Lancaster: History, Art and Nature

Lancaster brings together American history, decorative arts and striking landscapes. The museums cover topics ranging from General William Tecumseh Sherman to crafts and collections; the natural landscape features forests, sandstone, gorges and streams. You can shape your stay around your own interests—with culture, creative activities or time outdoors.

History and Art in Lancaster

The Sherman House Museum is the birthplace of General William Tecumseh Sherman. The Sherman House Gardens include a kitchen garden, a medicinal herb garden and a garden featuring native Ohio plants. The three areas each have a distinct focus: food crops, medicinal plants and native flora.

The Decorative Arts Center of Ohio is both a museum and a cultural center. Its focus is American decorative arts from the 18th century to the present. The Georgian Museum offers a closer look at architecture and craftsmanship: it combines elements of the Federal Style and Greek Revival and illustrates 19th-century American craftsmanship. Its collections include silver, quilts, musical instruments, dollhouses and antique miniatures, as well as carved figures by folk artist Elijah Pierce.

The History Underfoot Trail also leads to Lancaster’s history: ten sidewalk markers are located in front of historic sites in the city center. The trail is designed for a self-guided walk. If you prefer to discover art in the city itself, Lancaster’s Open Air Art Trail features public works along the streets between Mulberry Street and Chestnut Street and between Memorial Drive and High Street. These include murals and sculptures, as well as works made of stained, leaded and art glass.

Creative Activities and Festival

The Ohio Glass Museum offers hands-on classes where participants create their own works of art. This is a different way to engage with art than viewing historic collections or architecture: here, the focus is on making something yourself. Charles Alley Nature Park offers year-round field trips for schools, 4-H groups, Scout groups, and families who homeschool or use distance learning.

The Lancaster Festival is an annual ten-day celebration of art and music. It includes more than 70 events at 22 different venues. So both a single museum visit and a program of several art and music events are among the cultural offerings that shape Lancaster.

Forests, Rocks and Trails

Clear Creek Metro Park in Lancaster encompasses 5,470 acres of woodland interspersed with sandstone cliffs, gorges and streams. Within the park is the 4,729-acre Allen F Beck State Nature Preserve. Its trails run along ridges and through deep gorges. The Benua Trail is a 1.9-mile loop through forests and meadows. These descriptions offer different perspectives on the landscape: from a loop between forest and open meadows to the more rugged ridges and gorges of the nature preserve.

Another striking landform is Mount Pleasant, a formation of Blackhand sandstone that rises nearly 300 feet above Lancaster. Together with the cliffs and gorges in Clear Creek Metro Park, it shows how prominent sandstone is in the landscapes described here.

Choose a Focus for Your Trip

Lancaster offers specific options for both interests. If you’re looking for cultural history, you can explore the museums and the History Underfoot Trail; if you want to experience nature, you’ll find descriptions of forests, meadows, rocks and gorges. Tailor your vacation rental search to whichever of these trip ideas matters most for your plans.

Discover more destinations: Pickerington

Return to the broader travel guide: Fairfield.