10 Can't-Miss Things to Do in Lancaster City (Local Approved)
If you've never visited Lancaster City, you're in for a treat. Lancaster is a small city with big opportunities.
Most people have heard about the Amish, and that is where their knowledge stops, but the city has quietly become one of Pennsylvania's best weekend destinations, filled with award-winning restaurants and chefs, historic architecture, a growing arts scene, stellar coffee shops, small-town shopping, and one of the country's best farmers' markets—all within a walkable downtown.
Whether you're visiting for a weekend getaway, family reunion, wedding, or girls' trip, here are the ten experiences we recommend to every guest staying at Vine Street Retreat.
1. Explore Lancaster Central Market
If you’re spending the weekend at Vine Street, Lancaster Central Market cannot be missed (not open on Sunday). It is America's oldest continuously operating public farmers market and will charm your socks off.
Grab a fresh breakfast, locally roasted coffee, Amish baked goods, handcrafted cheeses, fresh flowers, and produce—all under one historic roof. Come hungry and don't be afraid to sample something new.
Our favorites: Breakfast sandwiches at S. Clyde Weaver, Bread from Ric’s or Thom’s, Produce from Barr’s Farm Market, Sweets from everywhere!
Website: Lancaster Central Market
2. Shop like Kings & Queens - Discover Local Shops
Forget chain stores.
Downtown Lancaster is packed with independently owned boutiques, bookstores, gift shops, art galleries, and coffee shops. Spend an afternoon wandering King, Queen, and Prince Streets, and you'll discover hidden gems around nearly every corner.
A few of our local favorites include:
Building Character, Fourteenth Boutique (formerly Papagallo), Central Market, Madcap & Co, and Pocket Books
Downtown Guide: Visit Lancaster City Shopping Guide
3. Experience Lancaster's Incredible Food Scene
Locals know Lancaster punches far above its weight when it comes to food. For a small city it offers big choices.
From authentic international cuisine to upscale farm-to-table dining, you'll find restaurants that rival much larger cities. Lancaster has become known nationally for its chef-driven culinary scene fueled by its abundance of high quality farm-fresh foods.
Some of our local favorites include:
Luca
Cabalar
Horse Inn
Southern Market
Restaurant Guide: Visit Lancaster Restaurants
4. Catch a Show at the Historic Fulton Theatre
The Fulton Theatre is one of the oldest continuously operating theaters in America and regularly hosts Broadway-quality productions hours away from New York City.
Even if you're not a theater enthusiast (I am not), seeing a performance here is a memorable experience.
Website: Fulton Theatre
5. Walkabout!
One of our favorite free activities is simply wandering around downtown or local neighborhoods to see what’s going on any given weekend (the city is especially sleepy on Mondays) to discover Lancaster's colorful murals, public art, and hidden gems.
You'll discover something new each time while exploring neighborhoods that many visitors will never see. Who knows, one of those neighborhoods might become your own someday!
If you’re not sure where to go, visit the Downtown Visitor Center or take a tour.
Walking Tours: Lancaster Historic Walking Tours
6. Enjoy a Rooftop Drink at The Exchange or Tellus360
Want one of the best sunset views in the city or an eclectic, modern vibe?
Head to The Exchange Rooftop Bar atop the Lancaster Marriott overlooking Penn Square. It's a perfect place to enjoy cocktails, appetizers, and people watching after a day of exploring downtown.
A funky, eclectic bar with live music and a rooftop bar?
Check out Tellus360, our favorite bar in the city, for 3 floors of glory. You can enjoy a flight of whiskeys, chill on the rooftop bar, attend a silent disco, or listen to live music - all in the same day!
Website: The Exchange Rooftop Bar & Tellus360
7. Dive Into Lancaster's Rich History
Lancaster was once the capital of Pennsylvania and even served as the nation's capital—for one day—in 1777. Harrisburg is so meh…
History lovers should visit:
The Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy
President James Buchanan's Wheatland
LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center
These attractions tell fascinating stories about abolition, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Lancaster's role in shaping American history.
Website: LancasterHistory
8. Experience First Friday
If your visit falls on the first Friday of the month, you're in luck.
Local galleries stay open late, musicians perform throughout downtown, artists showcase new work, people come out in droves, and restaurants buzz with energy. It's one of the best ways to experience Lancaster like a local and feel the city as it should be experienced - alive and energetic.
Events Calendar: Visit Lancaster City Events
9. Rent Bikes (or walk/drive) and Check out Local Parks
Lancaster is surprisingly walkable and bike-friendly, and also has some great parks nearby.
