Experience Pennsylvania Dutch Country with Our Guide to the Best Things To Do

When you’re longing for a gentler place and a slower pace, we’re your haven in the midst of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Each day, we direct our guests toward unforgettable experiences here in Lancaster County, where America’s oldest and largest Amish community thrives and shows us all a simpler way of life. As you’re planning your visit, here are some must-see attractions, along with our favorite tastes of the region (mmm… shoofly pie), as well as our picks for where to shop for Amish-made goods and other local delights.

Discover All That Makes Our Region Unique

We’re fond of our little hometown (population: just shy of 1,500). Intercourse is unique in more than just name. It’s centrally located in Amish Country, and we hope you’ll love exploring the area right around the inn. You’ll find a half-dozen Amish furniture stores within less than a mile. The Old Country Store, just down the street, sells handmade quilts. And at Kitchen Kettle Village, a three-minute walk away, you can shop at 40+ stores including local faves and national retailers. While you’re there, sample Pennsylvania Dutch food, from hand-rolled pretzels to gooey-delicious shoofly pie, and bring home homemade jams, butters and other canned goodies.

Painting by: Anna Hoover local artist

The Amish Farm & House

For the best introduction to Lancaster County’s Amish people, visit the oldest attraction in America dedicated to Amish heritage. On a guided farmhouse tour, you’ll learn why the Amish do not use electricity… and more. Photo ops abound on a countryside bus tour. When you return, meet artisans, visit the farm animals, and step inside the one-room schoolhouse.

Abe's Buggy Rides

These rides through the countryside are as authentic as it gets. In business for more than 55 years, we recommend Abe’s because the company’s tours are private and affordable. Five options are available, from a short spin that will give you a feel for how the Amish travel to a longer jaunt to visit an Amish craft store and bake shop.

Taste What's Cooking in Amish Country

Miller’s has been a part of the local fabric since 1929, and it’s still the place to try Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. Their traditional buffet is an all-you-can-eat affair, and Anna Miller’s chicken & waffles are always one of the biggest highlights. It’s literally soup to nuts here if you finish with warm chocolate pecan pie.

Fine Dining

Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary or just treating yourselves right, we recommend a variety of fine restaurants near Intercourse including 401 Prime, a posh urban steakhouse in downtown Lancaster; Josephine’s Downtown, Lancaster’s destination for creative dishes and exquisite service; and The Log Cabin in Leola, with its 12 distinct dining spaces including a former speakeasy.

Central Market

Lancaster is home to the oldest continuously operated public farmers’ market in America, and it is truly a foodie’s paradise. Open Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, you’ll love all there is to nibble, savor and shop for, and you’ll appreciate being in a place where food has brought a community together since 1730.

Explore Our Cultural Riches

If antiquing’s your thing, there are two prime locales in our area you’ll want to know about. Start your hunt in Adamstown, which is known to many as the Antiques Capital of the U.S. The Adamstown Antique Mile—a stretch of Route 272 between Lancaster and Reading—features both independent shops and antique centers so large some house more than 500 dealers. Make a trip to Columbia, Pennsylvania, too, where multi-dealer antique complexes are housed inside antique brick buildings.

Arts in the City

The City of Lancaster, just a 20-minute drive due west of the inn, is a hub for the visual and performing arts. You’ll love drifting in and out of art galleries along the first two blocks of North Prince Street, known to locals as Gallery Row. Be sure to check calendars for the Ware Center, our region’s top performing arts center, and the Fulton Theatre, which stages dramas, comedies, and beloved musicals, to see if a show lines up with your stay.
(Painting by: Anna Hoover local artist)

History Through a President's Eyes

America’s 15th and only bachelor president, James Buchanan, purchased Wheatland on the outskirts of Lancaster eight years before he won the nation’s top office. He retired here with his country on the brink of Civil War. Tours of the Federal-style mansion allow you to know a personal side of the PA-born president who many historians deem the worst we’ve ever had.

Make Time for Play

Buy yourself some peanuts and Cracker Jack, and cheer on our local Atlantic League baseball team. When the Stormers take the field at Clipper Magazine Stadium, it’s always a nostalgic good time. Check the promo calendar for Thirsty Thursday deals, giveaways and nights with post-game fireworks.

Turkey Hill Experience

Fulfill your childhood wishes in Columbia, PA, where you can be an ice cream maker for a day. A highlight of this immersive experience is creating your own Turkey Hill ice cream flavor in the company’s Taste Lab. You’ll also be able to milk mechanical cows and create your own TV commercial to share on social media.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

If you loved trains as a kid, you’ll be enthralled by collections and exhibits—including more than 100 locomotives and rail cars—celebrating Pennsylvania’s extraordinary railroad history. While you’re in Strasburg, be sure to book passage aboard the Strasburg Railroad. Your 45-minute ride aboard a steam train is a real yesteryear experience.

Experience One-of-a-Kind Attractions

This Lancaster County working farm is the best place for true immersion in the Amish way of life. You can opt for a simple tour and hayride, but the real joy here is helping with spring or summer planting and getting your hands dirty. For a behind-the-scenes experience, book the Farmhand Tour, and help the Lapp family tend to animals and complete evening chores.

Lititz

About a half-hour drive from the inn, discover this enchanting village settled by Moravians from Germany in the 18th century. While Lititz’s unique historical character has been preserved, its downtown is now a trendy and vibrant kaleidoscope of cafes, shops and restaurants.

Sight & Sound Theatre

At this grand, 2,000-seat venue, Bible stories are brought to action-packed life on a 300-foot stage built to accommodate sets four stories tall. A brand new show debuts each year, with performances scheduled from early March through early October. You’ll be mesmerized by the costumes, the live animals and the state-of-the-art effects.