Tours
Make the most of Lancaster Capital Day, Sept. 26th, by discovering more of the city’s history, stories, and hidden gems. We’ve partnered with local tourism organizations and nonprofits to make it easy to find a tour and experience Lancaster from a new perspective.
Historic Lancaster Walking Tour
Get to know Lancaster a little better! Established in 1976, Historic Lancaster Walking Tour offers guided tours through downtown, sharing the city’s history, architecture, and notable places. This tour offers a great way to explore the city and learn something new along the way.
Duration: 90 minutes
Available Times: 10 AM and 1 PM
Cost: $10
Lancaster Vice - Backstreet Brothel Walking Tour
Explore a lesser-known chapter of Lancaster’s history. Walk the city’s streets and alleys with an expert guide and learn about the brothel keepers, bartenders, and pool hall hustlers who were part of Lancaster’s community a century ago, alongside politicians, reformers, and other figures of the time. Discover the people, places, and stories behind a fascinating chapter of Lancaster’s past!
Duration: 90 minutes
Available times: 12 PM and 5 PM
Cost: $20
Griest Building Observation Deck Tour
See Lancaster from a different perspective! Take a tour of the historic Griest Building and visit its Observation Deck, located atop Lancaster’s first skyscraper. From above, you’ll have views of downtown Lancaster, Capital Day festivities, and the surrounding city.
Duration: 60 minutes
Available times: 12 PM
Cost: $30
Masonic Hall Tour
Discover one of Lancaster’s historic landmarks! This special Capital Day tour offers a rare opportunity to explore Masonic Hall at 5 West King Street, including its distinctive architecture, historic details, and beautifully detailed ceiling mural. Learn more about this often-overlooked piece of Lancaster’s history while seeing a space not typically open to the public.
Duration: 60 minutes
Available times: 1 PM
Cost: $20
Self-Guided Tour of the Hamilton Club
Step inside the Hamilton Club, one of Lancaster’s oldest private clubs, for a rare glimpse inside a gathering place that has been connected to the city’s civic and social life for more than a century. During Capital Day, the Club is opening its doors for self-guided tours featuring photographs from its own archives and treasured pieces from its collection, including a portrait of President James Buchanan and the original Herr home deed scribed by William Penn.
Duration: 20-30 minutes
Available times: Anytime between 1-4 PM
Cost: FREE
African American Heritage Walking Tour
Focused largely on the Underground Railroad, this tour explores African American agency and resistance through four authenticated sites. Because the Underground Railroad was necessarily secret, uncovering its history has required extensive detective work. The tour shares local African American history in Lancaster, including the latest research and recent discoveries that reveal the rich fabric of African American life before and after the Civil War.
Duration: 2 hours
Available times: 2 PM
Cost: Adult$17/ Senior (65 and older) $10 / Students (6-18) $5 / Under 6 Free