A living history day

Although I could have simply been happy to lounge around on the front porch today in Mt. Gretna, with short walks, my “tireless tourist” inclinations always seem to get the upper hand. 

So, of course, I went to the “longest continuing in operation” farmer’s market in the US — the Lancaster Central Market, started in 1730.  It sustains a delightful mix of vendors, from long-standing ones to newbies, in a wonderfully restored old market building.  It’s a bit of a destination market, but I use that term in the most appreciative way;  there are local meats, vegetables, and other goods in abundance.

I enjoyed my visit.

Then, it was off to the Landis Valley Village & Farm  a remarkable living history museum honoring Pennsylvania Dutch culture in this area and traditional buildings.  Founded by a couple of brothers, on their family farm land, the mission of the museum is to collect, preserve, and interpret Pennsylvania German culture from 1740 through 1940.  They succeed wonderfully.

I knew their site through their Heritage Seed Project    How I found out about it, I don’t recall, but I’ve kept an impressive older heirloom seed catalog of theirs for many years.  The active gardens are spread across the museum site;  it was a bright day, so photos weren’t easy.

Their interpreters were excellent, and the collection of buildings, along with the original Landis family houses and inn, were great.  It was definitely one of the nicest living history museums I’ve visited — and I’ve visited a lot of them, literally around the world.