Local Interests, Tours, & Day Trips   

Come see the current exhibit on display at the York Art Association. The physical activity level for the course is one sneaker. The gallery is on one floor, no stairs, and is accessible to those with walkers or wheelchairs. York Art Association has a large parking lot and some street parking.

Learn about local rail trails, all within a one-hour drive of York. You’ll go on a virtual tour of the trails with an emphasis on segments that are ideal for walking and offer amenities such as restaurants, museums, shopping, or just an opportunity to enjoy our natural surroundings. For each segment, you’ll learn how to get there, where to park, and what there is to do. Most of the segments will be a mile or two in length (although you can walk much further if you like). If you’re a cyclist, most of these trails will appeal to you as well.

Join us for an introduction to the Nursing Simulation Laboratory (Sim Lab) and Active Learning Classroom (ALC) located on the Penn State University Park campus in the Nursing Sciences Building. The facilities are designed to provide students with hands-on clinical experiences in simulated specialty units. The facilities integrate state-of-the-art human-patient simulators that guide student encounters with various patient situations, with symptoms, diseases, and conditions common in a traditional clinical setting. Simulating real-life situations provides students with opportunities to enhance the development of nursing skills, teamwork, interdisciplinary communication, critical thinking, and clinical judgment skills.

Special notes: Please wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes. Entrance to the facility involves a short set of stairs or an elevator.

Take a tour of the State College Police Station. Observe how the police department functions on a regular day and tour the computer room, booking room, cell block, police vehicles, and other offices.

Get the inside scoop about Schlow, from its remarkable art and architecture to the intricacies of its operations. Talk with library staff about cataloging the latest bestsellers, the impact of eBooks and eAudiobooks, and walk away with a new reading app or book suggestions based on your reading interests. Bring your passion for books and curiosity about libraries!

Schlow Library staff consists of community members with varied backgrounds, from degreed librarians to experienced technicians, pages, and volunteers. Collectively, library staff have hundreds of years experience and take pride in collections and services that reflect the community.

Special notes: Parking is available at the library and at any nearby downtown parking lots and garages.

During a 90-minute tour, explore several levels of the Millennium Science Complex. Participants will tour lab spaces and discuss the unique arrangement of shared space within the building and see the “quiet” labs, which are vibration-free spaces housing powerful microscopes. There will be ample time to discuss the unique activities and instrumentation contained in this giant building.

Special notes: Participants will meet in the lobby of the Life Sciences wing. Participants must wear long pants and closed-toe shoes.

Tour the largest standardbred breeding farm in the world. Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026, Hanover Shoe Farms is home to more than 1,000 standardbred horses. Last year, they welcomed 226 new foals and stood nine stallions. Chances are, you will see a brand new foal during your visit!

Special notes: Please dress for the weather. There will be a decent amount of walking, all outdoors. Closed-toe, comfortable shoes are recommended. Bring cash to make a donation of a few dollars per person at the farm (not included in the OLLI tour fee).

There are four parts to this farm tour: 1. Introduction to how the farm came to be, 2. Education regarding different natural animal fibers and what makes each special, which is warmer, and why, 3. Alpaca animal safety and behavior, and 4. Interacting with alpacas and giving them treats.

Special notes: Please turn left at the Shear Heaven Farm sign. Please park on the pavement (not grass) between the house and the barn, leaving enough room for someone to drive past you. This is a two-sneaker tour. Wear comfortable shoes for walking, and dress for the weather. Bring money if you wish to buy any items from the farm shop. Rain date is April 16.

Course fee includes $10 tour fee.

Join us to explore historic Prospect Hill Cemetery, the county's oldest and largest cemetery. Learn the rich history of veterans and founding individuals within the cemetery. Learn how individuals buried at the cemetery provided enrichment to our history.

Special notes: Bring a pillow to sit on, if you desire, and wear sunscreen, bug spray, and sneakers. Because it's an open-air trolley car, we will need to reschedule in the case of snow, thunderstorms, or heavy rains.This is a one-sneaker tour.

Join us on a walking tour of the only facility in the country to provide physical, occupational, speech, and mental health therapy; nutrition counseling; therapeutic horsemanship; equine-assisted therapies; and educational and recreational programming under one roof. Learn about our breadth of services and engaging environment in a convenient, centralized location.

Special notes: Depending on weather, parts of this tour may include walking outside of the facility. This is a two-sneaker tour and will include the horse barn and outside areas, which may be uneven. This walking tour does not involve the climbing of any staircases. Leg Up Farm is located at 4880 N. Sherman St. Ext, Mt. Wolf, PA 17347. Note: This is the address for Leg Up Farm, not Leg Up Farmer's Market, which is located 10 minutes away from the farm.

