Things to do on Weekends for Lancaster County Locals

Find the itinerary that best fits you!

Families Couples Outdoor Adventurers

FOR FAMILIES

Morning –

The Cartoon Kitchen, located at the Cartoon Network Hotel, is open to the public and the perfect spot to take your kiddos for a breakfast buffet. Dine with a front-row view into the kitchen where you’ll see culinary characters whip up your order. Or, reserve a Dream Cube themed to The Powerpuff Girls, Adventure Time, or Ben 10. However, you dine is sure to be a memorable experience for you and your kids!
Hours: Saturday & Sunday 8 AM – 11 AM (buffet) | Monday – Friday 9 AM – 11 AM (full menu in café available)

Afternoon -

Depending on where you end up after breakfast, odds are you won’t be far from one of Lancaster’s well-known trademarks – a covered bridge! Continue your day-out with this County-wide Covered Bridges Tour. It’s a fun, interactive way to get your kids interested in their hometown heritage. Plus, you may be able to get them to take their afternoon nap in the car (if you’re lucky!). Explore the vast County while you experience history and have quality time with your family.

Evening –

Have a family fun evening at Rocky Springs Entertainment Center. Friday through Sunday they offer glow bowling so be sure to wear white, so you glow extra bright! Try your aim at laser tag (available for ages 5 and up) in their abandoned amusement park arena. There are also several arcade games to play for fun or for prizes. The Red Pin Bar & Grill on site has a full menu with something that everyone in your group will enjoy.
Hours: Friday & Saturday 4:30 PM – 12 AM | Sunday, Monday & Wednesday 4:30 PM – 10 PM | Thursday 12 PM – 10 PM

Take family fun to new levels as you and your family try to escape at Escape Room Lancaster. Work as a team using your wits, intuition, logic, and communication to solve puzzles and connect clues before the time runs out. Participants can choose from 3 customized rooms, each with a unique goal to be solvable within 1 hour.
Hours: Sunday 11 AM - 7 PM | Friday & Saturday 2 PM - 10 PM | Wednesday & Thursday 3 PM - 9 PM | Tuesday 3 PM - 7 PM

FOR COUPLES

Morning –

If you’re off to a slow start this weekend, treat yourselves to a delicious brunch! There are many restaurants serving up brunch on Saturdays & Sundays. Check out a few great places to dine. If you’re eager to explore Lancaster City, there are great coffee shops and restaurants located downtown. Central Market is conveniently located in the central hub of downtown Lancaster. Pick up locally grown foods, fresh baked desserts and breads, cheeses, meats, flowers, and more. There are coffee shop vendors and shops nearby as well as breakfast items available in the market. Enjoy your morning with a cup of coffee and shopping local!
Hours: Tuesday, Friday – Saturday 6 AM – 3 PM

Join Coffee Trail

Afternoon -

Spend the afternoon popping into dive bars or tasting craft beer on a tour with LoKal Experiences! Not only do their tours include sampling locally crafted brews, but they also incorporate the rich heritage of historic Lancaster City. Find out what Downtown Lancaster is all about with a self-guided Scavenger Hunt from Unique Lancaster Experiences. These are both perfect activities for couples to learn about their hometown and create memories together.

If the weather is not cooperating for a walk around Lancaster City, there are plenty of things to do indoors on the weekends! Consider seeing a show at the Fulton Theatre or Prima Theatre. Shows are offered year-round; times and dates vary.

If you’d rather create art than experience the arts, check out The PotteryWorks. They are an open studio, so pop in anytime! Here, you can paint and glaze your selected piece of pottery, wait a week for the piece to be fired in their kiln, and take your masterpiece home with you.
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10 AM – 9 PM | Sunday 12 PM - 6 PM | Monday 10 AM – 6 PM

Evening –

Nightlife in Lancaster City is vibrant and fun! Visit a restaurants with rooftop bars (some rooftops are enclosed for the winter and some will open once the weather gets warmer) and dance the night away to live bands or a DJ.

Decades Lancaster is an antique bowling alley with a full-service restaurant and bar. The atmosphere at Decades is elegant and nostalgic with its classy décor and retro arcade games. Have a lot of laughs while you play games and enjoy one another’s company in a beautiful setting.
Hours: Monday – Tuesday Closed | Wednesday – Thursday 4 PM – 12 AM | Friday – Saturday 12 PM – 1 AM | Sunday 12 PM – 12 AM

FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURERS

Morning –

Enjoy brunch with a view at John Wright Restaurant, located just across the Route 30 bridge in Wrightsville. Fuel up for an exciting day of outdoor adventure as you take in the waterfront vistas. Nearby in Columbia, is Columbia Historic Market House, a community gathering place that was first established in 1869 has returned as the Riverlands center for fresh produce, specialty foods, and events. Market Winter Hours: Fridays – Sundays 10 AM – 3 PM.

On the other side of the County, towards Ephrata – there are a handful of Bed & Breakfasts ready to host you in their “homes away from home”. Stay the night at one of Ephrata’s cozy B&Bs to experience Lancaster County’s hospitality at its finest – complete with a made-from-scratch breakfast.

Afternoon -

There is plenty of outdoor adventure to be had near the Susquehanna River. Check out this itinerary for outdoor adventure gear towards Locals of Lancaster County.

The Warwick-to-Ephrata Rail Trail is an eight-mile trail that runs alongside the former Reading & Columbia rail line. The trail connects Lititz, Akron, and Ephrata – making it the perfect way to cover a large span of the County.

Refreshing Mountain has something for every type of outdoor enthusiast! Locals, young & old can test their limits with ziplining, an elevated obstacle course, the giant swing, climbing tower and more. If the thought of being suspended 30+ feet in the air doesn’t get you excited, consider exploring their wildlife center or farm animal experience. The Center offers the opportunity to interact with 40+ native and exotic reptiles and amphibians. The farm animal experience is the perfect for kids to interact with both common and uncommon domestic animals.

Evening –

Cap off your evening with a local beer at Black Forest Brewery. The brewery & tasting room were conceptualized when Bob (owner) and his three sons where backpacking on the Black Forest Trail in Pennsylvania. From the atmosphere to the beers, it’s a nature-lovers dream destination to end their day of outdoor adventure. The craft beer names are tied to local history & the family’s favorite backpacking trail. Stop by this weekend to find a warm atmosphere and have a delicious hand-crafted brew!
Hours: Friday & Saturday 12 PM – 9 PM | Sunday 12 PM – 7 PM | Monday & Tuesday Closed | Wednesday & Thursday 4 PM – 9 PM