Hands-on House, Children's Museum of Lancaster

12/02/2025

📣INTRODUCING Sensory Friendly Sundays! We’re beyond excited to share this offering that has been in the works for many months now🥹

Sensory Friendly Sundays is a program designed for children with Autism and sensory sensitivities so that they an enjoy a calmer, lower-sensory museum environment. A Pediatric Occupational Therapist will be onsite during the day to chat with caregivers and kids!✨

This program is a stepping stone in ensuring Hands-on House is a space where learning through play is accessible to ALL. (We welcome any and all suggestions for how we can expand our museum experience!)🤗

We also envision this as an opportunity for families to CONNECT. Come meet others who share similar lived experiences, swap stories, and plan meetups. 💙Let’s build a true sense of community where support is abundant!

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💌WHAT TO EXPECT:

Bright lights and loud exhibits will be turned down or off

Guest capacity will be significantly reduced

A quiet, low-sensory calm-down room will be available for use

Sensory-focused activities will be provided with our program partner, Ashton Smith, of Smith OT Solutions

Exhibits that may still be bright, loud, or have unexpected textures will have signs noting this
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Registration is OPEN on our website and required to attend. Regular admission rates apply. Join us at one of our upcoming dates:📅

Sunday, March 16 from 12-2 pm
Sunday, April 13 from 3:15-5 pm
Sunday, May 11 from 3:15-5 pm
Sunday, June 8 from 3:15-5 pm

https://handsonhouse.org/programs/sensory-friendly-sundays.html

We’ve had so many visitors request an experience like this over the years and it’s finally here!! Tag friends and family below who would love to be part of this⬇️❤️

12/02/2025

Plan your next day trip! Come visit our neighbors Landis Valley Museum for FREE admission and an amazing educational opportunity March 9th Noon-4pm📣🤩

Mark your calendars 🗓 Sunday, March 9th is Charter Day! Get free admission to Landis
Valley Village & Farm Museum from 12pm-4pm! Learn PA German history, listen to interpreters, and see demonstrations. We hope to see you there! 😊

12/02/2025

We will be opening late today due to winter weather conditions📣❄️ Stay safe!

11/02/2025

PLEASE READ❤️ Dear community, there are SO many exciting things happening behind the scenes at Hands-on House! After listening to your feedback and discussing ways to create the most supportive, enjoyable, and sustainable museum experience for all, we have decided to shift our hours of operation. 📣New hours will begin March 1st📣

With the shift in hours we will be able to:

🌟Open the museum when there is the most demand for our offers

📅Expand the Play Lab hours to weekends

🎊Open up more options for exclusive birthday parties

💙Create new opportunities for parent/group meet ups
and affordable field trips

💌Better steward our resources to ensure our exhibits, facilities, programs, and community outreach efforts receive the TLC and development space they deserve

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To accommodate already scheduled parties + events the hours shift will happen in 2 phases:

OUR NEW HOURS OF OPERATIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS:⏰⬇️

⏰Phase 1: Museum hours starting March 1st
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Saturday: 9-5 pm
Sunday: 11-5 pm

⏰Phase 2: Museum hours starting April 1st
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Saturday: 9-5 pm
Sunday: 9-3 pm

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All that to say, while we will be open fewer hours, we are actually expanding visitor access to our facility while giving our team the ability to support work behind the scenes.

We truly are excited about the future of HOH and know that growth happens when there is space to reflect, recharge,and develop. We can’t thank you enough for your support during this transition and invite you to come check out all the magic taking place here!

Please help us spread the word and feel free to message us with any questions or comments below

10/02/2025

🎉Can’t stop thinking about the Super Bowl? We get it! We can’t stop thinking about this SUPERB OWL—hand painted by our in-house art educator, Ms. Patti (incredible,right?!) 🤩😱 This owl is part of a new exhibit feature that will guide children through a scavenger hunt and exploration of local wildlife🦉 Keep an eye out for the remaining birds and wild creatures to be placed around the museum!

