A Visit to the Hands-On House in Lancaster, PA

child climbing through a honeycomb-shaped play area

Date of Visit: December 30, 2019

Lancaster’s Hands-On House, the Children’s Museum of Lancaster, is one of those places where kids can just be kids.

The attraction is best suited for preschoolers through early elementary schools, with interactive exhibits that encourages children to use their imaginations.

Just inside the entrance, the “Right in Your Own Backyard” exhibit inspires children to explore their own surroundings.

There are a lot of opportunities to “lift the flap” and peek inside boxes to make a new discovery. Kids can then climb up in a tree house or crawl inside an oversized honeycomb as they pretend to be honeybee.

young child sitting on a blue tractor at the Hands-On House in Lancaster, PA

My son’s favorite thing to do – and the place where we learned about waiting our turn – was “riding” the tractor. A real-life New Holland tractor sits on display and young ones get to take a turn in the driver’s seat.

child playing with a grocery set at the HAnds-On House in Lancaster, PA

The grocery store was another favorite stop. I watched as my son picked plastic fruits, vegetables, bread, and canned goods off shelves. I just sat back and watched as he filled his baskets before carrying it to the play check-out counter.

Other areas of the Hands-On House are geared toward older children, including Marty’s Machine Shop where kids go from station-to-station in a factory setting.

child playing amongst PVC pipes at the Hands-On House

The STEM learning continues with an engineering challenge. Two walls and the floor in a corner of the museum are outfitted with holes to fit PVC pipes. Kids can use different sized pipes and different shaped joints as they “connect the dots.”

In the Mostly Make-Believe area, large foam pieces were scattered about on the floor. The green shapes could be stacked and rearranged, but the kids in the crowded room just seemed happy to crawl over them to get to their next activity.

child dressed in a dragon costume at the Hands-On House

Kids can also play make-believe in the dress-up area. Costumes include pirates, princesses, wizards and dragons.

Mailboxes are set up throughout the attraction. They are all part of the post office exhibit, which gives children the opportunity to deliver the mail to the matching location or pick up the mail and take it back to the post office for sorting.

Child playing at a table at the Hands-On House in Lancaster PA

It was fun watching our two-year-old explore, though it was a little crowded thanks to the holiday weekend. If it was a little less full, we probably would have spent more time exploring. But our son had a blast, and that’s what really counts.

When You Go

The Hands-On House has outdoor activities as well that are open during the warmer months. These include the Active Adventure Garden, the Play Garden and Discovery Meadow.
We visited on a school holiday, a busy day for any children’s attraction. It was a little too crowded at times. Consider coming on a weekday when school is in session, if you can.