Landis Valley Museum Reviews

Just such a quaint, peaceful, lovely place. I love the gift shop. I buy a cook book at every visit. There is nothing like the horse drawn buggy ride throughout the gorgeous grounds.

I decided when I retire I will volunteer here. I find it a transport to a relaxing time...well worth a visit.

This museum was brought about by a couple of brothers who were interested in collecting items that they feared were going the way of the Dodo. It has a number of facilities which indicate the style in which the Amish lived in a particular time. Some equipment that is interesting such as various stoves of the period. Probably the most interesting building is not totally opened to the public. You can see some of the larger pieces through plate glass windows. However shelves and shelves of assumed "treasure-throve" are not to be inspected. If you are interested in the "long rifle" the gunsmith on hand is very knowledgeable and entertaining. And on the day od our visit we had Civil War Day and people on hand to give us a glimpsed into that time period.

Our 3 year old had fun at this place but beware that many of the attractions are CLOSED on weekend (or the day we were there, which was an October Saturday-- not exactly off season). Many of the buildings (like the blacksmith) were closed and there were only a handful of buildings that had actors doing demonstrations. AND, the demonstrations close during lunch (noon-1pm). For $12pp and $8/kids, this was very overpriced considering how many buildings were closed. If there's anything you really want to see, you should call in advance to be sure it will be open.

Good Sunday afternoon activity when many things closed. It was rainy, cold day— but didnt dampen experience. The living history demos were fantastic!!! Ive toured tavern in Williamsburg, but never saw woman actually cooking meal, showing you how to use coals, change fire level etc. Gunsmith showed how you rifle barrel of gun, how to load & fire, etc. Gave ys a real appreciation when we were at Gettysburg & saw the rifles, muskets, etc. Definitely worth 2-3 hours

I took a group of 16 seniors to this museum and everyone had a great time. We saw a short video to acquaint us with the Amish, toured the property in a horse drawn wagon(lots of fun) and walked around also. The docents in various rooms were very knowledgeable, friendly and fun. Don't miss this place.

My husband, 15 year old daughter, mother and I spent the day here while we were in Lancaster. They have a really nice gift shop with local items, really friendly staff and well kept grounds. As someone who love history, it was nice to walk around and see all the old buildings. Most of them had people dressed in the period who gave a little history of each building and answered questions. We all really had a wonderful time and would definitely go back.

Herb and Garden Faire:
What a lovely day/place to get my 1 hr walk in. Bought some plants, got the " lay of the land" so next visit I can head to the buildings I would like to visit. The gift shop is stocked with PA German handmade items. Beautiful well-kept grounds. Great way to spend time alone, with friends, or with family of all ages!!

If you want to have a laid-back day, come here. This is an historic landmark in Lancaster County and consists of an indoor museum and several buildings that have been preserved from back in the day. I mean, waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day! Check their website for any of their special events, such as Landis Valley days, when they have working exhibits such as bread=making from the days before the bread machine, cooking at a hearth, horse-shoeing, blacksmithing -- it's like a much smaller version of Williamsburg. Kids love it because there are goods to eat and an old fashioned spelling bee at the one-room school-house. At another time of year, there is the Annual Herb and Flower day, you can purchase all kinds of garden stuff. On any day, you can pay the fee and go into the museum (inexpensive) and just mosey around the grounds. Not handi-capped friendly in most areas. Lots of free parking. Unless there is an event going on there is no food available. But, this being Lancaster County, you can't go far without finding a restaurant!

One of my favorite stops anywhere in America. All year round the buildings and grounds give an idea what Pennsylvania farms were like in the 18th and 19th century. Especially look at the website and go the festival weekends like in the fall..many craftsmen come in and give demonstrations. It is a great family atmosphere.

Great place for a family to visit. The staff and volunteers are very knowledgeable and really help to bring history to life.

We have been there at least 6 times....each time we bring friends and families to see it...this time it was awesome...lots of people with a lot of knowledge there to answer questions and doing reenactments ....really enjoyed it...there are a few buildings that are air conditioned. Nice gift shop to purchase a few things including cold drinks and ice cream!

We stopped in for something to do one morning of our trip. This place is a real treasure! Very well maintained and like walking back into time! You learn a lot about the past and some interesting facts about the German Heritage of the Amish! Nice gift shop as well! We would have purchased a few things but during our visit, the women at the counter was having a conversation with a maintenance worker about the allotted hours he and his crew were allowed to have to keep the grounds up each week. It seemed very tense and made us feel a bit uncomfortable! Aside from that, very great place for a couple hours of something interesting to do!

My son is a history buff so when we learned about Landis Valley we had to plan a day trip. We went during their Harvest Days. It is attractively laid out and well maintained. It is easy walking around and there are several places to sit and rest and enjoy the shade and the scenery. We enjoyed all the crafters and artisans performing their skills and we purchased several items. The wagon ride was enjoyable and the museum was informative.

Such a nice experience. We go to this event every year. There is so much to look at. Hay rides, touring all the buildings, crafts and so much more.

Wow. I learned so much here. Tour several buildings & peek into others. 3 buildings are on their original sites & a few were moved there. Learn how flax was harvested/used, how rifles were made, explore the founders' (brothers) house, a shop/post office, blacksmith shop... Peek into a hotel, schoolhouse, tinsmith shop. There's a building devoted to farm machinery (horse drawn & motored). Beautiful campus. What a feeling to know we stood on a once major highway. The gift shop is in a separate building close to the parking lot (free parking). If you have allergy issues (like hay), you may have trouble in the textiles building where they demonstrate flax harvesting. NOTE: Consider the PA Heritage Museum membership, which this site is included in.

We went there in February and even though the weather was not the greatest, we still had a lot of fun. They had designated houses where you could go on your own and either look in from the door or go in and look around. They also offered a free tour and we were the only ones taking it so we got a private tour of 6 of the houses. I thought the tour was very interesting and even my boyfriend who doesn't like museums loved it, mainly because it was pretty interactive. Definitely recommend.

Visited here with a group of friends, all of whom were not eager to stop. Well, their opinion was transformed after a two-hour tour. Much 19th and early-20th century artifacts on display as well as artisan demonstrations. Much more, a lovely and refreshing way to step back in time to discover aged agricultural technology of a bygone era and see how the industrial revolution helped farmers to feed America. Many local inventions and developments as well as truly renowned American farm technology on display. You've probably never seen this many exhibits of equipment from this era, most of it accumulated and preserved by the Landis brothers who left this legacy for future generations.

I have actually been there several times over the years. The first time we had small children and I remember they had a great time. Most of the experience is outside so plan accordingly. The tours are good and informational, and you're welcomed to do the grounds and see the buildings on your own (free I think). It's not a lot of walking and there are benches if you're physically challenged. In season, you might find demonstrations from days gone by and workshops. You can even get married there! The gift shop is very nice too.

We went on a Sunday afternoon and they had five volunteers (tinsmith, blacksmith, country store owner, tavern maid and wagon driver) to guide us through various aspects of 18th and 19th century life in a small Pennsylvania village. We also experienced an ice cream social with period live music. The chair display of local craftsman in the visitor center is also well done. Horse and wagon ride for the children and young at heart was enjoyable and informative.

Great place to visit very informative people working there who gladly spent time chatting about the various crafts and house's,we drove to the site generous parking which is free,we didn't feel rushed though there was a Couple of coach parties which I did notice were rushed along so I would recommend you do this of your own choice I would say give yourselves roughly 3hrs.

From other reviews, I can see this museum would not be as enjoyable if there are hoards of people. When we went, on a chilly Saturday in mid-November, there were very few visitors, yet many buildings were staffed and we listened to many interesting stories of life back when. The best open air museum I have been to in the US thus far.

We very much enjoyed our visit to Landis Valley Museum. The property is extremely well maintained and the structures, most of which, have been re-located to the village are very quaint. The people working at their "trade" are very well informed and seem to enjoy interacting with the visitors. It was a very educational experience. A good place to have kids visit and learn!

We loved this living museum. It's small enough to see everything, but large enough to feel like you learned a lot about life in Lancaster County in the 18th and 19th centuries. Our children particularly loved all the animals. The extremely nice volunteer at the horse barn on Sunday that we were there saw that our children were interested, so he showed them how to pet and lead the (giant!) draft horses to pasture, and then he let them help feed the sheep, geese, pigs and cattle. Most of these are heritage breeds and quite interesting in and of themselves if you're curious about pre-industrialized farming and how these breeds might be brought back. All in all, a wonderful museum! Thank you to the volunteers who make it such a fun place to visit.

I was a little disappointment I must admit. I had so looked forward to seeing this with my family. The buildings that are open and ones with guides are interesting, but there are so many buildings that you can not go into it seemed a waste. Be prepared to walk a lot since this is a big place with a lot of space between buildings, which is fine if all the building were open to the public. Plus although it says it takes AAA discount the day I was there with my family they said they were not accepting it that day.

Please be aware that my review may not provide you the information you're looking for if you're planning to attend the Museum. While I did physically attend the museum grounds, my attendance was because of a family wedding.
The grounds of the Landis Valley Museum were very nice, spacious, and historical. The nature is wonderful to look at here along with the old buildings. It was really cool to briefly walk around the grounds and see how an older settlement might have been set up.
The wedding ceremony was beautiful, set up wonderfully, and managed effectively.
The reception was also very well done, and all staff did an amazing job!

A bit like Colonial Williamsburg in that its a Living Museum. Real ppl dressed in period costumes explain what they are doing about the village. Blacksmith, weaver, baker, shopkeeper, etc. Lovely place!

I probably haven't enjoyed myself this much in awhile...little shops manned by reenactors who told us all about life in Landis Valley years ago. Blacksmith, general store, rifle shop, and I really liked the tin shop!
Then we had a meal in a barn and we were visited the Belsnikel (look it up)...LOL It is a Pa, Dutch visitor before Christmas to judge the kids! What a great visit!
I even enjoyed the gift shop! Bought some candy!!!

There was a Summer Institute going on so many of the presenters were not there and some buildings were closed but they let us in for half price to compensate which was fair. It is a cool place and there is a lot to look at and read about. We loved the wagon ride around the place.

We did the Center during the week, there was no-one and we had the place to ourselves. Very well done and staff gave informative answers. Must go for schools and educational institutions, foreigners might be bored.

We were new to Amish country, and since TA listed the Landis Museum so highly, we checked it out. Good idea!

On a weekday, we had the entire place pretty much to ourselves. We wandered through for the site for maybe an hour before the scheduled tour. The tour was even better, since the guide could unlock several of the buildings for us to see the fully furnished interiors. Not to mention that her commentary was very engaging. We came away with a much better appreciation for life over the last 200+ years in the region.

2 definite thumbs up!

I toured the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum on Thursday, September 5, 2013. I enjoyed the wagon ride that was pulled by horses. There were some nice exhibits in the museum and the village. I enjoyed this historic hotel as well as the feel of the village. I would recommend others to take a stop by here and explore.

This was a fun stop on our tour of Lancaster. We have been to Colonial Williamsburg and other living museums and love them. However, this is NOT on the same scale as Williamsburg but still very enjoyable.
This museum was very quiet on a Sunday, it was a lovely day and wonderful for walking from building to building.
There are several buildings that are available for viewing, some you can go completely inside and others are set up as vignettes.
The tour gives you access inside other buildings that are locked.
The tavern was cool but the country store was the BEST. We had an interesting tour of the textile barn and the tour guide demonstrated how to use the working barn loom.
There is a blue wagon drawn by horses that takes you around and drops you off at different spots if you like which is fun for kids.
There are animals and one of the volunteers gave my son biscuits to feed to the pigs! He loved it!

I love this museum -so many attractive objects well displayed in 'natural' settings and historic buildings. The staff are polite, friendly, and knowledgeable. The grounds are lovely - it's a great place to wander around on a clear afternoon.

The visit to this museum takes you back in time to the early German settlers in Pennsylvania. The buildings are interesting. Depending on the time of year you visit, there are craftsmen on site. At Christmas you can see the Belsnickel! The gift shop has many unique items.

Was really looking forward to going into the houses. Nothingwas open. The one house that was open had only two rooms to see. It was a complete let down and i would never bother wasting my time or money to go back. If you want to see a real pioneer village come to black creek village in Toronto Ontario. You can go in every building and actually see things.

This village is very authentic and well done. Since I have Pennsylvania German roots I found it very interesting. The volunteers who staff the village do a very good job. Well worth a visit.

A great way to get to know the history German Deusch immigrants and their way of life. The old buildings and their content reflect Both life style and culture. Really impressed by the volunteers who demonstrated skills of the Cooper, Blacksmith and Tin cutting. The docents were all dressed in period costume and explained the details of each house visited. Great photography opportunity especially in the farming equipment barn. Not to mention meeting and feeding the beautiful white " plough " horses.

