Lancaster County might be the easiest family trip in Pennsylvania. Almost everything worth doing happens outside, nobody expects your kids to be quiet, and the whole place runs at a slower speed that actually fits how families travel.
Here’s what I tell friends who ask where to take the kids.
The can’t-miss list
Dutch Wonderland. If your kids are under 10, this is the anchor of the trip. It’s an amusement park built specifically for little kids: 35+ rides, a water play area, live shows, and none of the overwhelming scale of the big parks. Go on a weekday if you can. It’s open daily in summer, weekends in the shoulder seasons, plus Halloween and Christmas events.
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm (Ronks). Dozens of farm activities in one place: pedal carts, slides, a corn barn, farm animals, and a big corn maze in the fall. Plan on a full half-day at least. It’s seasonal, typically spring through fall, so check the calendar before you promise the kids.
Strasburg Rail Road. A real coal-burning steam train that runs through Amish farmland to Paradise and back, about 45 minutes round trip. Little kids lose their minds over it in the best way. If you can time it with a Day Out with Thomas event, even better.
Turkey Hill Experience (Columbia). Part museum, part ice cream lab. Kids learn how ice cream gets made, milk a mechanical cow, and create their own flavor. Free samples included, which tells you everything about how this lands with a 6-year-old.
Amish Farm and House. The guided tour is genuinely good for kids: feeding animals, riding Amish scooters, and seeing how a working farm runs. It’s the easiest way to answer all the “but why?” questions they’ll have after spotting their first buggy on the road.
Take a buggy ride. Several local companies run them, and Aaron & Jessica’s Buggy Rides comes up a lot when you ask around. Twenty minutes in a horse-drawn buggy down the back roads is the kind of thing kids talk about for months.
Lancaster Science Factory. Your rainy-day backup. Hands-on exhibits, a big climbing structure, enough to burn two hours while the weather passes.
Kitchen Kettle Village (Intercourse). A walkable cluster of shops and food stands. Kids like watching fudge get made and sampling everything; parents like the coffee. Easy to pair with a buggy ride since you’re right in the middle of it all.
Choo Choo Barn (Strasburg). A giant model train display with 22 running trains and 150+ animated figures. Sounds niche until you watch kids stand there mesmerized. It’s right by the Strasburg Rail Road, so pair the two.
Where to stay with kids
You want space. A yard, a kitchen, and beds that don’t make anyone sleep on a pullout if you can avoid it. My Lancaster County vacation rentals are all set up for families, but two are worth calling out:
Stay on a Farm: your kids can meet goats and chickens where they’re sleeping, and buggy rides are right there. It’s the rare stay that’s an activity in itself.
Lancaster Family Farmhouse Haven: when you’re bringing the whole crew and need room to spread out, plus a fire pit for the evenings.
Eating with kids
This part is easy. The Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant does a smorgasbord that solves the “my kid only eats three things” problem. Farmers markets are an event in themselves, and Green Dragon in Ephrata (Fridays) is the big one. You’ll pass ice cream stands every few miles. Just give in.
Good to know
How many days do we need?
Three days is the sweet spot. One for Dutch Wonderland, one for the farm and train side around Strasburg and Ronks, and one to wander: markets, a buggy ride, Kitchen Kettle.
What’s closed on Sundays?
A lot of Amish-owned shops and markets close on Sundays, so don’t plan your shopping day then. Attractions like Dutch Wonderland run normally. Do your market visit Friday or Saturday instead.
Is Dutch Wonderland worth it for toddlers?
Yes. It’s built for the under-10 crowd and there’s plenty for the 2-to-4 set. The water play area alone can carry an afternoon.
When is Cherry Crest open?
Seasonal, roughly spring through fall, with the corn maze and fall activities as peak season. Check their calendar before you go.
Do we need a car?
Yes. Everything is spread across the county on two-lane roads and there’s no practical way to do it otherwise. The drives are scenic, at least. Rolling farmland the whole way.
Planning the trip? Browse my Lancaster County rentals and check out more local experiences while you’re at it.
About the author: Chris Swarey owns NuVista Haven, a boutique vacation-rental company hosting families across Lancaster County and the Poconos.
