Schools. Safety. Sports. Saturday excursions.
One or more of these terms may come to mind if you're a parent—or considering becoming a parent—and looking for the best place for kids to live, play, and go to school.
Lancaster County has a lot to offer when it comes to activities, education, culture, and safety. Families with young children, teenagers, and every age in between will discover plenty of opportunities that make Lancaster a great place for kids.
ACTIVITIES: Lancaster Fun for Kids
— Entertaining the Littles
Let's start with the abundance of activities to keep little ones active and entertained. Whether you're a stay-at-home parent with preschoolers, or a homeschooling family or are looking for something to do on a day off from school, look no further than the closest library, for a start.
Each of the numerous libraries in the countywide system offer regular events like preschool storytimes and afterschool clubs. (Click here for an interactive and searchable calendar listing of all the current programs at any branch of the library)
Other indoor play and learn options (admission charged; memberships or season passes available) include the Hands-on-House, 721 Landis Valley Road, a children’s museum that has rotating displays of learning exhibits for kids 10 and younger, and The Busy Bodies Play Cafe. Busy Bodies has two locations—171 N. Queen Street, in Ewell Plaza next to the Lancaster Public Library's city branch, and at 35 S. Willowdale Drive, near the Rockvale Outlets. The play cafe is designed for children ages 1-6.
TinyTown, 533 Janet Ave., Lancaster, is another option for hands-on, imaginative play. The town features 11 playhouses including a cafe, fire station, salon, castle and stage, among others.
— Indoor Fun for the Whole Family
For an indoor adventure the whole family can enjoy, visit the Turkey Hill Experience, 301 Linden Street Columbia, for a tasty, tactile learning opportunity about one of Lancaster's most famous products.
Ice cream and iced tea samples are included with the price of admission. You can even create your own ice cream flavor in the Turkey Hill Taste Lab.
— Outdoor Activities in Lancaster
When the weather is warm, families can enjoy exploring Corn Cob Acres, 191 College Avenue, Mountville, and Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, 150 Cherry Hill Rd, Ronks, for agriculture-themed activities or spend a day at Dutch Wonderland, 2249 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster's very own amusement park that opens for weekend visits in the spring, daily through the summer, and remains open weekends through the end of the year.
— Parks, Parks, and More Parks
And speaking of warmer weather activities, be sure to check out the multitude of municipal parks in Lancaster County. Each township in the outer regions and neighborhood in the city has a park that's sure to impress preschool and elementary kids.
Long's Park, 1441 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, offers multiple playground options as well as a petting farm and a walking path around a pond that is typically full of water fowl.
Lancaster County Central Park, 1050 Rock Ford Road, Lancaster features a Garden of the Five Senses that will inspire kids of all ages, as well as easy hiking trails that border the Conestoga River and Mill Creek.
Other popular play places include Overlook Park, 1241 Lititz Pike; East Lampeter Township Park, 2330 Hobson Road; and Manheim Township Community Park, 309 Petersburg Road.
— Pool Memberships
For more outdoor fun for the whole family, consider a membership to one of the community pools for the summer. Leola, Manheim Township, Conestoga Pines, and Lancaster County Central Park all have pools open to members and visitors throughout the summer.
— Museums Aplenty
And if the weather forces inside activities, Lancaster is flush with museums aimed at kids and adults alike. Many can be accessed by checking out a Museum Family Pass from a local library branch. Some of the museums included in the Family Pass Program are the National Toy Train Museum, 300 Paradise Lane, Ronks; the Lancaster Science Factory, 454 New Holland Ave., Lancaster; the Demuth Museum, 120 E. King St., Lancaster; and Historic Rock Ford, 881 Rockford Road, Lancaster.
If you do check out the local museum scene, make sure not to miss The North Museum of Nature and Science, 400 College Ave., Lancaster, with its array of exhibits that include live animals, taxidermied birds, fossils, minerals, and a full-size dinosaur model.
— Nearby Family Fun
Another great perk for families living in Lancaster is the proximity to further options for fun. The PA RenFaire, 2775 Lebanon Road, Manheim, and Hershey Park, 100 W. Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, are short drives from Lancaster and give families unique experiences. And if you're looking for zoos or museums beyond what Lancaster has to offer, Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. make for great day trips.
