41 Best Sights in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Pennsylvania

Stop in at the winery's tasting room to sniff, sip, and savor the Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and other wines produced at the northern edge of Lancaster County. Fruit wines (elderberry, plum, and others) are a specialty, and mead is another. The centerpiece of the estate is the curious Federal-Victorian mansion and its formal gardens, flanked by medieval-style crenelated towers. Also on the grounds are the winery's Swashbuckler Brewing Company, Spirits Distilling Company, and Lancaster County Cider, so most every category of adult beverage can be had here. Each summer the estate hosts the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire.

The showplace of the Train Collectors Association, this museum displays both antique and modern toy trains and is a must for toy train buffs. The museum has five huge train operating layouts, with toy trains from the 1800s to the present, plus nostalgic films and hundreds of locomotives and cars in display cases.

Seven miles west of Marietta, this family-owned winery grows 14 varieties of French-hybrid and American grapes and produces 30 different wines, from dry to very sweet, plus some fruit wines. There are tours, tastings, and a shop with bottles for sale. You can picnic on the grounds, and in the summer there's a popular open-air concert series on the lawn.

The seasonal Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, on the grounds of the Mount Hope Estate and Winery, transforms the property into a 16th-century English village ruled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I. The lively action includes street performers, human chess matches, jousting and fencing tournaments, knighthood ceremonies, street performances, craft demonstrations, battling pirates, jesters, medieval food, and Shakespearean plays performed on outdoor stages. Fun for all ages, but definitely more A Kid in King Arthur's Court than Game of Thrones.

Set on 33 acres, Historic Rock Ford Plantation is the restored homestead of General Edward Hand, a Revolutionary War commander, George Washington's confidant, and wealthy landowner. Period antiques and folk art are displayed in the 1794 Georgian-style mansion, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. In partnership with the African American Historical Society of South Central Pennsylvania, the plantation presents programs on the legacy and stories of the slaves who lived and worked on Hand’s farm and in the household.

Costumed guides share fascinating tales at Shriver House, the home of George and Henrietta Shriver and their two children, revealing what civilian life was like during the Civil War. After George joined the Union troops and his family fled to safety, the home was taken over by Confederate sharpshooters during the Battle of Gettysburg. You can visit their attic nest, where two of them were killed during the battle, and get a look at Shriver's Saloon in the cellar. 

Passengers can step back in time more than 175 years to ride the rails of the Strasburg Rail Road. Called America's oldest short line, the steam locomotive and vintage coaches travel a scenic 45-minute round trip through Amish farm country between Strasburg and Paradise. Eat lunch in the dining car or take an evening dinner ride that might be themed as a murder mystery or wine and cheese tasting. Tours of the mechanical shop are available for a fee, but kids are crazy for the Thomas the Tank Engine excursions. Trains usually depart hourly. 

Lancaster County--based Turkey Hill Dairy, best known for its ice cream, created this interactive extravaganza where kids can milk a mechanical cow, climb aboard a vintage milk delivery truck, and shoot a Turkey Hill commercial. In the Taste Lab you can concoct your own flavor and taste-test it; outside the lab, you can have unlimited samples of the company's flavors. Grown-ups may enjoy the displays on dairy farming and the family-owned company, but mostly this one is for the kids. Reservations are recommended for the Experience, and required for the Taste Lab.

To say that Pennsylvania wineries don't enjoy the greatest reputation would be an understatement. Jan and Kimberly Waltz coined the slogan "the wines that will change your mind," and there's actually a good chance they will. Varietals grown and vinified on the estate include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. To go with your sipping, the tasting room offers local cheese and chocolate.

Wheatland was the home of James Buchanan, the only U.S. president from Pennsylvania, who served from 1857 to 1861. A National Historic Landmark, the restored 1828 Federal-style mansion and outbuildings display the 15th president's furniture just as it was during his lifetime. A one-hour tour, departing from the LancasterHistory museum, includes a profile of the only bachelor to occupy the White House; a movie; and access to the arboretum on the grounds. There are holiday candlelight tours with costumed guides.

Just a few blocks from the waterfront, Wright's Ferry Mansion was the residence of English Quaker Susanna Wright, a silkworm breeder and intellectual who counted Benjamin Franklin among her friends. Docents guide visitors around the 1738 stone house, which showcases period furniture in the William & Mary and Queen Anne styles as well as an extensive collection of English needlework, clothing, ceramics, and glass, all predating 1750.