This would be a great place to visit in the spring/summer,but in Nov I think many of the places in the village that do re enactments

Plan on spending an entire day here. There is a lot to see. We really enjoyed learning about the flax spinning and talking to the gunsmith.

I came here during the summer and was happy that I packed my hat and some water for the visit. Although this is a great community to visit, there is no air conditioning. Although this was nice seeing how people lived in this area, you need to make sure you bring some good shoes since it's a lot of walking in the heat.

Landis Valley is tucked away in Amish Country and has so much to offer. The Landis family lived on the property and two brothers amassed a huge collection of PA Dutch artifacts. Their home is open for a guided tour as well as a tavern, gunsmith shop and country store. The guide was very knowledgeable. We ate in the area at Olde Hickory Grill. It was a wonderful afternoon.

My spouse and I went there on a cold winter day. We were the only ones at this very interesting living history museum. The experience starts with a 13 minute film explaining the history of the Landis brothers. Both were collectors, maybe even what we would now call hoarders, of artifacts from the local area with the aim of preserving and understanding the history of Lancaster county.
You will see the gunsmith shop and learn how rifles were fabricated before automation. We learned the process took three months per rifle.
There are many buildings each displaying a certain aspect of life in the Landis Valley over the last several hundred years. We learned how clothing was made from hemp. Again, a lengthy process taking many months to make one garment.

Our excellent tour guide, Nancy, made the experience memorable. Be sure to take the tour with a guide.

This museum has a huge inventory of machines, farm implements, furniture and interior recreations from 1700-1900. You can learn about the rural and small town lifestyles from early America.

Visited with 7 and 4 year old and they both loved it. They have a pamphlet in visitors center to "Find Wasser" (which was a dog that lived on property) for the kids that is like a scavenger hunt. Both kids were on a mission to find each dog, it was so much fun for them. We took the self guided tour so we could go at our own pace. The buildings are well maintained, and staff very friendly. We went on a weekday and staff takes a break from 12-1 so you can't get into some of the buildings (so plan around that). Large variety of buildings to see. Some animals to see (geese, cows, pigs, sheep). Took a wagon ride around the village as well. Great place to visit if you like historic properties.

if you like living history then this is a must ,it has character and characters, a great place to spend a day

Well worth a visit. Enjoyed and was a wonderful day out. Would highly recommend to friends and family

The museum was very nice, there was plenty to see, it was close to everything that we wanted to do in Lancaster. The kids were a little bored but we enjoyed it. History was Lancaster was nice to see. The hours were good for us.

It was a very informative place. My husband and I had a very nice time. The short film and chair museum was very interesting. Loved walking the grounds and seeing the animals and the farm. Having people explaining so many things about the 18th and 19th century was really great too. We had experienced a lot on this day and will be going back again. Thanks for the experience.

came here for a wedding and the area is perfectly fitting for Lancaster county. Had a chance to walk around during rehearsal and it is gorgeous.

Have nothing but a glowing review of this museum. Interesting exhibits. A good family experience. Easy parking. Good value all around.

It was very interesting to see what life was like back then. The tour guides were very well-knowledged.

Landis valley farm is a great place to visit for the day. Many reconstructed and original buildings on the farm dating back to the early 1800's. There are log cabins and brick homes as well as many wooden sided buildings. The Landis brothers lived there for many years and their house is still there to be toured. There are stables, blacksmith, tavern, country store, hotel and several other buildings all open to tour. Price is $12 for adults. Horse drawn wagon for rides around the farm. Gift shop and visitors center with a short video of the history of the farm. Grounds are very well kept. A living museum. Has a vast collection of farm implements and tools. Guides are very enthusiastic and enjoy talking about the buildings.

I took my toddler too Landis Valley Museum and I thought it would be a little over her head but she absolutely loved it. My husband and I enjoyed the exhibits and live demonstrations. Very fun!

My husband and I stopped here on our way back home for our anniversary trip. It was extremely hot and humid. We paid the 12.00 each, and we went on a self guided tour. It was nice to see the buildings, but a lot of them we could not go into. There are picnic tables to enjoy if you want to bring your own lunch. (no other food is available, unless you by snacks at the gift shop) We liked the air conditioned exhibits inside and the general store, and the gift shop. I think we would have enjoyed it better on a spring/fall day. Also, they charge you to walk around and look at everything, but no one asked to see our tickets, and we could have just walked in onto the grounds, because there was a lot of easy access to the grounds with out even paying?--so what's up with that?--we probally could have saved 24.00 by doing just that!--but we were honest!

Landis Valley Museum is a great place to visit, really close to a highway but still so peaceful and sylvan. As it is a living history museum I would have liked to see many more people there in costume. The blacksmith was the only one we saw and he was really interesting.
I wish I could remember the name of our guide as he was just so interesting and made the visit for us. He explained the way of life of Mennonites and Amish to us and told us all about the museum also. As this was the start of the visit to Lancaster it really added to our understanding of the area.
The weather was perfect for walking around but I would not really recommend it on a wet day. The store and the farmhouse and the linen workshop were highlights for us.
Also as it was a quiet time we had the guide all to ourselves!

I went with mom last summer, we had a great day. There was an exhibit of wedding gowns from days gone by, really interesting to see how much things have changed. It's a beautiful property, country setting with heirloom gardens, black walnut trees and even some farm animals. It's nice to away from the city and traffic and really relax and breathe the fresh country air. Plus there is some fascinating historical information to check out.

We moved to the Lancaster area in 2016 and toured this in 2017. We have taken relatives when they come to visit. Good for 5 years old to 105!

We've always loved Landis Valley Museum and Farm. It really is like stepping back in time. The buildings are lovely and well-preserved, and the grounds are beautiful. Seeing the animals was always a treat too! The museum store is full of treasures that are very reasonably priced. Be sure to visit during one of their big events, like Harvest Days or the Herb Faire.

been coming to Lancaster for years, and this is one stop i always regretted not make...well check it off the bucket list....what a great collection the landis bros. have saved. friendly and very knowledgable staff.....well worth the visit....

I was with a bus tour, therefore I did not have the option of spending more time, but as a history buff, I could have spent the whole day there. The bus driver said he could arrange that, lol. If my understanding is correct, the craftsmen are volunteers and not all stations are filled every day. We saw a tavern keeper, gun maker, weaver and broom maker. and all were very informative. I was absolutely fascinated by the gun maker. The gift shop was also wonderful and the clerks were very helpful. One item that I purchased was made my the gentleman that rang up my sale. Got to go back some day.

We visited a few museums last year on our visit but our recent visit to Landis Valley was very special. The staff were extremely knowledgeable and we learned about shoe making, weaving and spinning yarn, cooking for a Pennsylvania Dutch family.

Great place to learn about the Pennsylvania dutch-german heritage. Small museum with some old nice antiques (including 1900s baseball cards!!) which I think are amazing. The tour guides do a very good job answering questions in a short/optional tour available to some of the main properties of the farm. Plenty of things to buy in the museum shop although pricey. If you are around and need a place to wander around for 2-3 hours and learn some history this is a great stop!.

We took a group from our church in Indiana for the morning. We had a guided tour for the first hour (highly recommend!!), then were able to wander around on our own. Charming look at history.

A cloudy but not rainy day made this a perfect day trip. Several of the display areas had docents who gave great explanations of their craft. The grounds are well preserved and fascinating to look around. This would be good for almost all ages. Hard for a stroller, or wheelchair. Military discount is not advertised, but available.

This is an outdoor museum. If you have trouble walking, this is not an attraction for you. We plan to go back in the summer when there will be more to see. The people in period dress were very knowledgeable answering all our questions.
The two hours we spent walking flew by.

This is a little gem of a place. The interpreters in costume are great at bringing the place to life. My particular interest is spinning and cloth production so I really enjoyed chatting to Debra about the preparation and spinning of flax, and setting up a loom.
The blacksmith was exceptionally knowledgeable .
This living history village is well worth the entrance fee. The sign could be a bit clearer as we took a little time to find it.

There were four of us in our party. Myself, daughter, and her teen/tween ages 14 & 12. It is fairly reasonable $10. after AAA discounts. This is a self tour, many buildings have 'experts' hosting the building. The bar keep explains the workings of the tavern, the gunsmith taught us how to build a Daniel Boone rifle and another building had quilting and making flax into yarn. This venue has a lot of walking but lots of benches to sit and enjoy the surroundings. There are camp kids etc. I compare this Mystic Seaport in Ct. and Sturbridge Village in Ma. I wouldn't bring little ones here maybe ages 10 and up.

Landis Family Museum was founded by two brothers who realized that most of their 19th century heritage was being forgotten or demolished as the area progressed into the future. The two bachelors decided to save as many buildings as they could have place all the buildings in their Landis Valley complex to preserve them for future generations. When you go to Landis Valley Museum and pay the fees, do not expect to see lots of people in period costumes. Rather, consider your money a donation to preserving these historic structures and anything else is gravy. If you go into Landis Valley with that viewpoint of donating to preservation you'll be sure to enjoy yourself. This is not place really meant to be packed to the gills with educational entertainment but for what they have accomplished, I enjoyed myself. I went with my senior citizen parents and two very young nephews this past July. My mom explained that the people who give demonstrations are volunteers. We had a small talk given to us in the cobbler shop. The fellow in the gunsmith shop answered some questions and we learned he was a retired physician who volunteers once a week for fun. We also had a small talk in the inn where a young volunteer in her teens was very excited she had just made her first cinnamon rolls in a dutch oven on a fireside hearth with success. There was also someone in the blacksmith shop giving demonstrations. Were there several buildings with no volunteers giving talks? Of course. I would say that 2/3 of the buildings are "tour at your own pace" But we enjoyed going in those buildings anyways. I am glad the Landis Brothers preserved some history. While I wasn't especially interested in the large farming history barn because I've grown up around farms, I can see other people who have not grown up around farms to find that stuff fascinating and it is important to preserve how things used to be done so we can appreciate our history. My favorite part hands down was the draft horses. We also liked trying to find all the cats in the barn and seeing the barn swallows fly in and out of the eaves. My nephews were intrigued by the one room school house and my eldest nephew who is only 7 listened to the blacksmith talk for a solid 30 minutes. I kept thinking he would be ready to go but he just sat there enamored with the whole thing and now and then asked a question.

My wedding at Landis Valley was perfect! This beautiful, historic and rust barn wedding venue was just what I was looking for! The inside of the barn with the stringed lights made made our reception magical. The wedding coordinator Jenny was great! This is best priced venue is a lifesaver for brides with small budgets. They book up fast, so book now. Be prepared to do most of the work yourself, but that's what makes it such an affordable price. Thank You, Landis Valley!!

This is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. It is designed as a small rural town whose buildings cover about 150 years, which is unusual for this type of museum. There are several buildings that are directed by people in period clothing, and there are buildings which you "peek" into listed as self-directed. The general store is a gem. I think this museum worthy of a visit.

Close to Sight and Sound Theater ("Jesus" is a phenomenal experience); also, not far from Troeg's Brewery in Hershey and Lancaster Brewing Company!

A outdoor museum with various buildings that explore the German immigrant experience. Our kids were engaged the entire time and learning by doing made the history lesson even more real/ from blacksmith demonstrations to the 1 room schoolhouse!

We visited the museum, which is technically a gift shop. Unfortunately we did not have time to tour the grounds. Evidently not everything is open every day. The folks working there were quite nice. We did find a couple of gifts.

We went to Landis Valley today and had a wonderful experience. Our guide was very interesting and knowledgeable. Well worth the small admission fee

I visited on a Hands-On History Day and thoroughly enjoyed myself. There is a lot to see and the interpreters showed how the Pennsylvania German farmers lived many years ago. I spoke to the blacksmith and the tavern keeper. I also enjoyed an 1892-style lesson in the one room schoolhouse. It is great fun for both children and adults.

This is a unique museum that portrays Pennsylvania German (Dutch) culture from the 1700's through the mid 1900's all thanks to the diligent collecting done by the Landis brothers. Homes from various periods are open for viewing with docents on hand to describe the culture of that time period. Great for anyone interested in architecture,artifacts and early ways of life. An actual colonial roadway runs through the village and on a quiet day the visitor feels the spirit of the time period.

This is an excellent site to learn about the history of the Pennsylvania German families and their development of the area. The docents were excellent, very knowledgeable and interesting. We stayed for 4 hours and did not see it all. It is also clean and well maintained.

We went during the herb fair the Friday before Mothers Day. Wide selection of plants. A must for the gardener in your family in the setting of a beautiful historic setting. Give it a try

The tour person gave us an interesting history of the settlers of the area. There was a rebuilded German Village and garden. The gift shop had items handmade from the area...nice stuff. I was on a bus tour.

