Lancaster County Offers a Weekend Getaway From New York City

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is being highlighted as a weekend getaway option for New York City travelers seeking a destination combining Amish heritage, historic sites, local food, arts and rural attractions. Located in South Central Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River, the county is less than a three-hour drive from New York City.

Established in 1729, Lancaster County sits in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country and is home to the oldest Amish population in the United States. The region is also a major agricultural hub, with numerous family-run farms and a strong focus on farmland preservation.

Lancaster Central Market

Lancaster Central Market, operating since 1730, is the oldest continuously operated public market in the United States.

The historic market features local produce, baked goods, specialty groceries and ready-to-eat foods. Visitors can find regional specialties including whoopie pies, shoofly pie, Lebanon Bologna, chocolate milk and Pennsylvania-made hard pretzels.

History and Cultural Attractions

The newly opened Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy, which opened in May 2026, explores the lives and legacies of Congressman and abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith, while highlighting civil rights history and the experiences of freedom seekers and their allies.

Other historical attractions include Historic Rock Ford and the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, which explores Pennsylvania's German heritage.

Food, Arts and Entertainment

Lancaster's urban center features a diverse dining scene and cultural attractions. Southern Market Lancaster includes 13 chef stations serving a variety of cuisines, while local restaurants and venues offer options ranging from Burmese and Puerto Rican food to French and Japanese dishes.

The city also features Lancaster Art Vault, Gallery Row and the Fulton Theatre, described as America's oldest continuously operating theater.

Amish Country and Lititz

Visitors can travel to Amish Country, including Bird-In-Hand, where working Amish farms, traditional markets and horse-and-buggy tours offer an introduction to the region's rural heritage.

About 25 minutes from Lancaster, the town of Lititz features historic buildings, specialty shops, museums and attractions including the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Factory and Wilbur Chocolate Retail Store.

Getting to Lancaster From New York City

Travelers can reach Lancaster by car in roughly three hours, with routes available via Interstate 95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike or Interstate 78 and U.S. Route 222.

Amtrak also provides service from New York City's Moynihan Hall at Penn Station to Lancaster via the Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian routes.

Lancaster offers a range of accommodations, including the Lancaster Arts Hotel, a boutique property housed in a former late-19th-century tobacco warehouse near downtown.