Join us for an interactive exploration of the museum’s collections, where we’ll discuss how curators manage and care for a wide variety of artifacts and materials. Learn simple preservation techniques and discover the guidelines followed to ensure the longevity of these precious items. Participants will have the unique opportunity to handle select artifacts using white gloves and engage hands-on with history. A perfect experience for those curious about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into preserving our cultural heritage!

Special notes: Please wear comfortable shoes; participants will be standing on concrete.

Join a group of garden enthusiasts for an in-depth walking tour of the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens. Participants will gain insight into the history of the Arboretum as a public garden. The tour is about the stories of the design and construction process—how the space moved from a football parking lot and farm fields to the beautiful Arboretum.

Special notes: Participants will be standing and walking for the duration of the tour. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing suitable for weather. Please bring a water bottle. Paid visitor parking is through HonkMobile/pay station in the lot adjacent to the Katz Law Building. Parking is also available at the East Parking Deck with a short walk to the Arboretum.

 

Embark on a journey of discovery honoring the resilient spirit of York’s Black community. This walking tour explores the tapestry of Black history in York City, Pennsylvania. Uncover the significance of sites once rich with life, culture, and spirit—now abandoned, demolished, or obscured by the relentless march of progress. This tour highlights the places where prominent Black families, now interred in Lebanon Cemetery, lived, worked, and worshipped in the 1800s and early 1900s, including The Smallwood School, Moravian Playground, and the Howard Hotel.

Special notes: This is a one-sneaker tour (limited amount of walking, accessible areas) and will include walking the sidewalks in York City. Please wear comfortable shoes.

Come learn about Dills Tavern, the families that lived and worked here, and the socioeconomic impact that was made upon the area as a result. Dills Tavern and its surrounding outbuildings have come to tell not only the history of Dillsburg but also the story of life on Pennsylvania’s frontier. Then, enjoy a tour of the Eichelberger Distillery, an authentic, reproduction distillery, fully licensed and producing rye whiskey on wood-fired, handmade, pot stills using 18th century techniques. Tastings will be available.

Course fee includes $45 for entrance, tour, and lunch.

Visit the Penn State Dairy Barns, where approximately 500 animals are housed. Take a tour of the dairy facility to see the animals and learn about how the animals are taken care of and what research is conducted at the facility.

Special notes: Participants will be standing and walking for the duration of the course. Please wear closed-toe shoes and dress for the weather.

Join geologist Jeri Jones for a walk through High Point County Park in Wrightsville. We will discuss the topography and geology and how that relates to the history in the area.

Special notes: This will be held rain or shine unless there is severe weather. This is a three-sneaker tour with a substantial amount of walking, outdoor walking, and historic tour pace. Not all areas are accessible. Address and directions will be sent via email to course registrants.

This course is an update on projects happening in downtown York by Royal Square Development.

Tour the Eberly College of Science Biology Greenhouse and its collection of plants. The greenhouse is a 6,250-square-foot structure that houses a diverse collection of plants, including the Lloyd Driver Orchid Collection. The greenhouse also provides rooms for professors and students in the College of Science to grow and research various plants. The greenhouse has been undergoing a number of changes over the past few months including labeling and updating of its collections as well as efforts to create a more educational space.

Special notes: Participants must wear closed-toe shoes.

Join geologist Jeri Jones for a walk through Chickies Rock County Park. We will discuss the topography and geology and how that relates to the history in the area.

Special notes: This will be held rain or shine unless there is severe weather. This is a three-sneaker tour with a substantial amount of walking, outdoor walking, and historic tour pace. Not all areas are accessible. Address and directions will be sent via email to course registrants.

The Woods Brown Mansion is a historic house museum located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. This tour will immerse participants in the elegance and daily life of the Victorian Era. After nearly 50 years of modernization, the mansion has been carefully restored by its current owners to reflect its original 19th-century charm. See a rare glimpse into Victorian life but also discover Huntingdon’s unique role and development during that period.

Special notes: The tour is not handicap accessible and does require the participants to go up stairs. Course fee includes $15 admission ticket.

Tour the historic York Armory, now home to nonprofit Keystone Kidspace. Kidspace is a hub for STEAM enrichment for kids and their grownups—a space where visitors tinker with a range of materials and tools while building their creative confidence, resilience, and collaboration skills. Co-Founder and Executive Director Jessica Brubaker will lead a tour of the revitalized historic property and share about Kidspace's history, mission, and programs. Participants will then have the opportunity to tinker, create, and play throughout the facility.

Join geologist Jeri Jones for a walk through the York County Rail Trail. We will discuss the topography and geology and how that relates to the history in the area.

Special notes: This will be held rain or shine unless there is severe weather. This is a three-sneaker tour with a substantial amount of walking, outdoor walking, and historic tour pace. Not all areas are accessible. Address and directions will be sent via email to course registrants.