Cool to see things almost frozen in time. We had a good time just wandering around exploring what was open. I would say I wasn't a fan of some of the houses that said OPEN but you couldn't get in. Would be nice to get to go in every house. And my one gripe with our trip was at the end when we visited the gift shop the lady gave me odd vibes as if she thought we were gonna maybe steal something. She watched our every move and let me know to put my current shopped products she helped me find on the countertop if I'm gonna keep shopping, saying it multiple times as if I didn't have a choice. I just thought that was odd and off-putting. Just that particular person for whatever reason.

This place is a gem! It’s a small village that reflects life from the 1700s-1900s. There are small gardens and harvested native seeds are available on the gift shop. Wonderful demonstrations of gunsmithing, blacksmithing, fiber weaving. There is a period general store, home, and around 200,000 artifacts! Great info on the Landis family and the dedication of the staff is evident. We took a tour and our guide (Emma) was fabulous. Were are so glad we made the stop!

What a terrific place for adults and to bring children to explore and to learn and
understand the harshness and simplicity of life on a Penn/Dutch farm of times gone
past. Tours of the buildings and grounds, and dialogues with the craftsmen /women are
just fascinating...it's a great way for all to actually see what most have only read about
in schools. Check out their website for up and coming events.

Landis Valley Museum is a great learning place for Families for PA History especially associated with the Colonial and Civil War era farming. A lot of artifacts to see and demonstrations to watch.

We liked the museum, but many of the listed activities were not accurate, some of the buildings listed as 'open' were closed, etc. However, there was one Victorian-era house which had an informative docent that walked us through the home & gave us an engaging narrative.

"Living" museum which is very interesting. Our favorite was the kitchen. The docent "playing" her part was very knowledgeable. She is friendly and full of interesting facts and history. I enjoy this way of engaging people into the history of that time. The weaver also deserves mention for her part.

My family lives close by and we decided to get the family membership this year (very affordable)! I have kids ages 7, 4, and 1 and we were over for the Harvest Days and the Country Christmas Village as a family. I bring my 7 year old over more often and she loves learning about this time period!

We took the tour on a rainy, cool weekend. Not all of the buildings were open, and not all of the experiences were available, because they were still in the process of opening fully, due to COVID. Still, it was definitely a worthwhile experience. The bar, hotel, general store and farm machinery building were highlights, and the homestead and clothing production areas were instructive. Our guide was knowledgeable and pleasant. I very much recommend the place as a look back into PA Dutch history and life, and as they become fully operational, it will just get better.

This is a cool living museum. Nice amount of building's that give an example of the German Heritage and history from 1740 to 1940.

This museum is very interesting. The gun collection is fantastic, and the rest of the grounds are great to stroll and tour. History and remembrance for some here in this place. Take your time, have some food, definitely check this out. No one should visit Lancaster County without visiting one the greatest icons of this area.

If you're in the area during the second weekend in October (check to verify dates), and you like reenactments, you should check out the Landis Valley Museum. It's a great place to take kids, pick out a pumpkin, buy some breads and apple butters, and enjoy the fall weather. The setting is very Civil War-ish, and a really neat learning opportunity for everyone in the family. You'll feel like you're in the time frame with the buildings and everything set up to be like it was during that time period.

The museum was more geared for the adults than kids. It happen to be open during our visit. There was not much walking around inside but it was nice for the adults. Good historical stuff to see.

This Mennonite farm has assembled homes, barns, schools, general store, a blacksmith, a gunsmith and museums to inform us about how progress from 1750 to
the present was made in this area. An excellent insight into our past.

Good historical overview, more of country life in this area that specifically Amish. Yet well worth it nonetheless.

I liked this tour more than the others we took as the setting was serene and authentic and the tour guides friendly and informative. You can take a walking tour, a bus tour and a combo tour. I also loved the gift shop as they had unique items most made by local artists.

We were able to visit Landis Valley Museum this past Charter Day, where admission is free. There are lots of buildings to see (some had guides in them). It was very muddy (obviously as the snow is melting). However, my children failed to take my advice and wear "mud" boots. So, they were more focused on how muddy their shoes were getting. All of the guides that we encountered were friendly and informative. I would think that Landis Valley would be ideal for families with pre-teen children.

The old buildings have been reassembled in a pleasant, leafy setting and filled with antiques from the Lancaster County region. Each building has an interpreter who is clearly enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. See cooking, basket weaving, blacksmithing, gunsmithing, farming, and other crafts demonstrated and explained. Great for kids and grownups alike.

May 2022
What a wonderful piece of Pennsylvania German history to soak up for a couple hours. Very well-maintained grounds and 19th century buildings to tour, and the staff is well-informed and gave excellent talks. Highly recommended for lovers of nature, gardens and farming, the outdoors, architecture, and colonial history.

This tour is relaxing to take as you can take your time and emphasize areas of greater interests. Very well maintained grounds and inside building of it's era. Tour guides dressed in it's era can be very hot over summer. Beautiful artistry items made in years gone by.

We were staying in Lititz and our B & B owner recommended visiting here. Our morning was filled so we arrived around 1:15. We were told it was “history day” and the senior rate was not accepted because it was a special day. Not a big deal but I had thoroughly checked the website including the calendar of events and there was no mention of this. There were four demonstrations available to see, one was ending at 2 and the others at 3. We rushed to see these & many of them were packed with schoolchildren. We didn’t mind this but some of the spaces were quite small. We were told that the remaining buildings without craftspeople would remain open until 4:30. However by 3:30 almost everything was closed and locked. This was very disappointing as the hours are 9 to 5. I understand that the volunteers aren’t available to work long hours but this should’ve been made clear when we came. I would only recommend going in the morning when you are sure to see everything. Actually I recommend going to the Ephrata Cloisters where we were today instead. It’s much better organized and not just geared to school groups.

I had seen advertisements in the Lancaster papers for this museum and was not sure what to really expect. Overall the museum reminded me of a less crowded Colonials Williamsburg. It was smaller but you really got a personal experience of the grounds. They had several buildings where they had craftsman to explain and demonstrate the trade. Our favorite was the blacksmith we could have stayed there all day watching him make crafts and tools. The museums history is interesting that two brothers started collecting items and that over a hundred years later it would still be operating as a museum. I would definitely recommend stopping even if just for the video because it really gives you a glimpse into the history of Lancaster county's people.

We went here for the Landis Valley heritage plant sale. The area is pretty and the museum and surrounding houses give you a good feel for this part of the country over the last 150 years.

Took out of state friends to see the Civil War reenactment during the hottest week of the summer. The players did not cancel, as so many other venues did, but hung in there for most of the day. Great presentation on medical practitioners, medicines and surgery. Equally good presentation by officer’s cook. Would definitely recommend for adults and families.

This was very interesting, we had a very imformative tour guide. As a child I grew up in the country so this was like a step back in time. It was interesting in the leather shop, hearing how he made shoes. After all the walking it was nice to get a cup of coffee in the store after our tour was over. It was interesting in the tavern and to hear about the cooking food over the coals.

There’s so much to do, see and experience at the Landis Valley Farm Museum. We visited the first time in April to attend the museum’s annual Spring Benefit Auction where we discovered a wonderful array of reproduction and interpretive crafts by skilled artisans, antiques, art and other items of interest to historically minded people, plus gift baskets and certificates from local and regional businesses who support historical preservation. We returned later in the Summer for Civil War Days and then in the Fall for Harvest Days, which showcases how early farmers and their families harvested their crops, celebrated the end of summer and lived as a community. In December, with Christmas coming, we enjoyed the Belsnickle, the Pennsylvania German character who quizzes children to see if they've been naughty or nice.

The “interpreters” – those people who demonstrate and discuss the crafts and skills of the 18th and 19th century life – are volunteers, so they are not on duty every day of the week. If you are particularly interested the interpreters, who are excellent, you may wish to call ahead to find out which buildings are staffed.

We expect to return for this year's Spring Auction, looking for bargains and special gifts for friends and family, since we support historic preservation.

P.S. Fun fact: This is the place where the movie “Beloved” was filmed since its character is so true to the 17th and 18th centuries.

For starters, I want to clarify that the museum is dedicated to the Mennonites, not the Amish. The two have a great deal of common ground, but they are distinct.

The museum is the work of two brothers who saw their way of life vanishing and decided to preserve what they could.

There is a vast myriad of buildings and artifacts relating to the Pennsylvania Dutch. The organization is very educational. I particularly enjoyed learning about weather vanes and seeing an impressive collection there of.

The farm is kind of a token farm, while the store is pleasantly representative of olden town stores.

The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. A kindly gentleman walked us through the whole process of making a shot gun in the gun shop, pointing out the tools in the shop as he went. A woman working on a traditional quilt showed us how flax goes from a plant to a thread.

The Landis Valley Museum offers the history of a working farm and community. The Landis Brothers were quite the collectors of old old stuff. Very interesting and they have people available who tell the history of the Landis Brothers. It has their original home on site. Good for the whole family.

As of 11 July 2024 Trip Adviser has the wrong hours listed. The hours, taken directly from the website, are:

Starting April 3rd 2024
Wednesday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Friday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Sunday Noon to 4:00 PM
Closed Monday & Tuesday

It was quiet on a Saturday. Plenty of space and the dressed up staff not too tired to talk to the kids. Really nice selection of artifacts, especially the weather vanes. The demonstrations included open heart cooking, we saw soup and bread kneading, tin shop, shoe maker and tours of a house and country store. The only reason I gave 4, almost everything is closed for lunch between 12-1. You can visit the animals and self-guided buildings. They could rotate lunchtime.

We were in Lancaster for a few other attractions, and needed somewhere to spend a few hours. Nice way to spend the morning. Staff was very friendly, and our kids enjoyed the exhibits. We were able to see it all in about 3 hours or a bit more and learned some about the history of the area. It wasn't crowded, which was nice as we got to talk to the staff a lot and our kids could ask questions freely.

Landis Valley Museum has kind of a mini-Williamsburg, VA vibe. Blacksmiths, wig shop, animals, herbs, store, fire hall rental.

Beautiful setting, but not a lot going on. It’s early in the season and it was obvious that not everything was in full swing. The grounds are beautiful and we’d like to return when more is happening.

Landis Valley Museum is a vast property of over 100 acres with over 50 buildings and 100,000 artifacts (per the brochure -- I didn't count !). Some of the buildings are original, while some are reconstructed and some were moved from other local sites due to their historic nature. The village and farm tell the story of the Pennsylvania Germans (Pennsylvania Dutch) and how they lived.

Start in the Visitor Center to view the 13 minute movie to get the background of what you are going to see. In addition, the Visitor Center currently has a redware exhibit inside. We decided to take the guided tour since it gets you inside four buildings that otherwise you don't have access to. (Tour is included in the admission price -- $ 12 adults/$ 10 seniors/ $ 8 children over 2) The guide gave a nice introduction to the property and people and then walked us around the village.

The tour gave you access to the country store (really interesting as stocked with goods), the Landis Brother;s House (ask about the "soft wood" trim that is streaked to look like oak), the Tavern, and the Gun Shop. Many of the buildings had staff demonstrating different skills - the blacksmith shop, the tin shop, the millinery shop, and the textile barn (cleaning and spinning wool). The horses were out, as well as the lambs -- both a big hit with the kids.

Don't miss the farm machinery and tool barn. It houses PA Dutch farm machinery and tools from the Colonial era and is huge. Although you can't enter all buildings on the self-guided tour, many you can see inside from the doorway and others you can look into the windows. In addition to the buildings I have already mentioned, they have different houses, a hotel, a schoolhouse, a barn, a firehouse, and a museum store to name a few.

One of the most interesting parts of the village for me was the exhibit in the Sexton's house. It explains the differences and similarities between the Mennonites and the Amish. I never knew !

Parking is ample and free and there are many shopping centers nearby to find food and snacks. A great place to bring a family.

We had a delightful day exploring the various buildings and exhibits. Learn about the local culture in a fun and relaxed atmosphere! We saw lots more historical guns and historical farm machine than I ever knew existed-and both were interesting for us. The guided tour in the afternoon was very well done. If you don't have much time, but want some great, locally made gifts, check out the gift shop. We plan to return with our six year old friend.

Just a nice place to learn about the old time way of doing things. Stroll along on a nice day and visit blacksmiths, etc. Kids can run around and enjoy it also. Parking is right there so it's not a long walk. Hands on House is beside it on the other end of the parking lot for the really little kids. Nice coffee shop and restaurants across the street. We always like coming to this place.

