I visited the 1719 Museum this past Saturday and really enjoyed the experience…read more The guided tour starts with a short film about the property that provides some great context for the rest of the tour. Then you leave the visitor center and walk over to the first structure of tour, which is a full-sized reproduction of a Native American longhouse. Longhouses (large multi-generational family homes made of logs, saplings, and tree bark) were once ubiquitous in Pennsylvania, including along the Susquehanna River. At the time the Hans Herr home was built, south-central Pennsylvania was home to several Indigenous tribes, including the Shenks Ferry, Conoy, Lenape, Mohawk, Nanticoke, Seneca, Shawnee, and Susquehannock peoples. The 1719 Museum collaborated with the Circle Legacy Center and members of the local indigenous community to build the longhouse reproduction in order to share the history of and honor Pennsylvania's native communities and educate visitors to the area. With your guide, you walk into the longhouse, where you sit down while the guide explains quite extensively about the Native communities in the area, the longhouse and its architecture, and the relationships between the indigenous people and the Mennonite people who made homes in the area. After the longhouse, the guide walks you over to the Hans Herr House. It was built in 1719 and is a 2-story, rectangular sandstone Germanic-style dwelling. It is the oldest dwelling in Lancaster County and the oldest Mennonite meetinghouse in America. The guide walks you through various rooms in the house and shares information about the Herr family as well as the larger Mennonite community in early Pennsylvania history. Our guide was Cindy, and she was incredible. I learned so much about the Native, Indigenous and Mennonite communities of 18th century Pennsylvania (and - in the case of the Native peoples - a much earlier history of their lives in Pennsylvania). She really educated us on a broad range of topics, while keeping the tour fun (I love fun education)! She made my tour extra special. If you're spending some time exploring Lancaster Counter, the 1719 Museum should definitely make your itinerary! In one place, you can learn a little bit about Pennsylvania's Native and Mennonite communities, and it's just a special place!

Why is the Hans Herr House significant and who the hell was Hans Herr?…read more The house itself is significant as it is the last remaining structure that is still standing from the original group of Mennonites who came to the Lancaster County area to escape religious persecution from their native Switzerland. The house is also significant in that it is the oldest structure in Lancaster County and likely the oldest remaining Mennonite meetinghouse in the Western Hemisphere. The original group traveled from Switzerland to Germany to escape religious persecution then after a governmental regime change they were forced from Germany to England where they met with William Penn who allowed them to colonize a portion of what is current day Lancaster County or when they arrived in 1711, the extreme most western frontier of Pennsylvania. One interesting piece of information is that the house did not belong to Hans Herr as it was built by his son Christian which is why his initials are over the doorway along with the inscribing mark of 1719. On the tour you are told why the name remained(s) Hans Herr House versus Christian Herr House but honestly I forget why. Maybe something just deferential from Christian towards his father or because of his father's status with the original group that came to the area or maybe everyone just liked the flow of the name more so it's based on tradition? The tour itself is around 40-45 minutes and it starts in the building which houses the gift shop and you are given a brief overview of the Anabaptist faith, the Mennonites who are direct descendants of the faith and a map which shows the route the initial settlers took from Switzerland to Pennsylvania. After that you are taken over to the house where you see the three rooms which make up the first floor (kitchen, bedroom and all purpose dining room-meeting room-family room) and the second floor which is where the eight children slept and finally the basement which is accessed from a side entrance outside of the house. You learn that the key to the home's design is that they didn't believe in wasting any space so every inch served a purpose such as not having hallways so as soon as you walk in the front door you're right in the kitchen. One thing worth noting, if you are someone who is hardcore hung up on only visiting historical places if they have lots of original items then this place might not be for you. There is not a whole lot original to the house that you can see with the exception of a piece of the ceiling insulation on the first floor (rye straw + manure + ??), the wooden crossbeam over the kitchen fireplace and the steps which go from the second floor to the third floor attic (obviously you can't use them). Past that I think most everything else was changed out in the 19th century when the house was still used as a residence or in the early 70's when the initial renovation occurred to make things into a tourist destination. If you want more original take a look at the bibles on display in the gift shop which are original to Hans and Christian. I wouldn't call the Hans Herr House a must see, but it's interesting enough and the tour is the right length to keep everyone interested along with being located close enough to most of Lancaster County's tourist elements. If you go: The 1719 Hans Herr House is open April 1 through November 30, Monday-Saturday, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. Forty-five minute Herr House tours are offered at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. This is not the tour information for their reproduction Native American Longhouse. That tour is offered at 10 a.m., 12 noon and 2 p.m and has an entirely different focus. Prices are currently Adults: $8, Children 7-12: $4 and Children 6 and under: free with a slight discount if you choose to tour both structures. There are also several special events that happen throughout the year and that information is available on their website.

