About Lancaster PA
Lancaster is a city in the state of Pennsylvania, which also serves as the county seat for Lancaster County. It as well has the distinction of being one of the oldest inland cities in the country. While, at the same time, been the principal city in the Lancaster Metropolitan region that is the 2nd biggest of its kind in the south central area of the state of Pennsylvania. This city was named in honor of the British city, which bears the same name by native John Wright. The city of Lancaster was part of the Penn’s Wood Charter of William Penn, and laid out in the 1730s by James Hamilton. Lancaster was incorporated as a borough and ultimately as a city in 1742 and 1818 respectively.
During the American War of Independence, this Pennsylvania city served as the capital of the United States for a single day. This occurred when the continental congress ran away from Philadelphia before it was captured by British troops. The City of Lancaster as well serves as the capital of Pennsylvania from between 1799 to 1818, prior to being supplanted by Harrisburg. The very first paved road in the country was the previous Philadelphia & Lancaster Turnpike, which is now component of the US Route 30.
Lancaster has also been home to a good number of prominent figures in the history of the United States. This includes James Buchanan who served as the 15th President of the country. His estate is now one of the most popular destinations in the city of Lancaster. This city was as well home to Thaddeus Stevens who is widely regarded as being one of the most influential members of the House of Representatives. Stevens gained a lot of notoriety as a radical republican and his abolitionist leanings. Lancaster’s Fulton Opera House is named in honor of Robert Fulton who was a renaissance man who crafted the very first functional steamboat. Also, in the 1870s, Franklin Woolworth launched his very first thriving 5 and dime store in this Pennsylvania city.
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Top attractions
The city of Lancaster is home to numerous historic landmarks. One of the most prominent of which is the Central Market, which was constructed in the 1880s, and has the distinction of been the oldest of its kind in the country. There is as well the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church that was constructed in 1879. This church assisted freedmen who migrated north after the culmination of the US Civil War. Its congregation also helped fugitive slaves who fled from the south prior to the onset of the war. At that particular period of time, this city of Lancaster church was utilized as one of the stations for the Underground Railroad.
This Pennsylvania city is as well home to the Fulton Opera House, which has the distinction of being the oldest continuously running theater in the country, and is now designated as a National Historic Landmark. There is also the Hamilton Watch Complex that once sold the world’s very first battery powered timepiece. The city of Lancaster as well boasts of a wide variety of arts, crafts and history museums. First of all, there is the Demuth Museum, which is housed in the former home of the highly renowned painter Charles Demuth. There is also the Lancaster Museum of Art and the Phillips Museum of Art. This Pennsylvania city has a very vibrant art scene too, with its Gallery Row featuring an entire block of art galleries. In total there are more than 40 art galleries and studios in Lancaster. These galleries hold the First Friday event each month and extend their business hours to showcase new works of art and new artists to the general public.
The city of Lancaster is also home to the Lancaster Quilt & Textile Museum that commemorates the art of hand sewn quilts as well as other textile products made by the women of the Amish and Mennonite communities. There is also the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Museum, which showcases a wide variety of artifacts and interprets this region of Pennsylvania’s history. Lancaster as well boasts of the Children’s Museum of Lancaster that enables the youth to have a hands-on experience with educational learning.
There is also the Stevens & Smith Historic Site, which includes the preserved home of former US Senator Thaddeus Stevens and his friend Lydia Smith. The underground part of this historic site features a newly discovered Underground Railroad feature, which was essentially a water cistern where fugitive slaves were hidden. The city of Lancaster is also home to numerous theaters, performing arts venues and performing arts companies. The last of which includes the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, which has being operational since 1947. While the previously mentioned Fulton Opera House has the distinction of been one of the oldest working theatres in the country. There is as well the Trust Performing Arts Center that hosts live theatrical productions, concerts and performance on a regular basis. Lastly, the Tellus360 and the Chameleon Club are very popular rock and event venues in the downtown area of the City of Lancaster.
Central Market
Like it was earlier noted, the Central Market is the oldest of its kind in the United States. It is housed in a 120-year old brick structure that comes loaded with local charm. Visitors to this Lancaster market get to sample a number of foods, which don’t exist anywhere else in the country. One of the most popular of which is ‘Scrapple’ that consists of pork scraps and cornmeal. The Central Market also vends headcheese and the Pennsylvania Dutch sausage. This farmer’s market is held on every Tuesday and Friday over the course of the year.
Phillips Museum of Art
Situated in the Franklin and Marshall College, this City of Lancaster museum is a key resource for both students and locals in this region of Pennsylvania. The exhibits showcased here include the permanent collections, an outdoor sculpture trail and the Franklinian database of Benjamin Franklin’s artifacts
Landis Valley Museum
The Landis Valley Museum is a living history village and farm whose primary mandate is the collection, preservation and interpretation of the history and culture of the Pennsylvania German rural community. It was established in the 1920s by Henry and George Landis, and was designed to lure visitors to experience firsthand the 18th and 19th centuries’ village and farm life in Lancaster County. The Landis Valley Museum also has an exhaustive education program, which provides workshops, field trips and special events for both kids and grownups.
North Museum of Nature and Science
This is the ideal destination in the city of Lancaster to discover more on nature and science. It boasts of the SciDome Theater that lets visitors take a tour of the galaxy and access splendid views of the night sky. The permanent collections of the North Museum of Nature and Science enable visitors to get up close encounters of a range of live animals for a hands-on discovery experience. This city of Lancaster museum as well houses an extensive collection of birds and fossils. Depending on the exact time you visit the North Museum of Nature and Science, there are always a grand total of 3 featured exhibits, which run through the course of the year.
American Music Theatre
This Lancaster theatre offers outstanding entertainment to patrons by working with artists from different music genres. It is very distinctive in that it is the sole theatre in the country to provide original shows as well as touring artists. The American Music Theatre has a seating capacity of 1,600, and regularly hosts diverse shows including rock n roll, Broadway shows, comedy and pop music.