susanogle

My 12 year old son and I will be in the Gettysburg/Lancaster area in mid-October. I was wondering what the most interesting and fun places to visit would be in the 4 days that we are there.

luugis

York is between those 2 towns, and I am sure he would enjoy a tour of the HarleyDavidson motorcycle plant, which is right on route 30. Gettysburg has all kinds of 'ghost' tours this time of year, many farms have 'corn mazes' that are fun to go through, there is Hersheypark, an Imax theater and children's museum in Harrisburg, a fun go cart track in Hanover, what does he like??

judyz

Lancaster has the Amish attractions but I am not sure how interesting this would be for a 12 yo boy. There is a lot of outlets to the east of Lancaster, if he is interested in shopping.

Gettysburg has numerous Civil War museums and tours. Harrisburg does have an Imax and Whitaker Center(Science Center)

Hershey Park is open only on Fri, Sat and Sunday evenings for a Halloween type night.

Harley Davidson would be a fun tour, they do require closed shoes, no sandles.

FlyingMaltese

If your 12 year old likes trains, consider taking the Strasburg Railroad. It is a short ride through Amish Country. Strasburg has some really good model train shops, if you want to indulge your son. Here is the link: www.strasburgrailroad.com

Also, Hersheypark is a short ride from Lancaster and is open Fri-Sun from 4pm to 11pm (10pm Sunday).

bon100

The Straasburg RR Museum is pretty cool for kids, and so is the miniature train museum just up the road from it. There is even a motel there where you can sleep in RR cars.
My kids all liked the Amish Farm Museum, the guides make it pretty interesting. There is also an amazing theater nearby, I forget what it is called, does anyone know which one I'm talking about?

xrae

Choo Choo Barn in Strasburg. There's also another model railroad named Roadside America, I believe, in the area.

Stephanie

susan:

i would suggest finding out where the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce bldg is, also check out there official website. I received a travel guide from them and it is filled with many, many museums in the area. if you are going during the weekdays - in York area there are potato chip/pretzel factories to tour. Usually their hours are between 9-3. I've always wanted to visit them just that i never visited the area during the week.

cheapbutnice

I would suggest that you check the schedule for Hersheypark. They often have pay as you go rates later in the season.Also consider the Hershey Bears minor League hockey team (beautiful new arena). Be aware that the Antique Auto Club meets in Hershey in Mid-October (great if you like old cars; too crowded if you don't). In Gettysburg, don't miss the museum in the basement of the visitor's center and be sure to climb the metal observation tower in the National Park.A ride thru the Amish country would also be interesting-just don't overdue it.

LilyLace

All good suggestions for the area. A few points:

I'm not sure on this but I think the Harley museum has a minum age requirement.

No offense Bon100, but the train motel in Strasburg looks really yucky from the outside. Have you ever stayed there? Was it ok?

The theatre is called "Sight & Sound". Incredible shows,FYI: all religiously based.

have fun it's a nice area to sight see.

Suki

I don't think you would choose to stay at the Red Caboose Motel unless you had a child with you, but it gets good reviews on tripadvisor for cleanliness and overall fun experience.

bon100

Suki is right about the motel, it is definitely for kiddies, who think it's way cool to sleep in a train car. If your son is into trains the Straasburg area is the way to go.
Roadside America is not nearby, it is off the highway east of there. It is an older, but still interesting pit stop. Definitely 50's kitsch. My kids liked it.

LilyLace

Roadside America......Right up the road from Cabelas if you like that sort of thing. Also close to several coal mine tours.

cheapbutnice

In this day and age, I really hate to disparage anyone but as a Lancaster resident who gets lots of help from Fodorites, I would not recommend the Red Caboose.There are lots of alternatives although mid-October is a very busy season in Lancster.

maribethp

In another quaint and historic town named Lititz, one could tour the first pretzel "factory" in America and the Wilbur Chocolate factory store should be a favorite with the child.

Wonderful shops and cafes for the adults, too.

j_999_9

Twelve is a tough age to entertain, but ...

I assume you're going to visit the G'burg battlefield. Take the self-guided audio tour.

Consider taking a drive to Hershey. I don't know what HersheyPark's schedule is in October, but it seems like a good option for a 12-year-old. Plus, your boy might really like the Antique Auto Museum @ Hershey. I think admission is between $5-$10. For shopping, you can hit the outlet malls on Route 30 in Lancaster County -- not my fav thing to do, but a 12-year-old who's in to clothes might be interested.

roces

I found an informative website about HERSHEYPARK
www.hersheyinfo.com. They narrow all the information down to exactly what you need. They also added a NEW FORUMS section.