It was raining while we were there, so I can't judge what it might have been like on a sunny day. We were not offered a tour, but tagged along with a bus tour group. The history and artifacts were nice, but did not seem to relate to the Pennsylvania Dutch for which the area is known.

If you are going to Williamsburg then I wouldn't bother adding this to your travel schedule. If you have plenty of time with nothing else to do, then it would be enjoyable.

We took our school aged children here. We were hoping they would pay attention and learn things on the tour. What stood out for them was hanging out with the animal caretaker. He was amazing! He let the kids feed the HUGE pigs, drove us around the park (for free of course) in the horse drawn wagon, and taught them about the different animals on the farm. It was the highlight of our day.

Helpful tip - If you live in the area you can borrow a free family pass at your local library. :)

We came to Landis Valley Museum on a Sunday. We were unsure what to expect, but it turned out to be an amazing day! My wife and I had our 3 1/2 year old and our 1 year old with us. The attendant at the door was very friendly and a wealth of information. He gave us a map, with all the working buildings, and where the animals were. We walked in to an old tavern, where a volunteer (everyone there was a volunteer) gave us a tour and showed my son the garden where she pulled the vegetables from. From there, we made our way to the leather shop, but hopped on a horse drawn wagon ride. The guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. The horses are very well known, black clydesdales....I think they were Ike and Henry? Upon completion, my son was allowed to pet the horses and then we went to the leather shop. The great thing about this place was it was kid friendly and interactive. After the leather shop, is when the day became magic. A volunteer came out and invited my son to help feed and pet the hogs, the sheep, the geese and then the horses....my son was in heaven. For the first time, the whole trip, he stopped asking if it was lunch time. He could not be happier. After feeding, we finished off the last couple of buildings, including a working blacksmith. Then it was off to a well deserved lunch....Thanks to everyone at the Landis Valley Museum, for such a great day!

We went right after Thanksgiving and there was some Christmas themed events going on. The place is neat and well maintained. About half the attractions had staff on hand to explain what you were seeing and answer any questions. All were friendly and very informative. Shortly after arriving and steady and cold rain started and after awhile we decided to leave after only seeing about 1/2 the buildings. On a nicer day it would have been a great place for walking. We hope to go back on a nicer day and finish what we started.

My family and I really enjoyed our visit to Landis Valley Village. The staff was wonderful! They really took their time to give us loads of information about the buildings and life in the late 1800's and early 1900's. We were very happy to support this historical treasure!

Well worth a visit. There are a series of buildings and farm lands, animals and the like. Also plenty of knowledgable staff to help you and explain things. When we visited they had a special exhibit on wind mills that was particularly interesting.

I fell in love with this place when I first saw it, but I was not in love with the way that we were treated after our wedding. We also received a ceremony fee even though the time, was not different than our rental time and location. They had sent us a feedback letter in the mail as well. I filled it out, and sent it back in September. I have not received any kind of acknowledgement, apology, or explanation since the letter was sent. The place is beautiful, the workers...not so much.

my friends had their wedding in the yellow barn it was soo pretty and everything was as it should have been nothing went wrong great great great

As residents of Lancaster County and grandparents of five grandchildren, we find the Landis Valley Museum to be a great place to get outside when the weather permits. We go almost every weekend during the spring, summer, and fall to feed Tonya the Turkey and the horses. The staff is very friendly and the special events (plant sale, Harvest Days, Civil War encampment) are fun and educational.
Just as importantly, Landis Valley helps my wife and I connect with our PA German heritage.

Go when they have actors in-character, that's when it's the most fun. You also get demonstrations of how people in the past do things. A very good outdoor museum where you visit various types of shops and have some good country feel too.

We were driving home and decided to take a stop over. We found this cozy little museum. There are volunteers in certain areas that give historical information about the period of time. It was wonderful to see how this farm area and homes have been preserved. It definitely gave a good perspective of how more simple times were. Really enjoyed this!!

The short video was interesting and put you in the frame of mind to observe the buildings & collections. At the saddle shop, we had a nice conversation with Terry about leather making. My husband like the farm & machinery building and knew how the antique farm equipment worked. There were groups of school children visiting and on wagon rides pulled by horses. It was an okay visit, but not as elaborate as Sturbridge Village or Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. The admission was probably less though too!

Landis Valley Museum is more than just a recreated village. You will become part of the activities that are taking place - depending on the season. The Landis Brothers collected a remarkable and extensive array of utensils representing early colonial America. Learn your history and enjoy the experience. Plan on several hours of time, and yes, it is very suitable for all ages. We live in Lancaster and try to visit this museum every couple of years and always when we have out of town visitors.

Advertised open until 5 PM. My family of 6 bought tickets around 2 PM but almost all exhibits were closed. Good excercise walking but best to visit in Spring and Summer.

A friend suggested this and I had no idea what to expect. It is fun to go and experience living history. The staff is very knowlegeable and very easy to engage. Fun and interesting.

This living history museum is well worth the visit - we learned a great deal about the making of clothes and brooms from the two docents that we engaged with! Our tour of the other properties was well done by the young guide. The museum shop has some truly fine arts and crafts locally made by talented artists. We found this place because of Fodor's - it was fortunate find for us.

My sister & I were on an Ancestor search. This museum showed us how our ancestors may have lived. Great day trip for anyone! Some buildings had people showing trades, shoemaker & blacksmith were a couple! Thoroughly enjoyed!

Great little museum but the grounds are fabulous. Great walk and the working farm is awesome. So much information on the life in German Pennsylvania during early and mid American history.

Pretty grounds. Interesting buildings to tour. Nice events in the Fsll. Excellent place to visit for a relaxing afternoon. Must see for tourists and locals.

Good walking tour of a historial village. Guides were very knowledgeable about life in early PA and the Landis brothers. Good history lesson!

Been going to Harvest Days at Landis Valley for many years. It's very educational and our children loved it when they were young and even now as twenty somethings, still love to visit.

This started as a collection by a local man, turned into a museum and expanded to a village of buildings that interpret 19th Century German settlers' lives. In addition to the museum grounds and a good tour, there is a good gift shop which offers handcraft classes. This is also near several covered bridge locations in Lancaster County for that special photo op!

Education experience for young and old alike. See wool being spun into thread, see meals prepared on a hearth, tour an old one-room schoolhouse and old country store.

One of our favorite spots on vacation! Really enjoyed the actors who are brilliant with not only their craft skills but acting skills as well! All of us thoroughly enjoyed Landis Valley and learned so much!

Our group spent a few hours here listening to s short movie about the Amish and a lecture also. There were a number of interesting old houses and businesses (gun shop, blacksmith shop and a one room school house) The best was the tin smith - an utterly charming woman tinsmith, who amuses us with tales of her art. Excellent for a little education the painless way.

Great place to visit. We went when they had their end of season festival. We enjoyed all of their home-made recipes of Apple Cider and Sour Krauts! Told my wife how to prepare it herself! Great stuff!

Landis Valley Museum was once an actual crossroads village. Situated on 100 acres in scenic Lancaster, PA, it is a living history museum that collects, preserves, exhibits, and interprets Pennsylvania German culture from the 1740s through the 1940s.

Landis Valley Museum's richly layered story is the history of an early Pennsylvania German settlement, an unusual farm family, and the ongoing creation and exploration of a wonderfully diverse collection of artifacts.

Excellent film and guided tour. Each building had craftsmen dressed in period clothing and explaining their trade. It was a wonderful way to learn about the history of the Pensylvania Dutch. I especially enjoyed all the different items available for display.

We were in Lancaster for the day from DC, and spent the morning at Landis Valley Museum. We would have stayed longer, but hard rain sent us on our way. It was midweek, so a number of buildings were closed (we could still look inside) and there were just a few very engaging and informative guides giving demos (Ms Schmichael cooking in the kitchen was the Best!). Especially if you have children or if you simply want to get the most out of the experience, take a tour or go when everything is happening. Or simply wander, let the children run, & enjoy the animals. Either way you will learn so much, and love every minute. The place is a treasure-- well maintained, well run, well worth the admission. A wonderful glimpse into the past!

Make sure you call to check the hours. The staff takes a lunch break from 12-1. The day we went the guides left at 3:00., it says they are open until 5. This was a bit confusing. We arrived at noon. This worked for us. We saw the video and the current exhibit. We took a picnic lunch. There were Plenty of picnic areas to sit and enjoy the grounds.There was plenty to see. The guides were friendly and informative. We saw the wagon ride, included in our entrance price but it was always full and we didn't know where we would have gotten on. I personally would not take children under 6. Hands on museum is next door which would be more suitable.

It is all so authentic. While walking down the street to the various shops you might easily be a citizen of a small town 200 years ago. There is nothing to dislike. Great place for the entire family. Special events take place from time to time.

A great museum interpreting the Pennsylvania German rural experience -- not to be missed -- plus a great gift shop!

We did this visit to Landis Museum on a whim while in the Lancaster area. We got their first thing at 10 AM when they opeed only to find the people dressed in period costume do not come until 12. so you may want to check out the hours. The cost was $12 for adults and $10 for seniors. The place is huge and well worth the cost, especially if the period dress people had been there. There are many areas to explore and if you get a general admission you can still go into some buildings but not all. It costs more to do that hence the 4 star rating. I believe they also have a guided tour. There are live animals on the grounds such as horses, sheep, geese, etc.Overall it was a fun place, an easy walk around, and enjoyable.

Wide variety of experiences. I loved having the craftspeople working in the shops--you learn so much. The general store and house were also very interesting.

Great place for school groups learning about colonial times. Many shop are not open at times you just look in the windows. Being a State museum the have a open houses and more staffing on those days.

We really enjoyed our time here. The staff were very informative; it was interesting meeting the different crafts persons and hearing about the crafts.

We did go a bit late in the day & found some of the exhibits closed & some of there others were closed & in need of repair.
The ones that were open were nice & the people who were working in them were very friendly & informative.

School classes and families alike will enjoy their time here. There are demonstrations, buildings to explore, and animals to pet.

A wonderful stop on our way home. My husband is interested in Lancaster Long Rifles and, unfortunately, that display was closed the day we visited. A slice of life as the Pennsylvania Dutch lived in the 18th and 19th centuries and filled with wonderful artifacts--furniture, tools, and living history re-enactors. Don't miss the Museum store---wonderful locally made artisan items and books for sale. Our only disappointment was that some of the exhibits were closed when we were there.

Thanks to the landis brothers for collecting all these artifacts. The Conestoga wagon was amazing to see. The blacksmith was a wealth of knowledge. The broom makers were talented and friendly. It was an enjoyable history lesson. Not good for very young children but 7 or 8 year olds would enjoy a lot of the presentations by the craftsmen.

Amazing collection of structures illustrating farming life and town pre-20th century. Costumed inturpreters explain well and answer questions. Demonstations. Special week-ends for many events. Wonderful gift shop. Good place for kids.

A very fun and enjoyable place to go. They have many special events which are worth going to. Kids of all ages will find things to employ and learn. A true local treasure.

The Landis Valley Museum is a very interesting and large museum. It's basically a small town recreated for visitors--houses of different eras, a schoolhouse, firehouse, general store, blacksmith shop, and so on. We found the blacksmith shop to be the most interesting because the smith working was very informative. I wouldn't recommend it on a very hot day, or for people with mobility issues--when we went, the walkways were dirt/gravel. Small kids probably wouldn't appreciate the museum, but for older kids and adults, it is very intriguing.

We visited the Landis Valley Museum and had a great time learning how things were done in the past. The lady at the Tavern was so informative on the methods of cooking over the fire. Watched a gentlemen sewing a leather holder at the sexton house. He was very informative as well, There was s much to see and take in. We really enjoyed our visit.

We went during winter break just after Christmas and it was very quiet. The day we went the actors were on break but the woman who gave the tour was so information and delightful. We really enjoyed it. She was also very kind and accommodating to us since we have a toddler. Nice little museum and gift shop. We will be back!

As Lancaster County natives, we took our visiting grandchildren and spent 2 or 3 hours. The costumed staff was friendly, though not really engaged in any craft activity on the weekday that we visited. This is not on the level of a Williamsburg, Sturbridge Village, Mystic Seaport or Dearborn Village, but it is the best living history of early rural Pennsylvania life that I have seen. It was not crowded. Several buildings were air conditioned to give a reprieve from heat. Shaded picnic tables offer a nice spot for lunch for those who plan ahead, but there is not really any food concession on the premises.

We spent 6 hours here interacting with the excellent docents and craftspeople. We learned a lot. What a great day!

Many buildings laid out like an old farming town was at least 100 or more years ago. Interesting interpreters to talk to at most spots - craftspeople, teachers, storekeepers, etc.
Had to dodge some raindrops, but sun came out before we were through with our self tour.

