5 Christmas Activities Around Lancaster
The holidays can mean different things for different people. Some feel an unmistakable air of well-being, and become filled with hope. Others feel an overwhelming stress, and become filled with anxiety. Christmas lists from the kids, snow blocking the driveway, and trudging to work in holiday traffic don’t help matters much.
For those of us that need a little extra push to get into the Christmas spirit, there is hope! Santa’s little helpers can coax the Scrooges into the spirit with a little help from Lancaster’s best holiday activities. Even the Scroogiest among us can’t deny they’re feeling the love after trying some of these Christmas activities:
National Christmas Center
The National Christmas Center has been a holiday hub for 19 years. It hosts 15 galleries and several Christmas-themed exhibits with life-sized vignettes, antiques, and memorabilia over an enormous space.
The exhibits tell the history of Christmas over the years in a creative and colorful way. You can watch the evolution of Santa himself over an array of depictions dating back hundreds of years. The National Christmas Center includes a gift shop with memorable holiday tokens. For instance, mouth-blown glass ornaments and handcrafted figurines!
If you’d like to visit the National Christmas Center, act fast! It’s closing its doors for good at the end of the 2017 season. Don’t miss out!
Christmas at Strasburg Railroad
The Strasburg Railroad is one of America’s oldest in operation today, with evidence of operation all the way back to 1832! Its locomotives are the real deal, running on actual steam. The cars and locomotives have been restored, and are not replicas. These are the same trains from over 180 years ago. They really built them to last!
Over the holiday season, the Strasburg Railroad transforms into a Christmas extravaganza – with tinsel, garland, trees, and elves! They host several events, like the Christmas Feast and Santa’s Paradise Express, for kids and kids at heart. The train takes a leisurely pace around Lancaster County with special Christmas treats, and sometimes special Christmas guests – like Santa!
Miller’s Smorgasbord
Having a warm, home-cooked meal after a long day in the snow is one of life’s simple pleasures. Hot cheeks and warm hands never feel homier than when they are paired with the smell of dinner. However, it’s not always fun being the one in charge of the cooking. Miller’s Smorgasbord lets your master of the kitchen have a seat at the table first for a change.
All the food is made from scratch, traditional American-style and Heritage meals alike. The buffet features favorites like hearty top sirloin, baked ham, mac and cheese, and even vegetarian dishes. And, if you have any room left, there are delectable desserts – like pecan and apple pie piled high with whipped cream.
After having snowball fights and building snowmen in the cold, check out Miller’s for some old-fashioned supper.
Snow Tubing
Settled in the hills of York, AvalancheXpress at Heritage Hills Resort hosts a flurry of winter activities to do during the winter flurries. What better way to welcome a white Christmas than with a day packed with family fun! AvalancheXpress offers ice skating, snow tubing, and even laser tag. Though several activities are available, snow tubing tends to be the main attraction.
AvalancheXpress has 8 tubing lanes that run 80 feet in length! Don’t worry, there’s a safety fence at the bottom for your protection. If once is not enough, there’s even a lift to pull you back up the hill for another try. By using their own man-made snow and ice, they can even create slower lanes for more apprehensive adventurers.
AMT Christmas Show
At AMT, our halls are all decked out for Christmas! Festive lights, garland, and wreaths adorn the interior and fill it with Christmas cheer. In the lobby, there are three marvelous Christmas trees decorated with love in the spirit of the holidays. Along with the decor, AMT is presenting The 2017 Christmas Show: Home for the Holidays.
The show fills the theatre with the sights and sounds of Christmas. Yuletide family traditions, complete with caroling, take center stage for your enjoyment. As a special surprise, you’ll get a glimpse into Santa’s Candy Factory for an exclusive VIP tour.
Cherish the holidays with AMT this Christmas! Contact us for more information, or give us a call at 800-648-4102.