

The collection includes about 12,000 watches, clocks, and other timepieces from around the world, some of which you can also check out in this unique virtual tour. The National Watch and Clock Museum advertises itself as “America’s Largest Timekeeping Collection,” and that’s not an exaggeration. But this impressive museum is a can’t-miss for anyone who appreciates beautiful, functional objects or well-executed exhibitions. Located in the historic Susquehanna River town of Columbia, Pa., the National Watch and Clock Museum is something of a “best-kept secret” to people outside the world of horology (the study of clocks and timepieces). Additionally, the Householders created meaningful music, art, and literature on the site, which is prized by scholars and collectors alike. Although the Cloister residents-known as Householders-were a fringe religion that no longer exists, their story is significant to that of our Commonwealth during the colonial period and beyond. The Ephrata CloisterĮnjoy living history displays and tours? The Historic Ephrata Cloister features a unique campus of restored buildings that interprets the lives of an 18 th-century religious order that founded and maintained the site until the 1930s in the town of Ephrata.Įarly Pennsylvania was established as a land of religious freedom. Of course, a visitor-favorite activity is interacting with the museum’s five fully-operational train layouts, which feature different track gauges and train styles. Home to “one of the most extensive toy train collections in the world,” the museum features all varieties of toy trains from the 1800s through the present-day. While you’re in Strasburg and indulging your inner railroad enthusiast, you won’t want to miss the nearby National Toy Train Museum, located at 300 Paradise Lane, in Paradise Township.

And, there are even more trains located around the Train Yard outdoor grounds! You can find many interactive exhibits throughout the museum that encourage kids and families to enjoy their visit together. With over 100 historically important real locomotives on display, the exhibit hall is a jaw-dropping 100,000 square feet in size. The Railroad Museum, located outside of Lancaster near the small town of Strasburg, is unique in its sheer size and scale. This museum is a Smithsonian-affiliated organization operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. In our recent post about why you should check out the Strasburg Rail Road, we mentioned this train attraction’s neighboring museum, The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.
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The mansion is open for tours during much of the year, and it hosts many living history demonstrations-including a series of popular “yuletide” events around the holidays, complete with costumed actors. Of course, many people experience LancasterHistory today through its role as custodian and operator of President James Buchanan’s home, Wheatland. (It had also acquired its next-door neighbor on Lancaster’s Marietta Avenue, Wheatland, at that time.) This vibrant research institution always has interesting changing exhibits on display in its state-of-the-art modern main building- Lancaster in the ‘60s is on now-and it is also a research library with a lovingly cared-for arboretum on the grounds. LancasterHistory and James Buchanan’s Wheatlandįormerly known as the Historical Society of Lancaster County, LancasterHistory rebranded about a decade ago to better express all that the organization is and does. Here are a few museums in Lancaster that give a glimpse into elements of the area’s past.
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It’s also full of interesting characters and industries that shaped not only the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from its earliest days but significant aspects of our entire nation, too. Chartered as a borough way back in 1742-though a thriving market center from about 1730-Lancaster’s history is long. It’s a fact that Lancaster, Pa., is one of America’s oldest inland cities. You’ll see that no matter your interests, the Lancaster area has a museum collection that will appeal to you! Additionally, for our friends who are always on the lookout for fun and educational activities to share with their younger family members, we have a number of museums in Lancaster that will delight kids-and kids at heart! Lancaster-Area Museums for History Buffs Today’s post focuses on a few of the best museums in Lancaster County, highlighting the impressive diversity and quality of these local institutions. region is a treasure trove of culturally rich things to do and see. As we’ve often discussed here on the Explore Retirement Living blog, the Lancaster, Pa.