Blacksmith was excellence. Everyone else seemed like they were being bothered. Most buildings had nothing going on. Went shortly after Labor Day 2010.

I've been to this museum several times but mostly during Harvest Days. I love walking around and feeling like I'm in a historical setting with people walking around in period costumes and showing how things were done back in the day. It really makes you feel like you are taking a step back in time. Very friendly employees and most areas are well kept. There are some areas that could use some updates and better maintenance though but I'm assuming that has to do with the number of donations and visitor fees they can collect.

Landis Valley Museum and Farm has a large collection of historic buildings and farm animals, I particularly liked the linen demonstration and the gunsmith. It was also fun to feed the farm animals. There are some nice exhibits in the main building too.

There were well maintained buildings and authentic household items and tools displayed throughout the grounds of this living history museum. The period dressed reenactors presented their individual areas very well and answered our questions about their activities and living conditions in good detail.

This is a fantastic place to visit to educate yourself about the Landis Valley of long ago. There are multiple building with various costumed interpreters (blacksmith, tavern cook, guide to main house and weaver). It took us 2.5 hours to tour around and we didn't see everything! I think any child 10 and up, teens and adults would find this place very interesting, if you like to learn about the past. There is a nice visitor center with a movie and exhibit. The admission fee is reasonable with various discounts. We loved it!

The museum was a pleasant surprise. It is like stepping back in history. It is worth the time to visit. Morning is the best time to come as the period dressed people break for lunch at noon. They are very knowledgeable and friendly. It is a great place to take kids and school groups

Many of the restored buildings have really knowledgeable interpreters. Much to my surprise, we spent half an hour listening to the blacksmith explain how the settlers developed their own iron industry and weaned themselves from England. This was much to the chagrin of the British Parliament in around 1760, when they passed a law forcing the colonists to send their pig iron back to England for processing (in order to preserve jobs in England). Add that to the list of grievances that built up to our revolution.

I also spend half an hour with the interpreter in the general store. I hadn't known that stores like it fronted for Sears in the early days (in addition to carrying whatever other merchandise they thought they could sell). She talked a lot about the barter economy.

The first building we went into had an impressive collection of redware pottery.

We'll probably go back. There is a lot to see.

I thought I'd be more bored but actually had a very nice time. They've recreated what might have been a couple of blocks back at the turn of the 19th century with either real or reconstructed buildings. But it's the collections of real everyday paraphernalia that is the most interesting. From all the things sold at the general store, to the farm machines and wagons, to the cooking utensils in the tavern or the informative fire arm explanation in the gun shop. Some houses are for self exploration and other sites have a person on site explaining the history or applications. They even had someone making brooms (which I think were also for sale). It was really interesting.
Technical notes: there is a short film to watch first at the visitor center and they also have restrooms at some of the buildings in the compound (of course there are ones at Visitor Center). There is a small refreshment building outside the compound. Large parking lot for cars and buses.

There are some great events held at Landis Valley - preferably the Herb & Garden Fest held annually. It's like a smaller version of Williamsburg with farmland and animals. This was a location used for several movies also.

This is an interesting and well maintained collection of old buildings, tools and other aspects of material culture from 19th century America. Most of the staff were very friendly and knowledgeable about their particular persona/craft. Unfortunately this museum is not dog friendly; in fact it seems to be dog hostile. Other places we visited on an extended trip had some accommodation for dogs; kennel rentals, shady parking or at least a shady place outside to sit with your pet. Never saw a posting banning canines.

If you travel with your dog skip this place.

The smell of a wood fire burning in the hearth of the tavern kitchen added an authentic feel as if you walked the 'streets' of the village. Loved the simplicity of that time era. The staff were very knowledgeable of the time setting, their custumes helped to imagine way of life back then.

We enjoyed our trip to this open-air museum. The children enjoyed seeing the animals, running in the grass, and playing in the playroom (be sure to ask its location). The adults enjoyed the guided tours of each building and the detailed explanations of the costumed guides. The heirloom seed project is a treasure chest for gardeners looking to grow something a little different in their gardens. We spent 2-3 hours here wandering around at leisure.

Nice area, animals for viewing and petting, museum and some of the best ice cream ever. It is a little out of the way, but worth the effort.

what a fun place to visit with school trips or just on a weekend. they always have lots of interesting reenactment type of things going on.

We visited this historic site during our visit to Lancaster, of course, on an incredibly hot day. That, in no way, is a criticism of Landis Valley Museum, as it can't control the weather. My suggestion is that you wish to visit here, try to do so on a day that isn't in the nineties, or certainly, if it's storming. We strolled through the area at a leisurely pace, in and out of the sites. A couple of them were air conditioned, which caused us to linger just a tad longer there, but every one was worth the stop. You could spend at least two hours there. I believe we were there about 2 1/2 hours, and there's a brief video of the area you can sit and watch, either before you begin or after. On a very hot day, I suggest after, as it's a nice respite after walking and taking in the heat.
There are a few places that include living history individuals who provide excellent background and take questions. All in all, an educational addition to your trip to Lancaster.

The map they supply is very inadequate for the confusing layout and multiple sites. It would be easy to navigate if all the exhibits were open by simply going door to door, but they regularly close almost half and leave you to wander around trying to match the open exhibits with the buildings and pathways.

I would avoid it if the weather is hot since the buildings are stuffy and little air flowing.

This area is a village with several houses demonstrating crafts such as brush making, tin work etc.
There were helpful people in costumes explaining and the non populated hoses signed as well.
Interesting to hear about the Pennsylvanian Dutch (it appears to be a bastardization of (Deutsche)

I arrived shortly after noon on a beautiful early-September day. The person who sold me my admission gave me a map, consulted a schedule, and marked with a highlighter pen seven buildings at which there would be costumed staff members who could share information about their sites and demonstrate their skills or crafts. He then told me those staff members would be on lunch break from noon to 1 PM and that they would be off duty at 3 PM even though the museum would remain open till 5 PM. He highlighted in a different color buildings that were open. (Several buildings were closed, and so I had to peer inside through windows or doorways.) He showed me an excellent 13-minute video as an introduction to the museum, and he have me a brochure about taking a cell phone guided tour.

I started with the cell phone guided tour. The tour had one-minute-long commentaries for some of the sites. The commentaries were well produced and interesting.

I managed to meet all but one of the costumed staff members. They were friendly and knowledgeable.

There is a large building called a collections gallery that contains an interesting variety of artifacts the Landis brothers accumulated over their lifetimes. Almost all of the items are displayed behind glass, and only an obstructed view of many of them is available unless special arrangements are made to be allowed into the secure area.

An entire village of buildings, as well as a log cabin farm, some livestock, and some gardens were part of the museum. I enjoyed strolling from building to building, reading information on markers, and taking photos.

All told, I spent around three-and-a-half pleasant hours at the museum.

Having been many interactive historical communities (Willisburf, Sturbridge, Shaker Mill, Plymouth, the DuPont property whose name is escaping me) I am shocked that AAA listed this place as a gem in their guide. First, the interpreters all take lunch between 12-1, and needless to say we arrived a few minutes after noon. Why they don't stagger things is beyond me. Also most buildings are closed -- the guide says self guided, but all that means it is looking through a window. My daughter was so excited to see the school house, but you can't enter that either. When the general store did open I will say that the guide was very nice and knowledgeable. The wedding dress exhibit in the visitor center is nice, but overall the price is a bit high for walking around pretty buildings that are predominately closed.

I am a member of Landis Valley Associates which supports the museum. If you live nearby, I suggest you join and then you can go over there anytime.
This is just such a lovely place to come and explore. We stopped at a great hoagie shop on our way there. After checking in at the Visitors' Center to show our pass (as you look toward the museum, it is on your right) we went back toward the parking lot to sit at a picnic table to eat our lunch. The squirrels provided lively entertainment.
After we ate, we walked the grounds.
It is true that they don't always have a lot of guides but reduced funding is the reason for that. And, more important, you can enjoy yourself without the guides. Just meander through and relax.
There are exhibits for those who want that. There is a lot of lovely open space for walking. There are cows, sheep, pigs, geese, horses, a cat... for the kids and animal lovers. The old buildings - some are original to the site and others have been brought here - show various living standards of the PA Germans.
Then there is a lovely store with SO many locally made crafts. Your purchase supports the museum so even if you just live close by, stop in for the crafts. The Store also has coffee, water, candy, etc.
I really hope you take the time to stop here - and join to support this beautiful place and if you live locally you can swing by any time you just want to experience nature and peace and quiet. Kids can run around and have a wonderful time!! Bring your lunch!!

We didn't quite know what to expect. We enjoyed speaking with the craftsmen and learning about the area. It is a living history museum and worth the visit. We actually spent 4 hours there!

Wonderful museum - lots to see and well maintained. Very informative and well worth the price of admission.

All the interpreters (blacksmith, shoe maker, store keeper, etc) were excellent. Kept my interest and I learned a lot. The buildings and farm were just a joy to walk around. Great value too. $2.00 off for AAA members to boot! It was a very hot day, so it was not crowded. That didn't dampen the interpreters energy level at all --- they were happy to keep answering questions. My only negative is that I either wasn't told (or maybe I didn't hear it) that interpreters leave at 4pm --- one hour before closing. Had I known this, I would have planned my route differently. I completely missed one interpreter. Also wish there was some shaded spaces in the parking lot --- but that is just a wish! Nice that gift shop had drinks and ice cream treats for sale.

I used to go here all the time when I was a kid and my mom and sister love the gift shop there. Great family place!

We went with out of town guests and had a very enjoyable time. Our timing was off as we got there at 11 and the interpreters go to lunch from 12-1. However we did catch a couple talks and then enjoyed just walking around the different buildings. The dark hair young lady at the ticket office was most kind and helpful in planning our walk. Also had another conversation with a man that worked there. I wished we had more time to walk around.

This is the place I loved far more than any other location we visited on our vacation!
This is an outdoor museum with most knowledgeable staff and volunteers who are happy to introduce you to the different buildings and folks who would have dwelled and worked there. Cool demonstrations on broom making etc
We participated in a guided tour and learned so much! That was a great experience!
I was impressed with everyone’s wealth of knowledge and their infectious enthusiasm!
Thank you for hospitality!
They have a cool gift shop with so many local artists and artisans represented!

Lots of history to be shared and learned. Very disappointed that there were only about four costumed tradesmen to demonstrate life in the 1800's. That was a downer. Seemed a little dead to me. There was a short video shown that was interesting. Would not go back again.

This is a definite stop for a trip to Lancaster County, PA. Gives you a great idea on how people lived in the 1700s and 1800s in this area.

I found the Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum (its current full name) to be an excellent introduction to Pennsylvania Dutch rural life in the late 1700s into the 1800s. And the history of the two Landis bothers who lived on the site and how they came to create the museum is equally fascinating. The day I was there (Mothers Day), I practically had the grounds to myself, which, based on the size of the parking lot, must have been unusual. I and two others were the only participants in the guided tour by a very knowledgeable docent who was full of informative facts about the buildings and life on the farm in general. Conveniently located not far from downtown Lancaster, PA, the venue is an excellent value for its admission price (which includes the regularly scheduled guided tour). You also have your choice of a self-guided cellphone tour. To see all of the grounds and buildings at a leisurely pace, you should probably allow at least 3 hours. As noted, I experienced no wait time.

I was amazed about the wonderful history of Lancaster County. I went on the day they offer the free visits.

We enjoyed our self-guided tour very much! Our favorite part was the tour we had with Dan, the baker. He showed us the tavern and the oven as he was getting ready to start baking for the day. He was dressed in typical clothing of the 1700-1800's, even the wool socks! It was a hot day and I couldn't imagine baking on a day like that. We had a nice time, even with five buses of students there. Do the theater too for more background history.

Great stop to see what life was like in the Lancaster Valley for early settlers to the area. Lots to see. On the downside our tour guide couldn't have been less interested in showing us around. Get there early as the "actors' leave at 3pm and maybe the guides are more fresh.

The tour was self-guided with staff interpreters at only 4 buildings the Sunday we visited. There is audio about various exhibits via cell phone but none of us were motivated enough to call in. The grounds however were very picturesque and look like something out of the Old World. Good place to take interesting photos. It would be nice if more animals were on the grounds and more activity and demonstrations. Overall experience equal to about 1/8 th of a visit to Colonial Williamsburg. Enjoyed the abundant and free, we assume, apples growing along the paths.