Recently attended a fundraiser event for the Christiana Library at this location. The event was a…read morePrincess Ball for little girls. While it was a colaboration between the library and the event space, no neither can take full credit, the two worked together effortlessly to make this event memoriable. Easy to find on Lincoln Highway in the Gap, the grounds, barns, and outdoor spaces were beautiful and well maintained. The inside of the barn was refurbished, modern, comfortable and a beautiful backdrop for any event. The grounds weren't quite in full bloom but were well maintained and the perfect scenery for pictures. The parking, although on the small size, was paved and ample. Another outbuilding where a storybook reading was held is normally used as a bride's quarters for getting ready pre-wedding. That room was elegant and furnished with luxurious french provincial type furnishings, gold guilded mirrors and was very grand. At our event, carriage rides were offered around the property. I had the pleasure of chatting with a relative of the owner, who relayed the property's history to me, which was very interesting. While the home is a private residence, there's still many venues on the property for different kinds of events. Definately a place to consider for large baby shower, party, reception, or wedding.

I have never left a venue tour after 10 minutes before, but unfortunately, that is exactly what…read morehappened here. This place does not even deserve 1 star. From the moment we arrived, the person conducting our tour was extremely rude, condescending, and defensive. We genuinely felt as though our presence was an inconvenience and that she had no interest in having us there. What should have been an exciting and enjoyable experience became uncomfortable immediately. Our wedding is over a year away, and while we had a general idea of the type of timeline we wanted, we obviously do not have every detail finalized (nor should we have to!). We explained our rough plans for a reception party (no ceremony), including incorporating some traditional reception elements followed by food stations. Rather than helping us understand how that could work at the venue, she repeatedly challenged us to provide an exact timeline, with no typical guidance or consultant feedback whatsoever. When we asked how many hours we would actually have the venue rented for, so that we could better understand the logistics and figure out a timeline, she spoke down to us and told us that 5-6 hours is customary for weddings. The way she said it was extremely belittling, as though we were somehow inexperienced or unreasonable for asking. Every venue is different and because we are not having a traditional ceremony, just a reception, we didn't know if the rental spaces/times would change. We were trying to get this necessary information from her so that we could create the timeline she was pressuring us to have, yet instead of answering our questions and helping us work through it, she made us feel like we should already know the answer. At one point, she became defensive and explained that we could not have food available for four hours due to safety and that this was why she was "challenging" us to have a timeline. We completely understand that food cannot simply sit out for four hours (duh??), and we never suggested that it would. We were simply discussing our ideas and trying to understand the venue's logistics. The level of defensiveness over a hypothetical timeline was honestly bizarre and completely unnecessary. The same thing happened when we asked about catering. We were told that we could bring in our own vendors. My mom commented that it was nice to have that flexibility/DIY, since some venues require you to use their preferred vendors. She immediately became argumentative and abruptly corrected her by saying, essentially, that we were not "doing it on our own" and that we had a choice in the matter. We understood that.. We were not arguing with her or misunderstanding the policy--we were expressing that we appreciated having the option. My mom has been in the bridal/wedding industry for 7 years and has never experienced this kind of treatment during a venue tour. We came in excited, open-minded, and ready to learn about the space. In fact, we traveled 2 hours to come. Instead, we were met with an incredibly unprofessional and snide attitude simply because we were sharing our ideas and asking customary questions. Ultimately, we walked out after about ten minutes. That should say everything. Honestly, we feel blessed that we had this experience now rather than after booking and we have no idea how this place is in business. A wedding venue is supposed to be a place where you feel welcomed, supported, and excited about celebrating one of the biggest moments of your life. We could not imagine working with someone who made us feel like a nuisance before we had even booked the venue. After seeing other reviews mentioning similar concerns about the poor service and attitude, I am even more grateful that we trusted our instincts and did not move forward. The venue itself may be beautiful, but the terrible experience we had with her was enough to make us immediately take it off our list. If anyone actually decides to get married here, good luck! And if you're thinking of visiting, don't.

Must visit spot if you are around the area and want good humor for free…read more The address on Yelp is currently wrong, please put "Welcome to Intercourse PA Sign" on Google Maps search. It has the correct address. Very funny name for a town. Also, watch out for the horse carriage the Amish use, please don't block their passage.

Quaint little town in Lancaster County. So Many little shops to see for gifts, food items,…read morerestaurants, buggy rides, not to mention the Amish people who are so kind. Drivers could be much more cautious and courteous of the buggies and those on their foot powered scooters. Every time I heard sirens I just cringed, hoping everyone was okay. It should go without saying, but Please, be Very careful if following or passing them! There are many covered bridges in the county to see. There's a map avail online and at the county visitor center. We were able to find about five just using google and all but one or two we could drive through. It's a wonderful way to see the countryside too.

Super cool landmark…read more As per the plaque: Constructed in 1860, the Gatehouse was designed by the Baltimore firm of Thomas and James M. Dixon. Built in Tudor Revival Style, it provided for two living units, one on each side of the archway. The Gatehouse resembled a Swiss chalet and became a trademark of the Sheppard. The neighborhood children viewed it as the home of Hansel and Gretel. A tenant alwavs lived in the Gatehouse until 2005. The beautiful Rhododendron Drive was historically entered by driving through the Gatehouse. In 2002 the entire Charles Street entrance was reconstructed and cars no longer entered through the Archway.

