Bird-In-Hand Inn: Family Friendly in Lancaster, PA

If Lancaster, Pa., is on your summer road trip list, the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn offers an inviting, comfortable, affordable place to spend your down-time.

Have you ever spent a day sight-seeing and ended up back in your hotel room with cranky, hungry, tired (but hyped-up) children? Instead of stressing about where to eat and how to talk the kids down from an exciting day, the Inn has it all covered.

Next to the Inn – walking distance from your room – is the Bird-in-Hand Restaurant. You can order from the menu or opt for their family-friendly Grand Smorgasboard which includes a variety of entrees, soup, salad & bread bar, and dessert bar. My daughter was really excited to see a slushie machine at the dessert bar!

After dinner, step outside your room and you’ll find all sorts of options to help the kids burn off that last bit of energy and get them ready for sleep! The pool is always a popular post-dinner spot and the Bird-In-Hand Inn has a beautiful indoor pool area. With two separate pools, there’s lots of space so you won’t feel crowded.

A landing adjacent to the pool has two billiard tables and a ping-pong table. If your kids are older and you’re comfortable being a few feet away from them, you can play pool while watching your kids swim – it’s that close. There’s also a small arcade next to the pool.

The expansive grounds around the Bird-In-Hand Family Inn offer plenty of outdoor fun. There’s a large playground structure, a pond with a walking trail around it, a petting zoo, tennis courts, a basketball court, scooter and motorcycle rentals, an outdoor pool and fire pit, and miniature golf. My daughter had so much fun feeding the ducks and playing on the playground.

When visiting Bird-in-Hand, make time to do a little exploring around town. There are handmade crafts and treats at every turn. Check out the extensive farmer’s market, the quilt & fabric shops, the craft stores, and the art gallery. And don’t miss the Bird-in-Hand Bakery & Creamery – the whoopie pies and their all-natural, locally made cream filling are a must!