Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (Multi-Day Tour)
This tour can be combined with Gettysburg, New York and Philadelphia travel packages

Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America since the 18th century, is located in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania. Lancaster County is a popular student destination, due in no small part to the many plain sect residents, often called Amish or Pennsylvania Dutch. They are the descendants of Germans who immigrated in the 18th and 19th centuries for the freedom of religion offered by William Penn, and were attracted by the rich soil and mild climate of the area. Within Lancaster County you'll discover the heart of hometown America. You'll find beautiful landscapes dotted with one room schoolhouses and wooden covered bridges, modern farm machinery being pulled behind four and six mule teams, homemade clothing and quilts gently blowing in the breeze, and you'll hear the clip-clop of horses' hooves echoing down quiet country roads. The relaxing atmosphere, the peaceful scenery and the variety of their many unique attractions and student activities have made Lancaster County a favorite destination.

AMERICAN MUSIC THEATRE

Here's your chance to take your group on a truly unique experience. Whether you see an original production, a Broadway show or a special event, it's sure to be a fun and educational experience your students won't soon forget. Before the curtain rises, however, take an insider's look into the creation of an American Music Theatre show. Students will see everything from costume design to never-before-seen rehearsal footage, from the initial blueprints to actual construction of sets including interviews with the director and creator of American Music Theatre’s spectacular shows. Students will walk across the magnificent 56 foot stage and see the auditorium from the performer’s perspective. They will then make their way backstage and get an up close look at sets, costumes and props and have the opportunity to greet a member of American Music Theatre's critically acclaimed cast.

AMISH FARM & HOUSE

Come explore and discover the Amish lifestyle at the oldest and most authentic Amish home open to the public in Lancaster County. Learn the customs of the Old Order Amish including their history, religion and way of life. The working farm includes barns, livestock, a blacksmith shop and local artisans such as a woodworker and a quilt artist. Experienced guides will lead your group through the farmhouse and explain the lifestyle of the Amish. When you’re done, enjoy a horse drawn buggy ride through the countryside. Be sure to browse and shop at their on-site gift shop featuring locally hand-crafted items, souvenirs and books.

ANTIQUE AUTO MUSEUM AT HERSHEY

In association with the Smithsonian Institution, the Antique Auto Museum at Hershey is a journey of discovery and enjoyment. The Museum’s highly detailed dioramas present carefully restored vintage vehicles in elaborate scenes that bring the history of the automobile to life. From a tiny machine shop in turn-of-the-century New York to the asphalt apron of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Museum’s exhibits invite students to move through time and space. When your class visits the Antique Auto Museum at Hershey students learn by seeing and doing. They can sit at the counter of a restored 1941 diner, imagine riding in a real Model-T, pack for a 1909 cross-country road trip or jump on the service bell at a 1940’s era gas station. Touchable artifacts, inquiry methods, role-playing and other participatory activities go across the curriculum to make learning fun and active.

COLONIAL COMPLEX

America was born in York’s Colonial Courthouse. The original was constructed in what is known today as Continental Square. During the American Revolution the Second Continental Congress fled to York for safety and adopted the Articles of Confederation in which the words ‘United States of America’ first appeared. Congress worked at York’s Courthouse from September 30, 1777 to June 27, 1778, adopting our nation’s first Constitution. Though the original building was torn down in 1841, it was rebuilt in 1976 by the York Bicentennial Commission. Like the original, the recreated building is designed in the English-style, Georgian architecture. The complex’s adjacent Gates House is where a 1778 treasonous plot to replace George Washington as commander of the Continental Army was thwarted. Choose from self-guided or guided tours.

CORNWALL IRON FURNACE

The Cornwall Iron Furnace is an extraordinary example of the furnaces that dotted the Pennsylvania countryside in the 18th and 19th centuries. Around it developed villages, artisans’ shops, stores, schools, churches and the home of a wealthy ironmaster. Cornwall Iron Furnace, the only surviving intact charcoal cold blast furnace in the Western Hemisphere, attests to the once great iron industry that flourished in south central Pennsylvania. Guided and self-guided gallery tours are offered at Cornwall Iron Furnace for all groups. Tours examine an orientation exhibit that provides a clear understanding of the once active iron plantation. Housed in the third bay of the old charcoal barn, the exhibit tells the story of two families and their iron plantation workers. Students will gain a better knowledge of the early ironmaking era by reading descriptions of a furnace ‘in blast’ and viewing colonial stove plates, cannon balls and an 18th century naval cannon. The gallery also provides information on charcoal making, pig iron and different types of employees, such as indentured servants and slaves. The exhibit is comprised of period artifacts, text panels and colorful graphics.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON VEHICLE OPERATIONS

USA Today rated York’s Harley-Davidson Vehicle Operations plant as one of ‘the 10 great places to watch stuff being made.’ Built in 1973, the site is the largest Harley-Davidson manufacturing facility, employing more than 3,000 or about half of the company's production workforce. They work around the clock building Touring, Softail and factory-custom models on more than 230-acres with more than 1.5 million square feet under roof. This behind-the-scenes tour offers a glimpse at various manufacturing and assembly areas. Students can watch as parts are formed, welded, machined, polished and painted and motorcycles are assembled.

HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD

Enjoy the flavor of fun for everyone. Fun and sweetness meet adventure and excitement at Hershey’s Chocolate World, a totally interactive chocolate experience for all ages. Learn about the process of making chocolate on Hershey’s Great American Chocolate Tour. See the Hershey’s Product Characters come to life on the big screen in Hershey’s Really Big 3D Show and even help operate an actual Hershey’s Kisses chocolates packaging line at Hershey’s Factory Works Experience. Take a ride on Hershey’s Trolley Works. This memorable excursion delivers good, old fashioned fun as singing trolley conductors dressed in period costumes entertain and inform you on an enchanting ride through Chocolate Town, USA. Before you leave, students will visit the Market Place Shops featuring anything and everything Hershey. Stock up on your favorite Hershey brand confections and candies, or try their decadent homemade fudge and freshly baked cookies. Students will also find sweet gifts and souvenirs including toys, apparel, collectables, colorful tins of chocolate and special gifts that they can create.

HERSHEYPARK

A school trip to Hersheypark is truly an educational experience. Your students are going to have fun on over 200 attractions, but they also gain ‘hands-on’ experience in areas all across the curriculum from Science to Math to Language Arts…even Music. In fact, using Chocolate as a thematic unit is a popular decision. For example, as your students wander through Hersheypark, they'll begin to grasp the idea that Science, Math and Physics truly are all around them. Newton's laws will quickly become clearer as they experience the laws of motion, forces and gravity aboard dozens of rides – a lot of science stands behind the thrill of a roller coaster ride. At an age when many students are interested in seeking thrills, Hersheypark offers special math and science days and workshops for performance groups. Downloadable educational guides help make this visit educational for students of all ages.

LANDIS VALLEY MUSEUM

The Landis Valley Museum, a Pennsylvania German living history village, invites students to visit a place where the present meets the past. The Museum contains a diverse collection of artifacts and historic buildings. It tells a simple story with a common theme. Over the years the Museum has grown from a handful of buildings to an assemblage of many exhibit areas including structures original to Landis Valley, relocated early buildings and new facilities. The Museum includes exhibit buildings, a crossroads village and adjoining farmsteads with historical breeds of animals and heirloom plants. The collection of buildings and artifacts, together with demonstrations of traditional crafts and skills, serve to interpret and preserve Pennsylvania German rural life. Your visit will include a memorable, true-to-life 1890s school experience in an authentic Maple Grove One-Room Schoolhouse. A schoolmarm in period costume will give lessons in subjects such as arithmetic, spelling and reading. Next, students will explore the chores and activities that would have filled their lives in the early 1800s. Students can try their hand at things such as flint and steel, quilting, roping a bed and period toys and games. To end your visit, students can dig up the past by exploring the work of archaeologists. Students will study archaeology terms, find and classify objects and then draw conclusions about their finds.

RAILROAD MUSEUM OF PENNSYLVANIA

Experience the awe-inspiring power of trains. Take the throttle on a simulated run in a real freight locomotive, sit in an engineer’s seat, climb aboard a caboose, explore an early 20th century passenger station and inspect a 62 ton locomotive underneath. Here at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, students will discover the colorful and dynamic heritage and technology of railroading, the industry that built our nation. From classic woodburners and massive steam to sleek, electric-powered and diesel engines, students will find more than 100 historic locomotive and vintage railroad cars preserved in their world-class collection. Vibrant railroad art, an interactive education center, fascinating exhibits and a remarkable array of railroad artifacts also tell the stories of the men and women who worked on this transportation network that spanned a continent. Choose from self-guided or guided tours.

SIGHT & SOUND THEATRE

Story, song and spectacular staging bring each of Sight & Sound Theatre’s epic shows to life. Dozens of professional actors attired in elaborate costumes, meticulously detailed sets towering up to 40 feet high, trained animals, unmatched special effects and beautifully memorable music inspire 800,000 guests every year. Sight & Sound Theatres has been described in many ways: ‘the largest faith-based live theatre in America,’ ‘the Christian Broadway’ and ’one of the top three theatre destinations on the East Coast,’ and the list goes on. Sight & Sound Theatres is committed to remaining on the forefront of bringing the word of God to life with exceptional quality and encouraging the faith of its guests through visual live stage productions.

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