Landis Valley Museum - Lancaster, Pennsylvania - Living History Village and Farm

Landis Valley Museum is to be found at Kissel Hill Road two and a half miles from the city of Lancaster in Pennsylvania. Opened in 1925 by brothers Henry Kinzer Landis and George Diller Landis the museum aims to recreate the history and culture of an early Pennsylvanian German settlement. The area had a small German community since the mid 19th century, and visitors can view 18th and 19th century farm life over the 100 acres of land, which houses many historic buildings.

The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm, except Sundays when it opens from 12pm to 5 pm. It is closed Christmas Day, New Years Day and Thanksgiving. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, $8 for children aged between 3 and 11, whilst 2 years and under get in for free.

The museum has been administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission since 1953, which has purchased additional buildings and artifacts ever since. 19th century buildings still stand in the village such as a hotel, whilst a school house and a blacksmith shop were purchased and moved to the site. Exhibits of Pennsylvania German material culture and heritage from 1750 to 1940 can be seen at the museum too.

Classes and workshops are provided at the museum to give visitors hands on experience in craft making, open hearth cooking and farm life, whilst seminars are also given about German culture. Educational field trips can be organized with scheduled tours of workshops, and there are plenty of parking spaces for buses as well as picnic and restroom areas on site.

A series of programs are operated here to show visitors seed and farming projects. The Heirloom Seed Project focuses on seed preservation and their significance to Pennsylvanian Germans. The Farm Program looks at the farming methods of the community with a look at the equipment used in the 18th and 19th centuries, and there is an opportunity to see the farm animals such as the horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, geese and chickens.

There are various buildings at the site that can be rented for parties, weddings and meetings. The package offered includes 280 space parking lot, restrooms located nearby, and staff can coordinate the hire of tables, chairs and tents if required. One of the on site venues for weddings is the 2800 square foot Yellow Barn, which can seat 250 guests and also has a 3500 square foot Courtyard, or alternatively the Millstone Grove offers outdoor wedding space for a large tent housing up to 384 people..

The Firehouse at 1258 square feet can hold parties and small weddings for up to 100 guests, and has an electronically opened viewing screen for meetings and presentations. The 1856 Landis Valley House Hotel can be used for slightly smaller gatherings and can seta up to 65 guests, and is equipped with a professional kitchen. The Visitor Center has two rooms, the gallery can hold 50 to 75 guests, whilst the auditorium can seat 100 people and has projection equipment ideal for presentations.