Have you ever wondered what is was like to live in a German community in Lancaster, PA. in the 18 and early 1900. A trip to Landis Valley Museum will give you great insight into just that. Nancy, our tour guide, did a wonderful job explaining how the Landis family settled the area known as the Landis Valley and how they started collecting. Henry Kinser Landis and George Diller Landis started collecting Pennsylvania Dutch items from the 1700 and 1800s. By 1924 they had acquired in excess of 75,ooo items and decided they had enough stuff to open a museum. Getting permission from their father to use the barn, the brothers opened their museum in 1925. The Landis Valley Museum is a moment in time preserved in buildings, trade craft, and lore. Our tour guide, Nancy, did a wonderful job explaining how these people lived and what they endured just to have the basics of life.

If you visit the Landis Valley Museum, wear comfortable shoes. The grounds, and many of the buildings, are handicap accessible, If you want to see the folks actually working at their trades, please go early. The museum closes at 5:00pm. However, the people in the shops leave at 4:00pm. Sign up for one of the guided tours. You will learn so much more than just wandering around yourself. This is not a rainy day activity as much of the time you will be outside moving from one building to another.

Do you want to take the family out for the day and have the kids learn about life in the past. This is the place! Go for their Harvest Days in the fall. Hands on demonstrations, yummy food, free horse drawn wagon rides. The staff are very informative and couldn't be nicer. Also look for their classes...I took the one on how to drive the wagons and had a blast! The instructors couldn't have been more patient with me.

The museum has a very large collection of antique and old building and dwellings. We arrive mid morning and just in time for one of the guided tours. The guided tour was worth it. It is free and offered at specific times during the day. The guide was very knowledgeable and took us through some of the key buildings throughout the museum. He did a nice job explaining the history and how it came to be. After the tour you can take time and go through some of the places that were not covered. It was nice museum to stop by if you have time.

A group of residents of the Glenmoor condo traveled via Trans Bridge Bus to this lovely attraction. After being greeted by the local rep to were taken to a theater to see a promotional video. It was informative and well done. After that we were divided into groups of ~20 and we were taken on tour of the site via horse drawn buckboard. It was fun and had a chance see see the major buildings. We were brought to a large building containing old farm equipment. There were Conestoga wagons, harvesters, horse powered threshers, and many more. (It was amazing). We walked to the blacksmith shop and the smithy gave us a short overview. For me, the most interesting demo was the gun smith. He discussed the construction of the Pennsylvania Riffle. (Loved it).
There was an obligatory stop at the gift shop and the rest rooms before we left

This turned out to be much more than a simple museum. It is an entire village of historical buildings from the late 19th century. You can look through buildings ranging from simple sheds and barns, a school, residences, a hotel and other public buildings. Construction details, furnishings, room layouts all give a sense of the average lives of that time.

The museum of farm machinery was worth a visit all by itself. The collection is extensive, ranging from basic horse-drawn plows to large, complex machinery from the early days of steam. Check out why there are left-handed and right handed plows and the reasons for them. I was amazed at the size and complexity of the machinery just powered by animals. The fact the building was air-conditioned (July) didn't hurt.

As a bonus feature, that weekend had Civil War re-enactors in residence. There were displays on medical care, engineering, and map making (did you know they had primitive photocopying during the war?) as well as the usual marching and shooting.

This was an unexpected highlight to our area visit.

Landis Valley Museum is a gem of a place and brings the agrarian settlement of the area by the Deutsch to life. Our guide was wonderful, giving us an overview of everyday life and explaining the origins of many customs during our tour of homes and other buildings. I especially enjoyed the 4 square German gardens and talking to a volunteer about the seed saving program(bought some packets at the gift shop). On our own we visited with costumed presenters who talked about and demonstrated their craft. We spent considerable time with the shoemaker and blacksmith. The gift shop had beautiful things; the paper Moravian stars were a favorite!

We had a bus load of clients and had a very nice time with our visit. The experience included local craftsmen sharing their story, favorite was the gun smith. Learned quite a bit about the German immigrants, and the day by day living experience of the 1800's. Sticky buns were appreciated by all. Be aware of wheel chair required guests, the walks are not easy with a wheel chair or stroller.

It's really a step back in time and you can spend a little time or a lot of time looking at all of the displays and sites that Landis Valley has in store. Seasonal offerings are great and worth planning your trip around.

What a beautiful property with very knowledgeable staff. Plan to spend several hours as it is so pretty here.

I have read about this place. I love living history museums and thought that this would be a nice place. They charged me full price, but no living history on this day. The tour guide though very knowledgeable wore normal clothes. It was nice to tour the authentic buildings. I think that things could be better.

My son just got married here in November. Wonderful staff, gorgeous setting. Add it to your list if you are looking for a wedding venue in Lancaster PA.

My trio really enjoyed this quaint little village. We especially liked the general store and all of the artifacts there of a time forgetten. The master house and farm house were well kept. The guide was very friendly and informative.

The grounds of this village and farm museum are just beautiful! Minutes outside of downtown you can step into the past (circa 1740's and beyond) at this pastoral gem - it's so serene. You can simply enjoy the surroundings, or learn about a bygone way of life. There are folks decked out in period costume cooking on a wood-fired hearth, making fabric, etc, and check out the livestock and the veggie garden. I've enjoyed all of the classes I've attended, they have neat things going on.
My best recommendation is to DEFINITELY go the their Herb & Garden Faire every Friday & Saturday of Mother's Day weekend. They have plants from seeds of heirloom varieties of veggies, herbs and flowers that have had historical significance for Pennsylvania Germans from 1750 to 1940. Over 80 vendors are also there selling plants, and the prices are great, so fill up your gardens! Food is available, too.
Whenever you go, I can't imagine anybody being disappointed - I love it, and I'm not of German heritage, AND I'm a local :)

Wow, nothing to dislike, except we had visited in almost snowy season! It so nice to see homes with old cooking methods, onions on string near main door of house, those mighty cows n so on!

This is a wonderful collection of the Landis Brothers. The museum tells the story mid 19th century Lancaster county. This is a living museum and a working farm.

My Husband and I attended at causal event at the Fire House at Landis Valley Museum for my 50th Class Reunion last Friday evening. It was absolutely a charming venue for our get together, we had a smaller attendance for this event than for our formal event, but it was plenty of space. Nicely set up and they had the main Fire House doors wide open and even had some picnic tables just outside the doors, which were we we chose to sit. There was plenty of room for the buffet line and the drink setup. They have plenty of free parking. This is a great venue for small informal events.

We have been there several times, usually in the spring or summer and it is always a enjoyable visit. As my wife was born in one of the houses there ( She was a Landis) She enjoys seeing the structure and shares some of her childhood memories. Many of the items on display within the museum proper were once her families so again, the interest level is high. There are living histories on the site which even make for a much more interesting day as both examples of how things were done back then are given in the various buildings. The people dress period and there are various displays.

Without a question a really interesting place to visit. You can see a compleatlybdifferent way lo live in the USA. People super friendly

Good history of the area and culture. First went as a teen-ager 45 years ago. Still well-kept and beautiful. Not manned to its full potential. Would have appreciated more craftsman on board.

Nancy, our guide, made all the difference. She was very knowledgeable about each of the five buildings we toured with her, ones which in early December are otherwise closed. Also, she was very patient with our two grandchildren each under the age of four. The facility shows treasured artifacts of the development of German heritage settlers who came to this part of the state hundreds of years ago, and a family struggle to preserve this heritage.

It's really fun to be able to walk through this village that has been recreated using buildings from other areas. There is plenty of great information about the buildings and the original locations and the historical significance of each of them. The farm machine equipment building was fascinating and they have a really great museum display building with very cool artifacts. It's a great place to see the history of the area and get a wonderful sense of life in the "olden" days. If you can go when they have activities like hay rides and demonstrations, I'm sure it's even better.

Historic place, great for photography (for those who like old historic buildings). Guided tour for every hour. Can spend like 2 hours when not off season. Lots of historic farm machines in one building.

An opportunity to see and converse with craftsmen engaged in activities that have endured from the early history of our country -- and to learn a bit about the Pennsylvania Dutch along the way! A modest admission allows unfettered access to all the buildings as well as the museum. A schedule shows which buildings have craftsmen working in them or guides to elaborate on the content -- since this changes from day to day, be sure to check this out as you pay your admission.
We particularly enjoyed seeing and talking with the weaver who was hard at work on a complicated looking loom in the Textile House where there were spinning wheels and other interesting items related to the making of textiles. I was amazed to learn that the progress on the table runner that was being woven is measured in INCHES per day. Sounds very sloooow but creating quality goods by hand takes time.
The shoemaker had his goods set up in the Sexton's House and explained the difference between a shoemaker and a cobbler -- which I had never thought about. The shoemaker is the artisan who creates the shoe from scratch -- making it specifically for the ultimate wearer; the cobbler is the repair person when a shoe needs a patch or a new heel. It was also interesting to learn that children basically went barefoot except when they needed shoes to walk to school -- especially in the snow.
The artisan in the Tin Shop displayed her work including Christmas Tree ornaments which were identical to ones she had contributed to be used on the White House Christmas tree a few years ago -- and which were featured on a television special about that tree.
Talking with the guide at the Tavern led to another ah-ha moment for me. The Tavern was a place to sleep and eat for travelers on the turnpike which got its name because a long pole or "pike" was affixed to a post that could rotate (or turn) to open access to the road after the traveler paid the toll -- when the attendance TURNed the PIKE.
There were so many other interesting bits of information! But you will just have to visit and see them for yourself. Your visit can take as long as you like -- the pace is up to you.
The introductory video is an excellent way to start your visit so don't miss it. And all of the staff are knowledgeable and willing to answer questions and provide information. A great place to visit!

The museum was very informative. The houses were very authentic. They have fall fairs there where demonstrations are held. You can find various homemade crafts. I learned how they work the farm.

Great thing to do on a Sunday when most is closed in the area. The staff is well informed and even if you have been to other villages you will learn some new things.

The least expensive day to visit the interesting and historic Landis Valley Museum is on Pennsylvania Charter Day, when admission is traditionally free. Observed each year, usually on the first or second Sunday in March, Charter Day commemorates the 1681 signing by England’s King Charles II of a charter which granted land that is now Pennsylvania to founder William Penn. Charter Day is considered the Commonwealth's "birthday;" it celebrated its 334th year in 2015. The no-charge admission program is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the official state history agency that oversees many of its museums and historic facilities, including Landis Valley.

We attended this venue as out of town guests for a wedding. It is a large property with several buildings.
The building we dined in for dinner was not air conditioned.If was very hot and most people were sweating. It was an old farm building and had a red brick floor. In order to use the rest room you needed to walk outside to another building. The food served was average. The ceremony took place outside and was nice. We never had a chance to look around the rest of the property.

Had the opportunity to visit while chaperoning my daughter's field trip. What a great place to learn some local history and watch artisans ply their craft. The kids really liked learning about the one room school house and watching the gun smith. I enjoyed learning about how the early pubs operated!

Visited here I for the first time. It was an interesting day. Landis Valley is a walk back in time about the German immigrants who settled in Lancaster County. It's a beautiful place to learn Early German culture. You start with a 15 minute movie to get an overview of the history of the area. Then you go out to explore. The museum posts a monthly schedule of artisans and who will be there for demonstrations daily on the web. It's best if you have a specific interest to plan your visit. We did not check the web. Today though, we saw how lace was made, leather shoes were made, the blacksmiths were in, baking bread demonstration in an outdoor hearth, a tour of a typical farm house and how eggs were dyed with natural products.....onions and a purple tree pulp. I found all of the history and culture very interesting . I especially liked seeing the old school house. There are also buildings for self exploration with written guide to follow. They cater to
school groups and with advance requests will take you to see inside the collection building for a private tour. The yellow barn can also be rented out for events. This museum is worth the visit.
I don't know the group rates but admission is $12 adult $10 senior 65 plus and AAA rate children $8. There is no food to purchase except for a limited selection of drinks. There is a large picnic grove where you can enjoy the farm and enjoy a packed lunch.

Log works, farm equipment, and crafts were very interesting. Most docents very knowledgeable and helpful. Good introductory video about Pennsylvania Dutch and founders. Clean, tidy, excellent condition, good information.
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We went in June on a Saturday at 10am. I would imagine this is the height of their season. There was no craftsman in the blacksmith shop or the shoe making shop. Nor did we see anyone spinning wool. The only reinactor that I saw was in the gun making shop. Many of the buildings were closed. The horse pulled wagon wasn't running. The only animals I saw were three geese and some cows. You are warned up front that these animals aren't friendly and to stay away. We looked around for 20 minutes and left (I feel like we saw everything). I'm pretty sure my grandmother has half of the antiques in the museum in her house. We got in for free on a museum pass and I still felt like I paid too much. Was NOT interesting to my young child and was NOT interesting to the adults. It's a shame- being that's it's so close to the Hand's-On House. They should try and add animals or make it more interesting for families. We traveled far to see this and it was a big disappointment.