Take a relaxing stroll through beautiful historic neighborhoods, admire hundreds of restored brick homes, or rent bikes and explore nearby parks and trails - like Lancaster Central Park or Long’s Park (free music series every Sunday evening in the summer)
Many visitors tell us this slower pace becomes one of their favorite memories.
Visitor Guide: Visit Lancaster City & Discover Lancaster
10. Use Lancaster City as Your Base for Amish Country
While locals don’t give much thought to the Amish (it’s just normal) in regard to sightseeing, the rest of the nation does!. One of the biggest advantages of staying in Lancaster City is that you're only a short drive from world-famous Amish Country.
Spend the morning shopping downtown, then head out to:
Scenic backroads
Amish farms
Covered bridges
Roadside produce stands (Yum!)
Family-owned bakeries
Rolling countryside
You truly get the best of both worlds—vibrant city life and peaceful farmland—all within minutes.
Explore Amish Country: Discover Lancaster Amish Experiences
Stay Where You Can Walk to It All!
The best part about staying at Vine Street Retreat is that the majority of these attractions are just a short walk away.
Whether you're visiting with family, celebrating a wedding weekend, planning a girls' getaway, or simply looking to experience one of Pennsylvania's most charming cities, Lancaster offers something for everyone.
We hope this local guide helps you discover why we love calling Lancaster City home—and why so many of our guests can't wait to come back.
10 Hidden Gems in Lancaster City & Beyond That Locals Actually Love
Once you’ve experienced all the Lancaster highlights, it’s time to explore Lancaster like a local. These are the places we send our friends over and over.
Lancaster has plenty of attractions that deserve attention, but some of our favorite experiences happen in the places that aren't always on the first page of a Google search.
If you're staying at Vine Street Retreat, here's our idea for a very Lancaster kind of day: start with an incredible breakfast, discover some of the area's best bread, walk around, grab one of the best sandwiches you'll ever have, relax with yoga or coffee, spend the afternoon tubing or exploring the countryside, and finish the day with dinner, drinks and a nightcap.
1. On Orange — Start Your Morning Right
📍 108 W. Orange Street, Lancaster
📞 717-299-5157
🌐 Website: On Orange
🚗 From Vine Street Retreat: Approximately 5 minutes by car / 10–15 minutes walking
If you're looking for breakfast that feels unmistakably Lancaster, start at On Orange.
This cozy downtown breakfast spot is a local favorite for creative takes on breakfast classics, great coffee and a relaxed neighborhood atmosphere.
Local tip: Go hungry. This isn't a grab-a-coffee-and-run kind of morning. Also, this place can get busy, but gets patrons in quickly. It’s worth the wait!
Why we love it: It's not a chain; it’s downtown; and feels like the kind of neighborhood restaurant you'd want around the corner from your home.
2. Ric's Bread & Thom's Bread — Two Local Bread Favorites
If you love great bread, you have two local stops worth knowing about.
Ric's Bread
📍 24 N. Queen Street, Lancaster
📞 717-392-8385
🌐 Website: Ric's Bread
🚗 From Vine Street Retreat: Approximately 5 minutes by car / 10 minutes walking
Ric's has been part of Lancaster's artisan bread scene since the 1990s. Its downtown storefront makes it an easy stop while exploring Queen Street.
Thom's Bread
📍 Lancaster, PA
📞 717-490-6303
🌐 Website: Thom's Bread
🚗 From Vine Street Retreat: Approximately 10 minutes by car
Thom's is another great example of Lancaster's independent food culture, with excellent breads and baked goods that are worth seeking out.
Local tip: Pick up something from one—or both—and bring it back to Vine Street Retreat for breakfast the next morning.
Why we love it: Lancaster's food scene isn't just restaurants. Some of the city's best food experiences come from small, independent shops across the city.
3. Cabalar Meat Co. — Get the Sandwich
📍 501 W. Lemon Street, Lancaster
📞 717-208-7344
🌐 Website: Cabalar Meat Co.
🚗 From Vine Street Retreat: Approximately 5–7 minutes by car / 15–20 minutes walking
We're going to make a bold statement:
Cabalar makes some of the best sandwiches you'll ever have! Fact!!
Cabalar combines a whole-animal butcher shop with a restaurant specializing in burgers, melts, sandwiches, and other seriously good food.
It's one of those places that food-loving locals recommend with a little too much enthusiasm—and after your first sandwich, you'll understand why.
Local tip: Don't overthink it. Order the sandwich that catches your eye, grab a beer, and savor it!
Why we love it: It's inventive, local, and genuinely different from a typical restaurant.
