Events: Family-Friendly

Campus of History Cheer

  • December 6, 2025
  • LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, PA
  • 10am - 5pm

Get in the holiday spirit with Campus of History Cheer, a festive Saturday filled with plenty of activities for the whole family and for all ages! From a morning children’s program to “Go At Your Own Pace” Yuletide tours to an afternoon greens and bake sale benefitting the Tanger Arboretum, there’s a little holiday merriment for everyone.

Candy Canes & Cocoa on the Campus of History (10-11am)
From 10-11am, kids can help us on our hunt for candy canes across the Campus of History! Children will listen to a holiday story read aloud, complete a craft to take home, and enjoy a hot cup of cocoa. Tickets are $5 per child, the cost of which goes towards crafting supplies. At least one adult (18+) must attend per household. Story, craft, and candy cane activity best suited for children between 3 and 12 years of age, but all ages are welcome. Advance registration encouraged.

Tickets for Candy Canes & Cocoa

“Go At Your Own Pace” Yuletide at Wheatland Tours (12:30 – 4pm)
Explore President James Buchanan’s Wheatland, festively decorated for the season, at your own pace! On this self-guided tour, you can explore the President’s home and see what you want for as long as you want. Tour guides will be stationed around the mansion to provide visitors with information about the spaces, objects, decor, and time-honored Christmas traditions that started in the mid-Victorian era. “Go At Your Own Pace” tours are great for families and those who want to take their time viewing the mansion (and taking pictures!) in contrast to our regular ‘guided tour’ experience.

Tour entry to the mansion begins at 12:30pm and continues every 15 minutes until the last entry at 4pm. Advance tickets are encouraged. To purchase tickets in advance, please click the button below. Your ticket purchase also includes the museum exhibitions in the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center building.

Tickets for “Go At Your Own Pace” Yuletide Tours

Holiday Greens & Bake Sale (12-3pm)
Get in the festive spirit and pick up some fresh greens at the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum’s Holiday Greens Sale! Peruse a selection of fresh greenery and homemade baked goods from 12 to 3pm or until sold out. Cash and card accepted. Proceeds benefit the Louise Arnold Tanger Arboretum, an 11-acre arboretum on the grounds of LancasterHistory’s Museum & Research Center.

All Day Activities (10am – 5pm)
Pop in for jolly activities throughout the day at Campus of History Cheer! In the Museum Store, spin our prize wheel to win special in-store discounts and prizes, check out the “must haves” from our store for the holiday season, and make a dent in your Christmas shopping while supporting local history. We’ll also have multiple, drop-in crafting opportunities, such as book page ornaments (all day) and nature-themed ornaments (12-3pm), so you can take home a little something that brings you joy! Plus, grab a cup of cocoa and drink in the holiday spirit. While supplies last.


Please Note: Tickets are required for the “Candy Canes & Cocoa” children’s program and the “Go At Your Own Pace” Yuletide Tours. Tickets are not required to attend any of the other programs or events, including the drop-in crafting opportunities.

All of the above programs and activities take place at LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Avenue, Lancaster, PA on Saturday, December 6. We look forward to seeing you then!


LancasterHistory’s 2025 Holiday Season Generously Supported By 

Logos for Haller Enterprises and Walz Group

Featured Event At Your Own Pace Tour Children's Program Family-Friendly Fundraiser Holiday In-Person Event Sale Tour

Owls of Lancaster County

A woman wearing a green t-shirt and hat stands in the forest.
Lisa Sanchez

On Saturday, December 13, get to know our local owls with the help of Lancaster County Park Senior Naturalist Lisa Sanchez for our final Nature Series program of 2025! Learn about the unique features of owls, their life cycle, and the various sounds they make. After the presentation, we’ll go outside for an ‘owl prowl’ to look and listen for the owls that may live in and around the Tanger Arboretum.

Lisa J. Sanchez has been a naturalist at the Lancaster County Department of Parks and Recreation Environmental Center for 30 years. Teaching students of all ages to explore and value the wonders of nature is her passion. She enjoys helping people reconnect with the earth through education and observation. Lisa can often be found in her garden or kayaking on the river.

HOW TO REGISTER
The event, “Owls of Lancaster County” will take place on Saturday, December 13 at 6:30pm at LancasterHistory. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $10/Adults and $5/Children (17 & Under). Friends of the Tanger Arboretum members receive complimentary admission, but should still register for the program. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling (717) 392-4633. Advance tickets recommended as walk-in tickets are not guaranteed.

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE

Since the program is both indoors and outdoors, registrants should dress appropriately for the weather, wear close-toed shoes, and bring a flashlight (if available).

Membership gets you more! Membership to the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum not only supports the care and conservation of this local natural resource, but also gets you great benefits such as complimentary admission to Nature Series programs! Learn more about membership and sign up today here.

The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum is a member of the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admission Program. AHS Reciprocal Admission Program members may register for tickets in advance and must show a valid membership card upon checking in. AHS Members should contact Emily Miller, emily.miller@lancasterhistory.org, with any questions or to register for tickets in advance.


This event is hosted by the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum. The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum, a subsidiary organization of LancasterHistory, helps foster public interest in, and support for, the maintenance and development of the Tanger Arboretum as a community asset. To learn more about the Arboretum or to become a member, please visit the Arboretum’s webpage.

 


The 2025 Friends of the Tanger Arboretum Nature Series is sponsored by Ever Green Tree & Lawn Care! Thank you for your support!

Family-Friendly In-Person Event Nature Series Outdoor Program

December 13, 2025 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave, Lancaster 6:30 - 7:30pm $10/Adults | $5/Children (17 & Under) | FREE for Friends of the Tanger Arboretum Members