My Favorite Things to do in Downtown Lancaster, PA
The first time I ever heard of Lancaster, PA was in the elevator the day I moved into college in Philadelphia, PA. It’s where the boy who lived across the hall was from and I learned very quickly it was said LANK-uh-ster. Writing things phonetically is hard, but just know that it’s now lank-ast-er, nor is it lan-cast-er - at least not in Pennsylvania.
The first time I visited must have been in college. I went out that direction to visit the Amish markets and really had no idea there was a downtown. From there, I was hooked. It became my favorite day trip from the city, easy to do in a single day.
Also, I’m very unclear how this has happened, but I have somehow made it out of every trip to Lancaster with absolutely no photos. I’m going to need to remedy that soon, but have promised this blog post to multiple people in the meantime.
How to Get to Downtown Lancaster, PA
You can drive. You can take an Amtrak train from Philadelphia for $21 each way. There’s also an airport, but it has a very limited number of flights.
When to Go to Downtown Lancaster, PA
I always like to plan my trips for a day that Central Market is open. It is currently open on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Where to Visit in Downtown Lancaster, PA
I like to plan my trips focused on meals with activities (usually shopping) in between. Here are some of my favorite places to go.
Breakfast
I have often traveled to Lancaster for the day purely to go to Central Market to get an acai bowl from Oola Bowls. There are now multiple locations open more days of the week, but you need a car to access them. It’s the best acai bowl I’ve ever had, including compared against the ones in Hawaii. I think it’s the peanut butter.
There are plenty of places I like to stop for breakfast beverages (which for me means tea). I really enjoy the chai from both Passenger Coffee and Square One, which are both close to Central Market. There’s also some coffee and tea shops in Central Market. One has a rooibos latte that is delicious.
If I’m looking for a sit down breakfast (or breakfast #2) I usually stop by On Orange. I usually get the Swedish pancakes and a side of bacon. It never disappoints. Rachel’s Cafe and Crepes is also good if you’re looking for something with outdoor seating.
Shopping
After breakfast, I usually do some shopping. Stores I like to check out include:
Seasons Olive Oil and Vinegar shop for fancy olive oils and vinegars.
Read Rose Books for second-hand books.
There are plenty of shops up Queen Street. Some of my favorites are Madcap & Company for great gift items, Art and Glassworks for beautiful glass creations, Sophie Stargazer Boutique for women’s clothing, and Ellister’s Elixirs, which is a holistic wellness shop.
BUiLDiNG CHARACTER for crafted, handmade, vintage, and recycled goods at over 70 different vendor stalls. This is always my favorite stop of the day. It connects to Heritage Press Museum in the back, which is also always a fun stop for anyone fascinated by printing presses.
Lemon Street Market, which is an independent women-owned grocery store with additional sustainable items
Pocket Books Shop, which is an eclectic feminist bookstore that is absolutely fantastic, and just a little bit further than downtown proper.
Snacks in Downtown Lancaster, PA
Throughout the day, I usually make a few other stops for snacks.
If I’m looking for bakery items I will stop at Wish You Well Bakery, which is a socially-conscious bakery that launched online during the pandemic. I can vouch for both the cinnamon buns and the quiche.
I also usually try to stop by the Lancaster Sweet Shoppe for homemade stroopwafels, ice cream, and/or some shopping. If you’ve never had a stroopwafel (also known as a stroopie), it’s a MUST.
Lancaster Beignet Company is also on my to-visit list.
Beverages (and some food options) in Downtown Lancaster, PA
There are plenty of places to stop for alcoholic beverages on your adventure. For great cocktails, stop at Shot and Bottle. There’s also delicious food for dinner. For great cocktails with a view, stop by the rooftop deck at The Exchange next to the Marriott at Penn Square.
Looking for beer instead? There are plenty of options. You can stop by Annie Bailey’s Irish Public House if you’d like a pub-like atmosphere, Beer Wall if you want to choose your own adventure with their self-service taps, The Fridge for a craft beer selection with plenty of lunch and dinner options, or Lancaster Brewing Company or Cartel Brewing and Blending if you’d like the brewery experience. There are a few other breweries I haven’t had the opportunity to try yet.
Dinner Options in Downtown Lancaster, PA
Admittedly, I don’t know much about dinner in town because I’m usually back on the road home at this point, but places I’ve stopped and had great meals were LUCA for modern Italian food and pizza and Callaloo for Trinidadian food.
Entertainment
There are plenty of entertainment venues located in Lancaster. The Fulton Theater, which hosts musicals, is right downtown. If you head just a little outside of the city, you can visit the American Music Theater for shows or concerts, or the Dutch Apple Dinner Theater for dinner and a show together. In the summer, I hear there are also free concerts at Long’s Park.
You can also visit Decades. They have an arcade and a bowling alley inside.
And if you find yourself there on the first Friday of the month, you can check out some additional arts and culture fun.
If You Happen to Have a Car
If you do have a car and want to travel a little bit outside of downtown, my three favorite places to visit are:
The Tanger Outlets (there’s a West Elm outlet there!) just east of downtown.
Bulls Head (for their excellent beer selection) in Lititz, PA.
Troegs Brewery (especially during the holiday season to get mad elf!) in Hershey, PA.
I’m sure there are plenty of other excellent things to do in the area, but usually I don’t have a car. On the to do list is touring the Wilbur Chocolate factory, getting back to Hershey Park as an adult, and the Turkey Hill experience.
