PHMC is the state's official agency for the conservation of its extensive historic heritage.
As a designated Pennsylvania Heritage Area, LYHR helps identify, preserve, interpret and promote the wonderfully rich heritage and culture of Lancaster and York counties.
Motorcoach and Group Tour Programs
Experience America's heritage along Dutch Country Roads
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America grew from seeds planted in Pennsylvania soil.

Pennsylvania is known as the Keystone State because of its crucial role in America's political and economic development.

But early Pennsylvania settlers also contributed many iconic elements to American culture, from rustic log cabins to cherry-cheeked Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. These and other cultural traditions spread out across America from here.

The Lancaster & York region invites your group to come and discover the heart of hometown America in the villages that dot our Dutch Country roads. Taste the bounty harvested from neatly plowed fields that still reflect our role as the nation's first breadbasket. And witness our continuing embrace of the same traditions that built the region's reputation as a source of abundant natural resources, a place of hard-working industry and a haven for freedom seekers.

Make plans today to experience how the threads of our distinct culture and history are woven into the fabric that makes America. The hidden treasures showcased in this Web site are organized to facilitate the creation of a day-long or overnight visit that best matches your group's specific interests and needs. All sites are group-ready facilities.
Our color-coded regional map contains all the sites in this program, and the colored dots ( ) in the text correspond to geographic areas on the map. All sites are linked to their listing on the Web site of the Lancaster-York Heritage Region, which oversees the designated Pennsylvania Heritage Area comprised of Lancaster and York counties.

Living History Brings the Past Alive

Four of our five thematic tours contain at least one of these local Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) sites:

Landis Valley MuseumLandis Valley Museum & Village presents vibrant demonstrations of early Pennsylvania German life, set in an historic crossroads filled with interactive programs and events year-round.  866-371-2342 or                c-jperkins@state.pa.us

PA RR Museum Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, which exhibits a world-class collection of historic locomotives and railroad cars, and features interactive displays, unique events and a restoration shop. 717-687-8628

Ephrata Cloister Ephrata Cloister, where the history of one of America's earliest religious societies is preserved in collection of nine original buildings from the mid-1700s. 717-733-6600

Cornwall Furnace Cornwall Iron Furnace, a mid-1800s iron-making complex that produced materials and goods crucial to securing our nation's independence and driving her economic growth.717-272-9711

These "living history" sites are a key part of making each of the offered tours a truly unique experience.

PHMC is the state's official agency for the conservation of its extensive historic heritage.

Edward G. Rendell, Governor
Wayne S. Spilove, Chairman
Barbara Franco, Executive Director