— Sports and Summer Camps
Great options for families don't stop once kids are in school, either.
Kids interested in sports can choose from numerous camps and leagues at places like Spooky Nook Sports and area rec centers: Hempfield RecCenter; Lititz Rec; Ephrata RecCenter, plus YMCA of the Roses.
Local colleges also offer sports and other camps for the summer. Check out what Lancaster Bible College, F&M College, and Millersville University have to offer. (You might have to search the Internet for your child’s specific sport.)
— Drama and Performing Arts
For the drama buffs, local theater companies provide opportunities for children and teenagers to learn about and participate in shows:
- The Fulton Theatre in downtown Lancaster offers classes and summer camps.
- Ephrata Performing Arts Center has a summer camp.
- Servant Stage, offers roles to children and teens on a regular basis as well as drop-in classes and camps.
- Cavod in New Holland offers classes and productions in a variety of performing arts.
EDUCATION: High School & Beyond
As children become teenagers and start thinking about their future beyond high school, Lancaster County offers options for those plans, as well. Four area high schools consistently rate in the top 100 high schools in Pennsylvania, according to US News & World Report. Many schools offer dual-enrollment, AP, or honors classes that can help prepare students for college.
The county also has three Career and Technology Centers (CTCs) that offer classes in fields such as construction, culinary, automotive, healthcare, and early childhood education that juniors and seniors can take during their regular school day.
Not to mention the colleges and universities that call Lancaster County home: Franklin and Marshall, Millersville University, Lancaster Bible College, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, St. Joseph's University, Elizabethtown College and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
And whether families choose public or private education (there are dozens of private school choices, both faith-based and non-religious, in the county), unique educational opportunities abound. Kids can get an early start learning Spanish at Lancaster Mennonite and Manheim Township School District, both of which offer Spanish immersion programs.
CULTURE: Lancaster's Unique Community
— Cultural Diversity
While Lancaster County might conjure images of farmland and Amish buggies, a diversity of cultures are represented throughout the community, offering families exposure to traditions and cuisines from across the globe.
Families can participate in cultural celebrations throughout the year, and the restaurant scene in Lancaster offers everything from traditional PA Dutch cooking to global flavors from just about every continent. Adventurous and curious eaters won't have any trouble finding something to interest their palates.
— Community Events
Lancaster County is big on community events. Throughout the year, local organizations bring people together with events like: fairs in the summer and fall (West Lampeter, Ephrata and New Holland) the Long's Park Summer Music series, a free outdoor concert series every Sunday evening in the summer First Friday (downtown Lancaster); First Thursday (Manheim); Second Friday (Lititz), a monthly time of visiting local businesses and art galleries and restaurants, open later for this special event Santa riding a fire truck through local neighborhoods in December, courtesy of local fire companies.
SAFETY: Healthcare & Security
A focus on fun, games, and entertainment isn't all that Lancaster has to offer kids and their families. Health and safety are also a priority in the region.
Because of the county's proximity to larger cities, both Penn State Medicine (Hershey) and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia offer appointments and providers in Lancaster. Penn State Health opened a new pediatric outpatient center at 1430 Harrisburg Pike in Lancaster in 2022. Penn Medicine also partners with local emergency responders to ensure car seat safety through the Safe Kids Lancaster initiative.
St. Joseph Children's Health has been a part of the Lancaster community for more than a hundred years and continues to offer heath education and resources to area families.
And when healthcare and the well-being of kids is more about comfort, accessibility and sensitivity, Lancaster has options for that, too.
Case in point: Kids Cowboy Dentistry at 394 E. Roseville Road, Lancaster is a local practice whose aim is to make kids feel comfortable in the dentist chair by offering a western-themed environment.
And for families with sensory needs, Penn Cinema in Lititz regularly offers movies through its Sensory Friendly Cinema program where the lights are on, the volume is low and moving and talking is welcome.
If all of that wasn't enough to convince you that Lancaster County is a great place for kids to grow into adults, then consider this last fact: Lancaster was no. 16 on U.S. News and World Report's list of safest places to live in 2023-24.
With so much to offer in the way of sports, entertainment, education and healthcare, Lancaster will easily find its way to the top of families' lists for great places to live.
