Discover Lititz: Pretzel Traditions, Museums and a Park

Pretzel history and a special glimpse of Lititz

Lititz combines a distinctive pretzel tradition with glimpses into the town’s history and a park with trails, streams and playgrounds. In 1861, Julius Sturgis opened America’s first commercial pretzel bakery here. Visitors can tour the original bakery of the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery and take part in a hands-on lesson in shaping pretzels. This makes pretzel history more than just a topic to read about: shaping pretzels is part of the visit itself. The bakery is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The historic homes also offer different perspectives. The Lititz Historical Foundation includes the Lititz Museum, housed in the 1793 Christian Schropp House. The museum visit is self-guided and admission is by donation. If you prefer to explore exhibits at your own pace, you can take this type of visit into account when planning. The Johannes Mueller House focuses on something different: it offers a glimpse into the everyday life of an 18th-century craftsman and his family in a closed Moravian settlement. A 45-minute guided history tour of the house with a museum guide provides visitors with an introduction.

The Lititz Moravian Museum and Archives also highlights the history of the Moravian community, giving visitors a glimpse of rare and noteworthy historical objects. The Lititz Moravian Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; architecture and religion are among its areas of significance. Together, the Lititz Museum and Johannes Mueller House offer a range of cultural experiences: a self-guided museum visit, a guided history tour and insights into historical objects. If you are considering Lititz as a destination for a vacation rental, how much time you want to devote to museums, history or a hands-on activity may help you decide whether the town is right for you.

A park, chocolate and more to discover

Lititz Springs Park offers scenic walking paths, streams, pavilions, playgrounds and areas for community gatherings. For families with children, the playgrounds are a specific part of what the park offers; walking paths and streams provide other highlights. This makes the park a distinct focus of a stay, alongside the historic homes and pretzel bakery. The park also hosts the annual Lititz Fourth of July Celebration. This recurring event adds a tradition of festivities to the park’s features, without requiring another cultural theme.

Another local connection is chocolate: Wilbur Chocolate and Lititz, Pennsylvania, have been linked since 1934. At the Wilbur Chocolate Store in Lititz, visitors can watch chocolatiers dip, stir and sprinkle Wilbur products while they shop. This offers a firsthand look at how the products are made and is a different kind of visit from the historic pretzel bakery. If discovering local food traditions is a particular interest on your trip, you can explore chocolate as well as pretzel history.

The Warwick to Ephrata Rail-Trail (WERT) connects the Borough of Lititz with Warwick Township, Ephrata Township, Akron Borough and Ephrata Borough. This connection extends beyond Lititz to include several named municipal areas. Culture, the park, local food history and the trail appeal to different interests; you can decide what Lititz has to offer based on which of these facets matter to your trip.

More places to discover: Narvon, Salunga-Landisville, Gordonville, Leacock-Leola-Bareville, Lancaster, New Holland, Mountville and Ephrata.

Go to the main travel overview: Lancaster.