It is a lovely setting and we enjoyed our visit, but MANY of the buildings were not open for us to view which was very disappointing. When we paid the entrance fee, we were not offered a tour with a guide - we would have paid extra for that if it meant we could view the buildings. Later on we saw a group with a guide who had a key to enter the buildings and so we tagged along with them a bit. The guide was very knowledgeable (but not pleasant). The woman working in the general store was excellent, as was the man in the log cabin. I suggest you call first to clarify if you can enter the buildings if you pay the entrance fee, or if you need a guide who has a key to open many of the buildings.

We arrived on a Thursday morning and got to the visitor center just as the video started so they had us watch it first and then pay. A very good video providing the history of the area and this property. We then paid and started our self guided walking tour. Very interesting exhibits and docents in several buildings to provide information and answer questions. The general store, tavern, and fabric personnel did an outstanding job and I had no idea the work involved in creating cloth. Very glad there was foresight to save all of these buildings and related farm and living equipment so we could get a glimpse into the past. Several gardens and lots of flowers throughout the property. Several bathrooms and a very nice gift shop and we spent about two hours there. Well worth a visit.

We have membership which can get our grandkids in with us. We all love the festivals, like harvest days. Our grandkids look forward to wagon rides, kid crafts during the events. Lots of crafts people demonstrate during the harvest days. Nice displays and friendly crafts people demonstrating their skills.

It's best to link up with a special event on-site but even a self-guided tour could be valuable. Unique content.

When we visited, Landis Valley Museum was hosting Harvest Days, an annual festival held in the first few weeks of Fall. We had a great time! Harvest Days showed us how residents of Lancaster lived in the 1700's and it was very fun and interesting. There were all sorts of activities and sessions for adults and children around the farm. There were also a lot of free samples handed out which were fresh and delicious. I highly recommend attending Harvest Days as it is a great cultural experience and a lot of fun!

Local libraries offer free family passes to check out for this place or it can be a bit pricey for the type of attraction. Special events are fun and offer more activities and period costumes. Nice outdoors museum prepare to walk. Good history activity.

Wonderful setting for a wedding ceremony & reception for adults and kids. Casual & festive for all. Nice to be able to rome around the grounds during the private event.

On a weekday after Labor Day, few buildings were open. Very informative blacksmith and general store "manager", but that was it. Don't go with little ones; they'll be bored out of their minds. Call ahead to see if anything is open that day before coming. As other reviewer said, can't see how AAA rated this as a gem. Definitely NOT for our visit. May be of interest to the admirers of antiques and "old stuff" people. Farm equipment display would have been much better if we were farmers and/or the equipment all had labels to tell us what it was. There was nobody around even in the gift shop when we walked in there. Not sure what goes on there when the museum is actually "open for business"; but their main attraction appears to be as a banquet/reception location (barn and fire house). Skip it.

I enjoyed a leisurely stroll through all the grounds. when you get your ticket, they give you a map and tell you which buildings are open to walk through or look into, and which have people doing stuff (barrel maker, leather worker, shop worker etc) and i made sure not to miss anything. Also one of the rare places in the area open on Sundays!!!

This is an excellent site run by volunteers. There's an introductory film which tells you about the museum and its buildings. Some buildings are open every day to enter and chat with the volunteers in them. Other buildings are open depending on how many volunteers they have that day. Most of the closed ones have an opening for you to look inside.
There is one building with an extensive collection of farm machinery and other period objects.
In some of the buildings there are demonstrations taking place, e.g. blacksmith, spinning and weaving.

This was a very nice way to stroll and learn about the early settlers in Lancaster. I loved when the themed buildings had people dressed in period clothing and explained what their job would have been like back in the day. there was also a horse drawn wagon to take you for a lap around the property. It took about 2-3 hours to see it all.

I like these type of museums, as they preserve very local history. This museum is well done, a good fair value, and very interesting. I believe this is suitable for well behaved toddlers.
The actors are friendly, knowledgeable and interesting. I think about half of the buildings can be entered, and are very well appointed - great photos ops abound.
The entrance IS on Landis Valley Road.

My wife & I took a three-day trip to Amish Country. We'd not heard of this museum before & it certainly was not in our thinking, when we planned the trip. But, this was our favorite site. You experience history, as there are knowledgeable craftspeople in each building who demonstrate the crafts of a bygone era that once and you feel how life was lived in this part of the country. We spent hours there. Unfortunately, there were not many visitors when we went. but the guides answered all of our questions patiently with a depth of knowledge and interest.

Landis Valley Museum is a great place during all seasons of the year. (And for a wedding of a friend.) Make sure to look on the website for seasonal events, because those will be the days with the most to do. Plenty of volunteers dressed in period garb giving demonstrations or explaining life during the early years of settlement in Lancaster county. There's typically crafters, a tinsmith, blacksmith, and others that provide a wealth of information. If you go during the off season, you can look around and go into buildings, but there are few (or no) demonstrators or volunteers.

We most recently went during the first weekend in December. There were crafters out and the Belsnickel (a companion of Saint Nicholas) was walking around the grounds. We saw an excellent demonstration from the blacksmith and had a great time exploring.

The gift shop has plenty of local crafts, books, and other items for sale. Price for admission is reasonable. Parking is ample and easily accessible.

Enjoyed a nice walk with family at Landis Valley Museum. Saw interesting artifacts, buildings, and animals. My grandson enjoyed horses, bulls, duck, & geese. Unable to see all the buildings since some we only on guided tour. We arrived at q1:15 & tour was at 11:00 next one at 1:30 We thought we could catch up & join group but there was not a tour going on. So call ahead to make sure tour is available.

I was very surprised to find out how many Germans came to settle in Lancaster area as farmers. I thought the Pennsylvania Dutch referred to the Amish and Mennonite, however there I realized how many German farmers came to this Lancaster area. It was a very informative place. Loved that they had people explaining so many things from cooking, farming, clothing to Scherenschnitt what was featured as that time period. The short film and chair museum was interesting

Incredible historical learning environment and the Herb Faire is amazing. Incredible opportunities to buy live plants for summer gardening, amazing handmade gift options and go look around and enjoy the food. The gift shop has an incredible selection of items you will not see elsewhere. Pick up a catalogue on the learning opportunities. All year long are great family learning opportunities.

Wonderful living museum. Most of the buildings were open with 5 or 6 with docents. As with anything most of the docents were excellent and some were not so great. One in particular said next to nothing unless we pried it out of him. They docents go to lunch between 12 and one, I found this awkward as we had to rush thru things to end by noon. Didn't have time to stay around til they got back. We totally enjoyed the museum.

Loved the museum of old farm equipment and the building with the display of antiques. Docents were great.

This was a neat place to see but I feel like it was lacking some things. The best part was the indoor exhibit of farm machines. Don’t go around noon because any of the buildings with people to talk to go on an hour lunch break. I wish there was a little more info on some of the buildings. For a fall day trip to just see some old buildings it was ok.

I have visited Landis Valley several times and learn many new things each time I visit. The people who show their skills and crafts are quite knowledgeable to the young children and the older visitors. The tour is at your own pace and a wonderful way to spend an enjoyable day followed by a stop at the gift shop on the way home.

This is a tour of an old farm and the life story of the owners, two brothers from an affluent family (Landis brothers). It shows different buildings that family members lived, how they lived, their hobbies and occupations, and life at that time. Be ready to walk to visit buildings. Maybe it is better to visit on a cool day since it is mostly outdoor.

Had a very nice visit. The grounds and buildings were well maintained. The staff, in their living history history portrayals, were extremely knowledgeable and friendly.

We were visiting friends who live in Lititz and they suggested a one day trip to Landis Valley Museum. They haven't visited this spot so we were all new and quite impressed. Some of the building were run down, but the feel of what life was like from the 1600s through the 1920s was very impressive. What stands out as most memorable (and fun and educational) was Beth in the Tin Cottage, the woman in the weaving room (wow, I'll never look at a movie about settlers or early American residents again) and the blacksmith building -- he was teaching 3 individuals how to make a wall hanger. Outstanding and educational and all four of us are adults!

This is a great place to visit. Love walking around and seeing the animals and buildings. The people that work here really love it and you can see that when they talk about it. It was great that one of the tour guides was an actual friend of the Landis brothers so he really knew about them and their family. If you are in the area make sure you go visit. Just don't go between 12-1 because the craftsmen go to lunch.

I attended a blacksmith course at the LVM that started at 8 am (breakfast. 9 am class) that ended at 4:30 pm. I'm inly really reviewing the class, as it took up the entire day. The museum itself closes at 5pm, therefore I wasn't able to really tour the area. The class was very good, the instructor was very knowledgable. The course I took was two days, the first day there was heavy rain. There were some minor issues due to the weather. I suggest that maybe the museum, when offering this course either add an awning or some type of over hang for which the forge to be under (since it's a rain it shine event) so it is protected during rainy weather. We did lose a few hours on the first day due to the heavy rain and the forge being soaked. It was unfortunate and of course the rain was of no one's fault, but protection for the forge would have maintained the amount of hours we paid for to be instructed. All in all it was a great experience and I would probably return to take another class and be able to tour the entire museum/grounds.

The Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum is a vivid account of the heritage and history of the Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania. There are many activities for children of all ages, and the re-enactors provide a wonderful explanation of their particular trade in the time of the township's establishment in the Colonial days. There were many school groups visiting when we were there, and the groups were very courteous, mindful of others. We really enjoyed out time there and believe it was well worth the entry fee.

Landis Valley Farm Museum is a real gem. Two awesome times to visit are in May during the Herb & Garden Faire and in October for Harvest Days. If you are in the area and don't have a lot of time, a visit to the museum shop is well worth the drive.

I especially like Christmas at Landis Valley, more so when there's snow on the ground. The historical buildings, the bonfire, the cookies and hot cocoa, and yes, the Belschnickel (the PA Dutch version of Santa Claus) are all delightful, and I look forward to them every year. Even on a regular day, this place is beautifully presented.

This museum contains authentic Amish houses - some self guided and others with people in period dress. There are cobblers, cooks and a general store. It takes one back to a simpler but harder life.

We went during a spring festival here. Very beautiful property. It was pleasant to walk around and see the historic buildings, well maintained gardens and see the farm animals. They have horses, pigs, sheep, and tons of wildlife. Living museums are so fun!

We must have picked an off day judging by some of the other reviews.
Granted, the grounds are peaceful and pleasant.But where were the costumed interpreters.? How about those craft demonstrations other reviewers rhapsodized about? Yes, we did briefly see a horse drawn cart carrying folks off in the distance when we first arrived but when we were ready, around mid afternoon, it had vanished.. Despite the fact this was a comfortable Sunday weatherwise, we saw, at the very most, about 10-12 other guests.
Fortunately,our enjoyable hour tour and well informed tour guide, Dan, prevented the day from being a complete bust. He took us into a few buildings that apparently are otherwise locked. He was able to answer just about any question thrown his way.
After the tour we simply wandered or semi wandered (since there was mainly very limited access) into the few remaining buildings - some of which genuine, some reconstructions. At least there was one building in which we seemed to largely have full run of. This contained very large farm implements and vehicles. There was also a small but interesting display in the visitors center. But the remaining buildings offered us little.
There were a few other positives. The short orientation film was helpful, the staff friendly and the nice sized gift shop with interesting art, crafts and books enticing. But we both left feeling somewhat unfulfilled. It wasn't really worth the 90 minute drive.

This living museum is great for kids and also has live animals. Great for a quick and unexpected stop!

There is so much to see. We took our 15 year old grandson as part of his home schooling. We really had a wonderful day. This is history in a way that anyone, including teenager, can enjoy and learn from.

The Landis Valley Museum and Village is a step back in the history for any one of PA Dutch heritage. Well maintained historic village with guided tours. Plenty of stories and artifacts. Great for the photographer. It was worth the stop.

Though not a Lancaster top pick (for me), this museum is definitely worth a stop if your time permits. The interpreters provide information in various buildings; other locations are self touring. Good insight into life in Lancaster County in the 19th century.

Great place to go for something to do on a rainy day! Great location, and easy to find off of Oregon Pike.

This sprawling attraction run by the PA Historical and Museum commission is worth the time to see this well preserved step back into history. Start at the Visitor's center after you buy your tickets, see the short movie about its origin and the small exhibit in the room. You will start the guided portion of your tour here. The guide will take to to most of the main exhibits and some smaller ones. Some of the buildings, though original, have been moved here from other places , mostly nearby. The Landis brothers wanted this to be a way to preserve mementos from the cultural heritage of the area. Our tour included the Landis Brothers house, the tavern, gun shop, textile barn and general store. Most of the other larger buildings were open to see but this can vary. I understand that craftsmen demonstrate various trades in some buildings but that was not the case in March.

