17 Must-Do Christmas & History Events in Lancaster County

Lancaster County has a rich history and heritage with dozens of historical sites and museums educating us on the history of the region. During the holidays, it is an extra special time to learn about Christmas in history past through lantern tours, belshnickle tours, re-enactments, candlelight tours and more.

Whether you’re a history connoisseur or a beginning historian, you’ll want to check out these events (some are free)!

Landis Valley Farm – Winter Day Camp. New this year! Landis Valley explores Christmas through the years with the help of literature. What was Christmas like for kids like Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie)?
Ephrata Cloister – Lantern Tours. These special tours will take you back in time to visit the Cloister as it may have appeared in the 1700s. Each year offers a new story with a cast of junior and senior high school students playing the roles that bring history to life. Reservations are required
Hans Herr House – Christmas Tour. Walk through the grounds, lit with candles and lanterns, at night, experiencing and learning about history as you go. The 2018 theme for the Herr House Candlelight Tours is the history of printing. Learn the history of this practice from the 1400s to the present by seeing a traditional printing press, viewing examples of printing from different eras, and seeing books used by Mennonites from the 1500s onward.
Lebanon Christkindl Market. Lebanon’s version of an authentic Christmas Market, inspired by the 700-year-old traditional German Christkindl Market, is a festive event prepared by the Friends of Coleman Memorial Park. For one day the Park is lined with festive outdoor booths featuring unique handmade crafts and traditional Christkindl treats.
Yuletide at Wheatland. Celebrate Yuletide at Wheatland this holiday season at LancasterHistory.org! Visit the Wheatland mansion, home of 15th United States President James Buchanan, and be part of sparkling holiday displays that take you from James Buchanan’s early Victorian era to the dazzling days of the 1920s when the house was owned by the Willson family.
Hopewell Furnace: Iron Plantation Christmas. Through the decades that Hopewell Furnace was in operation, workers called it home as well as work. When holidays occurred, workers celebrated while the activities of the business of iron making continued. During “Iron Plantation Christmas” visitors will be able to glimpse holiday activities at the furnace across the course of 100 years. The “Belsnickel” will give out treats or punishments to children who he judges deserve them
Holiday Home Tour. Enjoy festively decorated homes of historic Strasburg. The tour will showcase homes and churches with unique holiday decor from the 1700s to modern.
Kings Gap’s Mountain Mansion Holiday Tour. On Sunday, December 2 and Sunday, December 9 from Noon to 4PM, enjoy this once-a-year opportunity to explore the Cameron-Masland Mansion, a mountain stone villa built in 1908 as a summer home. Take a self-guided tour of both floors of the mansion in seasonal decor.
Landis Valley – Country Christmas Village. Kids! Post your letter to Santa at our Landis Valley Post Office. Landis Valley once had a working post office and we’re opening it again to accept letters to Santa Claus. Kids will learn about Santa from our Education Department and craft the perfect letter in their best penmanship. Then, each child will put their letter in an envelope and drop it off in the post office in the back of the Country Store. We will send them to the North Pole and each letter will receive a reply from Santa.
Lancaster History – Holiday Storytime. Experience history through stories and hands-on activities! Join LancasterHistory.org as we introduce children to historic themes and read a holiday book aloud. Then, stay for a holiday activity or craft inspired by the day’s theme.
Washing’s Crossing Reenactment. Each December, thousands of people gather on the banks of the Delaware River to watch the reenactment of George Washington’s daring 1776 Christmas night river crossing. During the event, several hundred re-enactors in Continental military dress listen to an inspiring speech by General Washington and then row across the river in replica Durham boats.
Christmas at the Cloister. Spend a few moments in quiet reflection with seasonal readings and holiday music in the historic Saal. Seating is limited and advance tickets are required.
Valley Forge March-In. This annual event commemorates the arrival of General George Washington’s ill-supplied Continental Army at Valley Forge, in order to establish a winter encampment. Come meet His Excellency in person on December 19! Take a candlelit walk to the Muhlenberg Brigade huts, encounter re-enactors at a living Continental camp, meet George Washington, and enjoy eighteenth-century music!
Rockford Plantation – Yuletide Candlelight Tour. Step back to a time when Christmas Day was only the beginning of the season! Learn about 18th-century Yuletide traditions and customs as beautiful music fills the air. Yuletide Tours are conducted like an “Open House.” Visitors may arrive anytime between 4 pm to 7:30 pm (due to closing at 8 pm) and tour the mansion at their own pace.
Lititz Annual Christmas Candlelight Tour. Come discover the rich history of Lititz this holiday season. The Lititz Museum (located at 145 East Main Street) will be open from 5-9pm. Come explore this free attraction, and don’t forget to shop the gift shop. Light refreshments will be available. Next door, timed tours of the 1792 Johannes Mueller House will be held free of charge.