About 90 minutes west of Philadelphia, the rolling hillsides and quaint country roads and farmlands of Lancaster County come alive. A region rich in history, culture, tradition, and charm, Lancaster County is a place where the old meets the new in an area where history was made.

An important part of Lancaster County's history is in African-American heritage and the region's place in the Quest for Freedom. Since the first slaves were brought to Lancaster County in 1726, around the same time Amish and Mennonites settled here escaping religious persecution, Lancaster County has been a catalyst in African-American history and heritage. The first documented Underground Railroad activity in Lancaster came as early as 1804, when William Wright transported escaped slaves across the Susquehanna River into Lancaster County. Downtown Lancaster's Bethel AME Church, founded in 1817, served as an important station along the Underground Railroad as well as the center of spiritual renewal for free Africans in Lancaster.

Round out your trip with a visit to Harrisburg.

Lancaster County Related Destinations

• Amish Farmland Tour/Bird-in-Hand Meeting House
  Step back into a world of years past — a world without modern technology or convenience — with a tour of the Amish farmlands and countryside of Lancaster County. This one-hour tour through the back country roads tells the story of the Amish who came to Lancaster seeking freedom of religion and includes a drive past the Friends Meeting House, a Quaker meetinghouse and Underground Railroad stop during the mid-1800s. The Meeting House also is the burial site of Daniel and Hannah Gibbons, a Quaker couple who provided assistance and shelter to as many as 1000 fugitive slaves.

• Bethel AME Church, Lancaster
  450 – 512 E. Strawberry Street
  Lancaster, PA
  "Living the Experience"
  Phone 800. 510.5899 ext. 113 or 717.509.1177, ext. 102.
  
  Bethel AME is the oldest AME Church in Lancaster. As oral tradition, as well as the mission and traditions of the AME church indicate, Bethel sheltered Africans who sought freedom along the Underground Railroad and served as a center of spiritual renewal for free African-Americans who lived in Lancaster. Today, journey back to the time of the Civil War and experience first-hand the plight and struggle of escaped Africans while viewing and participating in the living history production "Living the Experience."
  
  
  "Living the Experience" production runs each Saturday, February through December and begins at 1:00 p.m. The performance including the meal after the show (meal available for groups of 35 or larger only) lasts approximately three hours.
  
  
  
  Individual ticket price available at $23.00 – ticket price does not include a meal.
  
  Group rates are available for 35 or more: $30 per person. Children 6-12 $17 (rate does not apply to childrens' groups, so please specify when you call). Tour Operator/Receptive rates are available.
  
  We have added Tuesday, Thursday and Friday Matinees at 10am, 11am, 1pm or 2 pm for groups of 35 or more only. Meals by arrangement. All shows are by reservation.
  
  For tickets, call (800) 510-5899 ext. 113 or 717-509-1177, ext. 102.
  
  Video: Spirit of Independence - Bethel AME Church
  

• Lampeter Friends Meeting House
  Route 340, Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505
  
  Founded in 1749, the Lampeter Friends Meeting House is the resting place of two brave Quakers and Bird-in-Hand residents, Daniel and Hannah Gibbons. Both were devoted to the freedom of enslaved persons and during a 50-year period, aided as many as 1,000 freedom seekers. Click on Select an Audio Story to hear the Gibbons story.

• Lancaster County Historical Society
  230 N. President Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17603
  
  Tuesday and Thursday – 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
  Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday – 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Sunday and Monday – Closed, Closed all major holidays
  Admission: Exhibitions: Free, Library: $5 per day; Free for members and primary, secondary, and college students.
  
  The Historical Society is the home of numerous collections detailing and preserving the history of Lancaster County, including its place as an important part of the Underground Railroad. This research facility houses artifacts from Congressman and abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens, which can be viewed upon request only, as well as maps and other documents relating to Underground Railroad stops, and additional information on African-Americans in Lancaster County and their Quest for Freedom in the 19th century.

• Thaddeus Stevens/Lydia Hamilton Smith Historic Site
  (Construction/restoration begins spring 2006. Opening date to be determined)
  45 – 47 S. Queen Street/21 – 23 E. Vine Street
  Lancaster, PA
  
  Adjacent to the new Lancaster County Convention Center, these homes will become an historical museum and education center to tell the stories of U.S. Congressman Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith, a free woman of color who acted as Stevens' housekeeper and confidante here and in Washington D.C. Both Stevens and Smith are believed to have sheltered freedom seekers at their Lancaster properties.
  
  In 2002, during an archeological dig at this site, researchers found earthenware, utensils, and a large underground cistern, all dating back to the time of slavery. Further research is being conducted to determine their role in the Underground Railroad.

• Thaddeus Stevens/Stevens' Gravesite
  Schreiner-Concord Cemetery
  Corner of North Mulberry and East Chestnut Streets, Lancaster, PA 17603
  
  Along with being a lawyer and an avid abolitionist, Thaddeus Stevens also served as Lancaster's representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was instrumental in advancing the great civil rights amendments to the U.S. Constitution banning slavery, providing equal protection under the laws, and expanding the right to vote. Stevens died in Washington, D.C., at midnight on August 11, 1868. Over 20,000 people-half of whom were free Black men-attended his funeral in Lancaster.