1719 Museum
Willow Street, PA · 57 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person
Open Fridays and Saturdays, April through October.
Plan the day
The 1719 Museum is a history site in Willow Street, PA, built around the 1719 Herr House, the oldest surviving homestead in Lancaster County, and a full-sized reproduction of a Native longhouse.
A guided tour of about 75 to 90 minutes covers both buildings and tells how early Mennonite immigrants and the Eastern Woodland Indigenous people of south-central Pennsylvania lived and how their lives were connected. The Herr House was built with sandstone quarried on the site, and the 11-acre campus also holds farmhouses, barns, a blacksmith shop, a smokehouse and a bake oven. Tours are capped at 16 people, so book ahead.
Before you go
Buy tickets ahead; walk-ins are taken when there is room, and tours are limited to 16 people. The tour covers about half a mile of walking with stairs and time outdoors. Groups of 12 or more must reserve by phone (717-464-4438) or email. The tour is geared to students and adults.
Coming up
Concert in the Orchard is October 16, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., with two local bands among the apple trees and food trucks; adults $25, youth 6 to 16 $10, under 5 free. The museum's season ends in October.
Checked October 8, 2026 on the official site. Hours, prices and seasons change, so confirm there before a long drive.