This originally was a family farm and tavern along the old dirt road from Philly. The two brothers purchased other building and moved them along the road. They added a large number of period items. Now there is a period gun shop, store, tavern, fire house, and other building. When the brothers died the state took it over an made a museum out of it. It is an inexpensive way to step back in history.

We visited on Hands On day August 6th. 15 minute move shown in ticket area was good. Movies gave good overview of the history of the area. Blacksmith shop was interesting. We realized and understand workers are volunteers for the most part some could have been a bit more engaging with the guests. Some were very food. The couple at the broom shop. Very interesting and egaging. Gift shop was great. Unique gifts. It was a hot day. Some buildings were air condition which was great on a hot day

This is a really terrific "living"museum. It is a village that might have existed in the late eighteen hundreds and has a variety of buildings to visit. Many of them feature craftsmen showing how things were done in the period. You walk the old streets and visit the blacksmith, or the general store, or old homes. This is not an Amish village but is more a typical village of the time. There are many Amish villages in the Lancaster area that can be visited., but this is not one. This village celebrated Pennsylvania German heritage. We really enjoyed our visit and found the people who were in the homes as "interpreters " of the times to be friendly and helpful.

I have been at this place quite a number of times because I am a local, but I was just there last week and really enjoyed my visit. There were some school groups also touring but because the place is so big, there was plenty of room for everyone. Because of the school groups, there were more demos going on and all the folks were in costume and did an excellent job. I even went on a horse drawn wagon ride with my granddaughter. If you go, don't miss the gift shop. There are a lot of locally made items in the shop and it is one of the best shops in Lancaster for purchasing items of a historic nature.

A great short film describes how the Germans settled in the Lancaste area and what they did for farming. We were there on a week day shortly after Labor Day and the place was very quiet with only three buildings with interpreters open and another two or three open with no one there. Being farmers we were most interested in the large building housing their collection of old farm machinery which was quite extensive. However, almost none of the machines had dates or their use and we were guessing what many did. A staff person we saw at the administration building did say they were working on signage. Perhaps during high season one could interact with more people and learn more in many of the other buildings.

The docents we met were quite informative and knew their topics well. I learned a ton of things from Shelva about how linen used to be produced by hand from flax. We also had fun conversing with the cooper who was there to explain the process of barrel-making. The period shopkeeper was also extremely well versed all aspects of how the store worked and it's impact to the community.

Surprisingly fascinating and well-curated, starting with an informative video and followed by a (somewhat overly long) tour, but our tour guide was knowledgeable and answered questions with enthusiasm. A worthwhile way to spend a couple of hours in a unique part of the country.

A lot of houses to see and visit with sometimes live performances of quilting,spinning and so on. This was a real community of the Pennsylvania Dutch/German People around 1856. Later the brothers Landis created a Museum out of this and collected a lot of antiques.

We look for Living History Museums wherever we go on vacation, and this was well worth our time. Allow 4-5 hours to do it justice, maybe more. We enjoyed talking to the craftsmen, and we took our time studying the exhibits in the buildings. I see some people noted 2-3 hours to go through the museum, but that isn't enough time to do it justice. It's very peaceful and picturesque, so take your time. Bring a picnic, enjoy the ambiance.

The curators and everyone who works at the museum enjoys sharing its history and artifacts with a great deal of knowledge, reverence and enthusiasm. A hidden gem for families and solo travelers alike, full of interesting, practical information in the beautiful farmlands of Lancaster County.

How often have I passed the signs for Landis Valley Village and paid them no mind? Recently, with kids in tow, a group of us finally made a visit. The Village was a little gem, perfect for a two-hour stopover in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. We had cheese and fruit with us, and with water from the LVV gift shop, we put one of their picnic tables to good use too.
In the heart of Amish country, the Village (and Museum, which we did not visit) focuses instead on the Pennsylvania Dutch heritage of the region and began. It started with a farm owned by two brothers and their collection of Pennsylvania Dutch artifacts, gradually adding other historica buildings. These include a schoolhouse, blacksmith’s forge, tin shop, tavern (natch!), among others, many of which are arranged around a shady central square. It was perfect for strolling and letting the kids run off some energy, even on the 90-degree day we were there. Horse-drawn wagons are another option for touring the acreage. Snow-white horses are in the field, chickens in their coops.
Depending on the day, costumed interpreters are available to describe how a particular building was used. The day we were there, we talked to a tavern-keeper, a blacksmith who was full of stories and working at his forge in front of us, a tinsmith who had a terrific backstory, and a young man supervising a private home. The kids loved it!
One of the activities of the Village and farm museum is a Heirloom Seed Project, which has been under way for three decades. The LVV website contains information about special events.

You can feel like you are in the 1800's during the wonderful Harvest Days in October. Each sense is carried back with the smell of wood fires, cooking apple butter or cider, baking apple dumplings and more...Hearing the horses clopping on the road with the hay wagon,,,watch as wool is spun from the sheep, wood workers turn on the lathe, golden leaves crunch under foot...watch as candles are dipped in tallow, carve pumpkins and eat great food...and much more.

This is a great place for everyone - you get a very good appreciation for life in the 1860's. There are original buildings here along period buildings moved here to give the visitor a great overview of how things looked then. There are some volunteers staffing some buildings to give you an overview and answer questions. Allow 2-3 hours to see everything. They do have a nice gift shop with some products made there by volunteers and local craftspeople. Come back Mother's Day weekend for the annual Heirloom Seed plant sale - wonderful selection of plants including vegetables, flowers, and herbs. There are lots of vendors so come prepared to shop.

There are nice picnic areas on the grounds too.

My first visit in years, but now hat the grandchildren (5-10) are old enough to appreciate the displays during harvest days, I went again.
I dare say I enjoyed it as much as they.
Horse drawn wagon rides, bees & honeycombs, old time farm implements manned by local volunteers proved a great attraction to all.
Although it is much quieter when not the harvest days, it's nice just to look at all the displays & remember when Mom or uncle Ed actually used those things.
(You know you're a Plugger when you can say "I used to have one of those things!")
A yearly peek into our past.
Recommended to all.

Had a great time visiting so many of the historic buildings at this location. They have a very nice presentation prior to your visit and you start your walking tour along the many locations to see . There is also a very nice gift shop with very friendly staff.

It's really quite fascinating to see the humongous equipment that was used in fields years ago and because so much of Lancaster is Amish Country, that same equipment is still used today. They work so hard but produce such amazing veggies and fruits. We are fortunate in this area to have tons of all natural fruit and veggie stands. I believe this was all on one floor.

Loved visiting the different structures and learning from the very knowledgeable craftsman. Fascinating to see the storage facility with the collection as well.

We visited today for the second time today since we brought our young son here years ago. It was a beautiful day and an excellent choice for walking outside in the village.

Start at the visitors center where there is a small museum interpreting the time period. There is also a 13 minute video which is very informative. The docent gave us a map clearly highlighting which buildings were open and self guided and which had interpreters.

The buildings/ Village is very well kept. The schoolhouse was one of the best that I have every seen. I wish it was open today. The shoemaker gave an excellent discussion about what he was doing as well as the history. The tour of the main house was excellent, though short.

The general store docent was very informative and again one of the best general stores I have we seen. He did say that was in part thanks to Oprah Winfrey’s Beloved being filmed in the village and they insisted on a full general store.

Be sure not to miss the back and of the village. Just past the shoemaker/leather building there is a path to take you back through the back part of the village where there are buildings and a large farm to navigate. It is well worth it and I can see how it is often overlooked due to it not being on the main village street.

Last but not least, the gift shop was excellent. They need more of a selection of books on the local history but they had plenty of handmade items from the village.

Went based on positive reviews on TA and they proved correct. Key for us was the “I thee wed” exhibit which is on through February. Really fascinating! Amazing to see the wedding dresses and the grooms clothing, even better when accompanied by a picture of the happy couple so long ago. Showed how thrifty these folks were while enjoying a bit of style.

My wife and I recently attended a two-day seminar on antique crafts. We took rug-hookng and redware pottery and enjoyed the teachers, the meals, and the atmosphere.

The buildings were gathered from around the area and moved or re-created to show a crossroads village and farm. Buildings are furnished with antiques, and exhibits are mounted regularly. There are farm animals, crops grown with heirloom seeds, and a large building where you can view objects in storage through large windows.

Sometimes there are people demonstrating crafts and farm work or driving horse-drawn wagons for visitors. They are not their all at the same time, as they are generally volunteers. (The museum is state-funded, and we all know that states are underfunding museums and other services.)

There is a nice visitor center with orientation film, and a very good museum shop. I recommend Landis Valley Museum without reservation.

Hidden away but what a great place! It was almost closing but we made the rounds and are glad we did.

Just took a group to this attraction as part of a weekend meeting in the area. Our highlight was a "backstage" tour of their new Collections Building. Very interesting and well worth the time. The Curator, Bruce Bomberger, led the tour and provided a very educating trip through their collections. He even "customized" the tour to our specific group interests. We were really impressed with their storage locker area in the basement!

Have been to similar museums of this type. The craftspeople were what made this one stand out. We had interesting discussions with the tavern keeper, rifle maker, textile person, and the blacksmith. All were not talking from a script, but from their passion for the craft. Note that not all exhibits or crafts are available everyday.

We visited on a week day. It was after school started so there were not any school groups around. There were not many demos and several of the buildings were not open. The buildings that were open had a lot of antiques on display. The one we enjoyed the most was the one with antique farm machines. We enjoyed the old store. Not as much stuff on display as I thought there would be.

Traveled from MA to PA because my niece is interested in “old world” culture. We were very excited to see this listed as a thing to do. The whole place seemed abandoned. There wasn’t one person in period costume, not even the tour guide, nor was there anyone in the buildings. The place seemed abandoned actually. Very disappointed.

We enjoyed a historical video upon arrival that was very informative. Followed by presentations by workers in period dress. We were permitted to take plenty of pictures. I just wish we could have stayed longer to explore some of the buildings we missed.

The Landis brothers collected period items all over the area. To their own little village's buildings, they added a few buildings from around the area. Volunteers in 19th Century garb explain their crafts with love and extensive conversation. Not all crafts are covered at all times but we had a good sample.

I'd highly recommend this place to anyone with children in primary school or older as it gives a first hand view of how our ancestors lived.

Plan to spend several hours exploring this indoor/outdoor museum. Costumed narrators are excellent in explaining the lives of the German settlers in the Lancaster County area in the 19th and 20th centuries. Wonderful experience for all ages.

Have some time to spend at the museum. You can walk around and enjoy the different types of houses on the property. There was an event there on Columbus Day weekend and lots of fun things going on. They teach you so much about our history and ways of life.

The museum takes its visitors into 19th-century and before with a village of treasures. Blacksmiths, tanners, and much, much more! It also has a great collection of old farm equipment, an old fire engine, and a Conestoga Wagon! This is a real local treasure.

This museum includes an A/C building where tickets are purchased and you are given a map of the grounds to walk around at your leisure. The buildings with costumed staff members in them are highlighted on the map. In that building, there is a room filled with a collection of many weather vanes. Some of the buildings have costumed staff members who give information and demonstrations. Other buildings are to simply look into and some were locked/closed. We saw a gun shop with an excellent young man inside who was very informative, a kitchen and tavern where there was another staff member who answered questions, a general store with a man who had lots of firsthand information on general stores, and a very informative, interesting, friendly woman in the main homestead. We also walked through a big A/C barn/building which housed large antique farm equipment and a conestoga wagon. We looked into a one room schoolhouse and a couple others. There are two outhouses to see also. There are some horses in fenced areas also. NOTE: ALL of the costumed staff who are located in SOME of the buildings in the complex leave their buildings at 12:00 and return at 1:00 for lunch, so plan accordingly. There is a nice tree covered picnic grove if you bring a lunch or snack. There is a large parking lot. There are restrooms near the largest farm equipment barn/building on the grounds.

This trip my wife and I had a chance to visit this location. Enjoyed the demonstration in the craft and gun shops. It gives you an opportunity to see how life was back then. I wish there were more people in costume. Worth your time.

I have only one thing that comes to mind when I think of Landis Valley Museum: I felt like I was Laura Ingalls or whoever from "The little house on the prairie".
I really enjoyed it. Some of the displays with the automats were a litlle "old" (as in "looked a little lame"), but other than that, a very interesting visit, I recommend it.

If you enjoy history especially PA Dutch,don't miss this.There are many different bldgs.There were even some craft people there making brooms & working in tin shop. Farm machinery & tool barn has a major exhibit of PA German machinery from Colonial era to twentieth century.