This is my favorite area in Patapsco state park, I've brought many friends and family here over the…read moreyears. It's beautiful, you can find the ruins of an old mining camp and religious boarding school here. There's even a decent spot to jump off the train tracks into the water below, although take care because the water can be shallow in spots.

Probably one of the more interesting hikes that I have done in awhile. The hike will be quite…read moreshort, but you got hills and steps to get your work out on. I think the feel of the place is supposed to be spooky, unfortunately, I picked a spring break day to do it and there were enough teenagers running around here like savages (just kidding, they were all really sweet) it doesn't really have a scary feel to it at all. To explain the ruins, it was Roman Catholic school in Ilchester, Maryland. The ruins are near Ilchester and Bonnie Branch roads (so the Yelp location is pretty straight on). It was called hell house in the 70s after it was abandoned and vandalized and rumors have it a strange cult started living there. It also had an over zealous caretaker who had a gun and some dogs and would assault vandals. He was displaced after the school was set ablaze by arsonists. Hell House altar structure that most people take pictures of is at the top of a very steep hill, about a mile in. It used to have a large metal cross, and it is a very unique place for a photoshoot. For easy access, park in the lot for patapsco state park (right past the train tracks) where the trailhead is and start coming up to the left of the train tracks.

So we went to hershey park and after a 3.5hr drive, thought it would be nice to do some horseback…read moreriding. My wife, 8yr old, and myself booked a tour for 330. We all loved it. It was hot and humid but the ride was mostly in shade. The horses were very well behaved, and my daughter absolutely loved it. Her horse was well behaved and gave no issues. My wife's horse kept eating (much like me), but still was gentle and easy going. This place is great for beginners as the horses are well behaved. You take a 15 minute tutorial in how to ride then off you go.

Wonderful place with a very helpful staff. My wife and I had a terrific time together riding…read morehorses. I recommend trying it for yourself!

While the mansion is still undergoing renovations so we were not able to include that and so my…read morereview may change in the future. Don't expect to take even a full afternoon visiting but it is a lovely preserved estate around the city. There's some goats, and the grounds are enjoyable to take an hour or so to walk with nice historical signs for context. There is some parking but it likely gets packed in high traffic times. I can't put it in my top gardens available for Philadelphia, it's good to have treasures like these to keep the sense of history and love of horticulture the area has long held.

This is a really cute hidden local treasure - very charming and pretty. We had some wedding photos…read moretaken here, so it will always have a special place in our hearts! Lots of cool spots outside for photos, and the inside is really cute as well. I'm not sure they usually open the house, but the grounds are very nice to walk around. We stopped by again recently and had some time to reminisce before heading out because it was too cold.

Beautiful property! They have a pavilion along the creek for…read moreevents & reunions. They have lots of events for the community. A true asset to our area!

Really nice, small park with some beautiful architecture. The stream was pretty and there was a…read morebench to relax and look at the nature. I would like to see the peace garden during the summer/spring.

Wow. What a unique, random gem and historic property. What is Fonthill and why is there a castle in…read moreDoylestown, Pennsylvania? Fonthill Castle was the home of archeologist and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer. (Also in Doylestown are two more Mercer buildings you can tour - the Mercer Museum and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works building, the business Mercer ran and where most of the tiles in the castle were produced.) Henry Mercer seems like he was an interesting guy, and you can see that in his home - 44 rooms, 18 fireplaces, 200 windows, who knows how many staircases...! And designed and decorated in a way I've never seen anywhere else. The castle is an early example of poured-in-place concrete building and is a mix of Medieval, Gothic, and Byzantine architectural styles. And there are, of course, Moravia tiles (and some historic and international tiles that he collected during his life) throughout the house - almost more than you could imagine. We visited last Saturday to experience their "Fonthill Castle Holiday Lights Meander Experience," which allows you to visit the castle through a self-guided experience (there were staff in various rooms who were happy to answer questions) and enjoy a series of Christmas trees on display throughout the home. I definitely enjoyed the experience but am definitely planning a return visit to see the castle in better light (not at night in the dark - which was perfect for the Christmas tree experience) - they offer 60-minute guided tours though the house for most of the year! The castle is pretty wild, and I look forward to visiting it again and experiencing it in a new way. If you are interested in architecture, art, crafts, the Arts and Crafts design movement, or just quirky, unusual places, definitely add Fonthill to your list and check it out!

Amazing property, it is a hidden gem. Went with my family for the tour and everyone enjoyed it!read more

Very interesting place to find out about local historical figures, and the facts of life back then…read more Though we've seen lot's of historic houses, but still discovered for ourselves something we didn't know before. Too bad not much of information about this place on the internet, but we were very glad to discover it and recommend it to everyone loving the history of this country.

This place never disappoints! You need to go back each season to appreciate the changing landscape…read moreand step back in time!