Shopping in Ephrata

Walking into a HobbyTown USA is like immersing yourself in a science fair, toy store, art-supply shop, and robot dance-off all at the same time. Stocked with items ranging from model Camaro kits ($20.99) to easy-to-care-for ant farms ($14.99), the store has something for any particular age or interest. Spice up the tide of warm weather with interactive outdoor activities such as flying Turbo Jet 2000 gliders ($4.99) or kites shaped like 3-D space shuttles ($19.99), which, unlike real space shuttles, serve decent in-flight meals. For rainy days, you can always just pick up a 10-piece carving-knife set ($4.95) and an eight-color all-purpose paint set ($11.59) to repurpose any banister as a totem pole of achievement.

After growing frustrated with her film-industry career in New York City, Anne Kuronyi traveled out west, where she spent most of her time sifting through clothing racks in "buy, sell, trade" boutiques. Fueled by a love of vintage apparel and a modest amount of money, Anne returned to her hometown in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, to open her own shop. What began in 2003 as a three-room boutique eventually expanded into a seven-room vintage haven stocked with gently used designer clothing, jewelry, and home décor. Now three locations strong, The Attic maintains a dialogue with its clientele through excellent customer service, social-networking sites, and retro carrier pigeons.

A web of scrolls, acanthus leaves, and flowers weaves its way around a polished metal serving tray, encircling edibles with an intricately wrought border. This baroque pattern dates back to the 17th century, when Parisian silversmiths created the design for Queen Mary. This motif has since been revived by sculptor Stan Baskett, one of Wilton Armetale Factory Store's cadre of skilled designers. Like many of the pieces in Wilton Armetale’s serveware collection, the designs are rooted in history but have been updated and streamlined for daily use.

Even though the shop's pieces are ornate, they never sacrifice durability. This nontoxic serveware and grillware is oven- and freezer-safe and sturdy enough for cooking, baking, and grilling. The metal workers also vow that their pieces will not rust, break, chip, or heckle you as they usher meals from the kitchen to the table.

The Mattress Factory's knowledgeable, non-commissioned staff guide customers to high-quality memory-foam and natural-latex mattresses from brands such as Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, and Stearns & Foster. Customers can shop at ease in an atmosphere that's free of sales pressure, price haggling, and the complex conversion of U.S. currency into the steel ingots accepted by mattress-making dwarves. The Mattress Factory will also set up your new mattress and remove your old one for free.

Robert Gardner grew up in the world of gardening. At the age of 13, he started helping work the fields and sell plants at his family's nursery, becoming the fourth generation of his family to go into the business. Decades later—now at the helm of the family business—Mr. Gardner purchased a property in Chester Springs and created Gardner's Landscape Nursery. Here, he oversees the growing of 100,000 annuals and perennials each year and the stock of home decor and patio furniture that is made in America.

Mr. Gardner and his staff also help patrons design custom outdoor environments, selecting plants, trees, and shrubs that beam with fall colors or thrive in specific conditions. Alternatively, patrons can explore on their own, browsing a glass house with plants and flowers or a 19th-century barn, which houses outdoor furnishings and the ghosts of garden gnomes.

Founder Michael Johnston’s bookshelves didn't just groan under the weight of other authors’ volumes, they also supported the six texts he wrote on crafting stained glass—an art which Johnston perfected for more than a quarter century. With a team of instructors adding two more decades of experience to the mix, Johnston’s Rainbow Vision Stained Glass expands the community of glass workers through small group classes. Students gather within Rainbow Vision Stained Glass’s sprawling Victorian-style headquarters to learn the fundamentals of making stained glass or the more sophisticated techniques necessary for crafting glass boxes, Tiffany-style lampshades, or glass houses for those who have sworn off throwing rocks. The studio also teaches fused-glass skills, which can yield everything from pendants to wine-bottle stoppers.

Anticipating the needs of its pupils, Rainbow Vision Stained Glass peddles everything a glass artist might desire. More than 400 styles and colors of glass gleam within, more than 300 pattern books await crafters in need of inspiration, and soldering irons stand ready to bind creations together.