4. West Art — Yoga, Coffee, Art & Music
📍 816 Buchanan Avenue, Lancaster
🌐 Website: West Art
🚗 From Vine Street Retreat: Approximately 7 minutes by car / 25 minutes walking
West Art is one of those places that's difficult to categorize—and that's exactly why we love it.
It's part community space, part arts venue, part gathering place, and part local hangout. Depending on the day, you might find yoga, coffee, live music, art, or another community event happening under the same roof.
Local tip: Check the event calendar before you go. You might find a yoga class in the morning and live music later that evening. Also, this one is tucked away near Buchanan Park and F&M College - great place to take a stroll.
Why we love it: It's Lancaster's creative, welcoming and slightly quirky side.
5. Thistle Finch Distillery & Burley Bar — Lancaster's West End
📍 417 W. Grant Street, Lancaster
📞 717-947-7342
🌐 Website: Thistle Finch Distillery
🚗 From Vine Street Retreat: Approximately 7 minutes by car / 20 minutes walking
If you like Lancaster history and local craftsmanship, the West End is worth exploring.
Thistle Finch operates in a historic brick tobacco warehouse and produces small-batch spirits right here in the city. Burley Bar is located within the same complex.
Local tip: Check the current schedule if you're interested in a distillery tour.
Why we love it: Historic architecture, locally made spirits and a neighborhood that's easy to overlook if you stick to downtown.
6. Sickman's Mill — Tubing, Music & Drinks
📍 671 Sandhill Road, Pequea, PA 17565
📞 717-872-5951
🌐 Website: Sickman's Mill
🚗 From Vine Street Retreat: Approximately 20–25 minutes by car
Okay, this one isn't technically in Lancaster City—but we're putting it on the list anyway.
During tubing season, Sickman's Mill offers tubing on the Conestoga River, along with food, drinks, music and events at the historic mill property.
It's the kind of summer afternoon that makes you forget you're only a short drive from downtown.
Local tip: Check river conditions, tubing availability and the event schedule before heading out.
Why we love it: It's Lancaster County summer at its best.
7. Fox Meadows Creamery — Save Room for Ice Cream
📍 193 E. Evergreen Road, Leola, PA 17540
🌐 Website: Fox Meadows Creamery
🚗 From Vine Street Retreat: Approximately 20 minutes by car
This one is another short drive outside the city—but it's absolutely worth including.
Fox Meadows Creamery is a family-owned dairy farm and creamery where you can enjoy homemade ice cream while taking in the beautiful Lancaster County countryside.
This is especially great for families, but let's be honest: you don't need to be a kid to get excited about really good ice cream.
Local tip: Go around sunset if you can. The combination of ice cream and Lancaster farmland makes for a pretty perfect evening.
Why we love it: It's a quintessential Lancaster County experience—farm, family, countryside and ridiculously good ice cream.
8. Horse Inn — Dinner & Drinks
📍 540 E. Fulton Street, Lancaster
📞 717-392-5528
🌐 Website: Horse Inn
🚗 From Vine Street Retreat: Approximately 7 minutes by car / 20 minutes walking
If you ask a Lancaster local where to go for dinner and drinks, Horse Inn is likely to come up.
The restaurant has roots as a 1920s speakeasy and today serves creative food alongside award-winning cocktails in a wonderfully intimate historic setting.
Local tip: Reservations are a must, especially on weekends. This is also a great spot for date night.
Why we love it: Historic Lancaster atmosphere + great food + cocktails is a pretty hard combination to beat.
9. The Exchange Rooftop — Drinks With a View
📍 25 S. Queen Street, Lancaster
📞 717-207-4096
🌐 Website: The Exchange Rooftop
🚗 From Vine Street Retreat: Approximately 5 minutes by car / 10 minutes walking
If you want to see downtown Lancaster from a completely different perspective, head to The Exchange.
Perched above the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, the rooftop offers panoramic views over downtown.
Local tip: If the weather is beautiful, this is hard to beat. This is a great spot for sunset drinks.
Why we love it: It's one of the best places to appreciate just how beautiful Lancaster City is after dark.
10. Proof — The Perfect Nightcap
📍 30 N. Queen Street, Lower Level, Lancaster
📞 717-925-7770
🌐 Website: Proof Lancaster
🚗 From Vine Street Retreat: Approximately 5 minutes by car / 10 minutes walking
You've had dinner. You've had drinks. But you're not quite ready to call it a night.
That's when you head underground to Proof.
Tucked below Queen Street, Proof is an intimate cocktail and wine bar that's perfect for slowing things down and enjoying a good conversation and one final drink.
Local tip: The entrance is easy to miss—look for the stairway off Queen Street/Market Alley.
Why we love it: It's an excellent final stop when you want the evening to wind down rather than ramp up.