Things to Do in Lancaster

Hershey Theatre, conceived in 1933 by noted philanthropist and chocolatier Milton S. Hershey, stands as an opulent tribute to the performing arts. Taking architectural cues from Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice, the foyer’s towering arches gleam with golden paint and crystal chandeliers. The blue-and-gold mosaic that leads to the main seating area is the masterwork of two German artists who spent two years on its construction. Once inside the theater, audiences might think they’ve stepped onto the streets of Venice thanks to the atmospheric ceiling, stonework facades, and gondoliers paddling them to their seats.

Keenly aware of Lancaster’s need for a space celebrating the city's vibrant art community, a group of determined artists and citizens banded together in 1965 to found the Goethean Hall Gallery of Art, nestled amid Franklin and Marshall College. Though the art gallery has changed venues and names, the original vision of its founders—to provide visitors with the “best available art”—remains unchanged. Rechristened as the Lancaster Museum of Art (LMA), the museum now resides in the historic Grubb mansion, and boasts diverse exhibits and events for the public. The mansion’s 4,000 square feet of galleries and porticos plays host to an ever-changing lineup of awe-inspiring art, as well as a permanent collection composed of paintings from a roster of Lancaster’s homegrown artists, including Hugh Fitzgerald, Abby Rudisill, and Ellen Slupe. LMA also fosters an artistic dialogue with the community through numerous education programs that introduce the next generation to the ins and outs of the creative process.

With a total of 36 holes that wind through the wetlands at the northernmost tip of the Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club maintains links-style courses in Rising Sun and North East, Maryland. Patrons have voted their approval of the golf club, which is a host of the 2012 Special Olympics, in Maryland Life's Free State's Finest 2011 list.

As players guide their golf balls through tree-lined fairways at the North East Course, they encounter blooming azaleas ringing the greens in the spring and offering adorable opportunities to express affection for a caddie. Budding golf enthusiasm continues to flower at the Rising Sun Course, where seven ponds poke their way into the line of play and remain a constant inconvenience. Rising Sun’s signature fourth hole, also known as Lookout, offers a prime example, with a vicious pond on the right swallowing up sliced tee shots and unsuspecting bunnies that graze too close to it.

North East Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 70 course
• Total length of 6,434 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 72.3 from the back tees
• Course slope of 138 from the back tees
• Six sets of tees per hole

Rising Sun Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course
• Total length of 6,636 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 73.1 from the back tees
• Course slope of 129 from the back tees
• Six sets of tees per hole