Lititz PA – America’s Coolest Small Town

Voted America’s Coolest Small Town in 2013, Lititz, PA is where I call home!   

Lititz, PA,  is a historic small town in the heart of Lancaster County, PA.  Lititz was founded in 1742 by Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf as a Moravian church community. 

LITITZ MORAVIAN CHURCH 

The Moravians were facing religious persecution in Germany and came to the new world seeking freedom.  The church square is beautiful.  You can take a tour of the historic church sanctuary that dates to 1787 and other buildings on the square and learn more about the history of the Moravian community.  One interesting fact, the Brethren House (below) served as a hospital for General Washington during the Revolutionary War.  To learn more about the Lititz Moravian Church, click HERE.

Also on the church square is Linden Hall, a boarding school for girls.  Linden Hall was founded in 1746 and is the oldest girls’ boarding and day school in the United States.   The photo below is the chapel at Linden Hall that was built in 1885.  To learn more about Linden Hall, click HERE.

 

LITITZ MUSEUM AND JOHANNES MUELLER HOUSE

Across the street from the Moravian Church Square, you will find the Lititz Museum and Johannes Mueller House (1792).

You can learn more about the Lititz Museum and the tours offered at the Johannes Mueller House HERE.

The house and museum are decorated beautifully for Fall.

 

LITITZ MUSEUM GARDEN

One of my favorite spots in downtown Lititz is the Lititz Museum Garden.  The garden is open to all and it’s beautiful any time of year!  My nephew got married in this garden!

 

STURGIS PRETZEL

Near the museum is the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, the first commercial pretzel bakery in America and the Sturgis family is the oldest pretzel baking family in America.  Visitors can tour the bakery and learn how to twist a pretzel!  And, of course, you can take some pretzels home from the bakery store.  To learn more about Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, click HERE.

Next, I wanted to give you a glimpse of some of the historic homes and shops along Main Street.

Both Main Street and Broad Street have a lot to offer with quaint shops and boutiques and unique eateries!   Most notable being the General Sutter Inn and Bulls Head Public House.

 

WILBUR CHOCOLATE

Lititz is known not just for it’s salty treat, the pretzel, but also for a sweet treat – chocolate! 

Lititz is the home of Wilbur Chocolate!  The factory was recently closed in 2016!  But, before it’s closure, you could smell chocolate in the air when you walked in downtown Lititz! 

Wilbur Chocolate is most known for Wilbur Buds, created in 1893.  Wilbur is celebrating 125 years of Wilbur Buds this year!  The Wilbur Chocolate Store is located across the street from the old factory on Broad Street.

The store is full of nostalgia from the original factory!  To learn more about Wilbur Chocolate or to have some Wilbur Buds delivered to your home, click HERE.

My last stop on today’s tour of downtown Lititz, is Lititz Springs Park.  You can read more about the history of Lititz Springs Park HERE.

THE READING AND COLUMBIA RAILROAD

The Reading and Columbia Railroad passed through Lititz.  This is the Welcome Center at the entrance to the park.  It was built as a replica of the 1884 Lititz Passenger Depot.

 

This is just a small glimpse of Lititz, PA.  This was a hard post for me to write because there’s so much more that I would like to share!  But, I hope that you enjoyed seeing the sights in downtown Lititz!  If you would like to plan a visit to Lititz, click HERE.   And, I have a post from years ago showing some of downtown Lititz in the snow at Christmastime!  You can see that post HERE.

 

My post today is part of a Points of Interest Tour hosted by my friend, Jennifer at Town and Country Living!  I hope that you’ll take some time to visit the hometowns of my blogging friends below!  

 

TUESDAY

My Sweet Savannah / Hymns and Verses / It All Started with Paint / The Happie Housie

MONDAY’S TOUR

Town and Country Living / Finding Silver Pennies / Southern Hospitality

 

Shabbyfufu / Designthusiasm