest Brewery: Craft Brewery with American pub-style menu. Address: 301 W. Main Street, Ephrata
Hillside Public House: Craft Distillery with BBQ cuisine. Address: 333 N. State Street, Ephrata
Pour Man’s Craft Brewery: Craft Brewery with lite Pub Fare. Address: 24 E. Main Street, Ephrata

Related: Craft Breweries in Lancaster PA & Guide to the Best Wineries in PA

11. Enjoy Yuletide at the PA Renaissance Faire!

Yuletide | 2775 Lebanon Rd, Manheim | Website

New in 2023, imagine a winter-version of the Renaissance Faire! Immerse yourself in a mesmerizing world adorned with whimsical decorations and enchanting music. From the moment you step onto the Shire, you'll be transported to a magical realm, reminiscent of a fairytale where the joy of holidays resonates in every corner. Meet and greet an array of captivating characters from different lands and time periods. Watch in awe as fairies, elves, and other mythical beings roam the grounds, ready to share laughter and holiday cheer with visitors of all ages! Happening on Saturdays & Sundays from November 24 - December 10.

12-18. Experience Live Theater:

We're so excited to have our live theaters open again for business. Each venue is uniquely wonderful and the volume and quality of live theater is one of the things that makes Lancaster PA such a special place to visit. Check each theater for current shows, showtimes & policies.

Magic & Wonder Theater | 3065 Lincoln State Rte, Paradise
American Music Theater | 2425 E Lincoln Hwy, Lancaster
Sight & Sound Theater | 300 Hartman Bridge Rd, Ronks
Fulton Theatre | 12 N Prince St, Lancaster
Ephrata Performing Arts Center | 320 Cocalico St, Ephrata
PRIMA Theater | 941 Wheatland Ave, Lancaster
Dutch Apple Dinner Theater | 510 Centerville Rd, Lancaster

19-25. Shop Small & Unique:

Lancaster County has some wonderful small / unique shops and winter is a great time to check them out. If you’re able to hit all 5 stores in Lancaster from our list below, you be treated to gifts, home furnishings, unique clothing and handcrafted jewelry. In addition you’ll be crisscrossing the county , so you’ll be taking in plenty of sites and even pass an Amish buggy or two! Even more, every one of these shops has restaurants, coffee shops and other sights nearby to boot!

The Artisan Mill (Lititz) Address: 813 Rothsville Rd, Lititz
Prussian Street Arcade (Manheim) Address: 49 N. Main Street, Manheim
Building Character (downtown Lancaster) Address: 342 N. Queen Street, Lancaster
Smucker Village (Intercourse) Address: 3526 Old Philadelphia Pike, Intercourse
Kitchen Kettle Village (Intercourse) Address: 3529 Old Philadelphia Pike, Intercourse
Brickerville Village (Lititz) Address: 2 E 28th Division Hwy, Lititz
Ruthie's Women's Apparel (Bird in Hand) Address: 2687 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird in Hand

RELATED: 15 Amish Shops in Lancaster PA

26-30 Visit a Museum

lit up house with lots of windows Lancaster's rich history dates back to the late 1600s when German immigrants were drawn to the rich farmland and promise of religious liberty. There are a number of wonderful museums that celebrate this history as well as other topics important to our area. Check each museum's hours of operation before visiting, as they're reduced from what we were used to in the past.

Ephrata Cloister (Ephrata) | 632 W Main St, Ephrata
Landis Valley Museum (Lancaster) | 2451 Kissel Hill Rd, Lancaster
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania (Strasburg) | 300 Gap Rd, Strasburg
National Clock & Watch Museum (Columbia) | 514 Poplar St, Columbia
Wheatland - James Buchanan Mansion (Lancaster) | 1120 Marietta Ave, Lancaster

31-35 Attend a Special Event!

Special Events are BACK and you should consider planning your trip to Lancaster County around one of these special experiences: As soon as 2023 dates are announced we'll update the blog, but in the meantime, it's fairly safe to assume each of these fun events will be happening around the same time as previous years.

West Reading Ice N' Spice (January 26 - 28, 2024)
Lititz Fire & Ice Festival (February 16 - 25, 2024)
Snow Geese Migration (beginning late February)
Lancaster Mud Sales (beginning late February 2024)
Berks Jazz Fest (April 5 - 14, 2024)

36 Try Your Luck!

6021 Morgantown Rd, Morgantown | Website

Hollywood Casino has a relatively new location in Morgantown, PA & what better way to get out of the cold then enjoying a bit of gambling, food & live entertainment?

37 Experience Lancaster's BEST "Adult Playground"!! DECADES Lancaster

438 N Queen St, Lancaster | Website

Who cares if it's cold and dreary outside when there's a venue like Decades Lancaster you can visit & get your game-on! Between bowling, retro arcade games, Skee ball, Speed Basketball and Atari you'll have a blast without needing hand-warmers or Gortex outerwear! The food & drinks are out of this world and the atmosphere is sophisticated-fun.

Book Your Visit!

Winter Things to Do in Lancaster PA, Historic Smithton Inn As you can see, there are some great things for Lancaster PA visitors to see and do during a winter getaway. If you’re ready to book your trip, go to the Historic Smithton Inn’s website and book direct for the best rates and availability. The innkeepers can give you even more ideas for things to do while you're here. Or, you could choose to just stay inside and cuddle in front of our working fireplace, glass of wine in hand, while you binge-watch your favorite series on Netflix! (our WiFi is GREAT!)

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