08/02/2025

❄️📣We will be closing early today, 2/8 at 3pm

07/02/2025

Learn more about our Visitor Experience Manager position below ⬇️ and tag a friend/family member who might be interested! We would love to welcome you to the Hand-on House team!🤩

https://jobs.gusto.com/postings/hands-on-house-children-s-museum-of-lancaster-visitor-experience-manager-22b315e5-4b4e-4ef5-88fa-570cd7fc6058

06/02/2025

❄️📣Winter weather alert for Thursday 2/6

05/02/2025

✨We’re honored to be a partner in the Sprouting Learner program: an early childhood initiative for ages 0-2 and 3-5 in Lancaster County! Take a look at all the fun we had at the December event ❄️

Interested in bringing the museum to your school or organization? Learn more about our outreach offerings below⬇️

https://handsonhouse.org/for-schools/

03/02/2025

Friday was Maddie’s last day at Hands-on House. As our Operations Manager she’s worn *many* hats and after almost 5 years supporting the museum mission + experience she’s on to her next chapter. Maddie, thank you for everything—we're going to miss you SO much! ❤️❤️ Wishing you all the best!

29/01/2025

📣We’re hiring! Are you passionate about creating community spaces that support the needs of young children and their families? Looking to join an amazing team dedicated to extending the wonder of childhood? We invite you to apply to our Visitor Experience Manager position! ✨

📩Learn more and apply here:

https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4138094040

Tag someone in the comments below who might be interested ⬇️

24/01/2025

Hands-on House Children’s Museum of Lancaster has a new Executive Director! 🤩📣We’re thrilled to introduce Rebecca Ackerman to our community. Rebecca joined the team in early January and is already infusing her enthusiasm + eye for detail into the systems that will help us steward our mission.

In her words: “As a non-profit museum focused on fostering the development of Lancaster County's youngest residents, Hands-On House offers families a critical third space for learning -- an intentional environment for children to build skills, explore interests, and deepen their understanding of the world around them through independent and purposeful play."

As a former nonprofit leader with years of experience working in education, Rebecca envisions a community that honors and prioritizes the needs of young children and their families so that, as they grow, we all thrive.

She is passionate about partnering with children, parents, educators, and other caregivers to make HOH a place where everyone feels seen, supported, and empowered.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Rebecca yet, say hello in the comments below! ⬇️👋You’ll find her around the museum and out in the community getting to know the incredible organizations that call Lancaster home.

(And since kids and adults alike tend to wonder…Rebecca is always happy to share why she doesn’t have hair—a welcome chance to chat about what makes everyone different! )

As we celebrate our 25th year of operation in our current location, Rebecca shares that she is honored to be joining a museum with such a cherished legacy. She is looking forward to connecting with stakeholders (that’s you!) about their vision for the next 25 years.

Here’s to an exciting new chapter of growth and learning!🌟

📩Feel free to reach out to Rebecca directly at: [email protected]

20/01/2025

🤩Reminder: we are OPEN today! Join us for extended hours 9-5pm for MLK Jrs. Birthday

Tag a friend below ⬇️

20/01/2025

⏰ Join us for extended museum hours today!

19/01/2025

❄️❗️ATTENTION: Due to winter weather conditions the museum will be CLOSED today Sunday, 1/19. Stay safe out there!

17/01/2025

⬇️🎊Tag a friend below and plan your visit to the museum for Monday!

17/01/2025

Join us in congratulating our incredible teammate, Andrea, on 5 years of dedicated service at Hands-on Hands❤️ She is a familiar face and source of support for our visitors as well as cherished leader for our staff! THANK YOU for all that you do and the energy you bring to our mission🎉

17/01/2025

📣HOURS UPDATE Friday 1/17: due to a schedule change the private event for this morning has been canceled so we are now open to the public 9am-7pm