Turkey Hill Experience
Day tripping in Lancaster County would not be complete without a visit to the Turkey Hill Experience, a museum exploring the iconic ice cream and tea maker founded right here in Lancaster. I had resisted going for some time because I thought it was a little pricey for the amount of time spent there, however I think I thought that mostly because it was something so close to my house. I wouldn’t think twice about the price if I were on vacation or traveling further to get there. So one recent muggy Saturday morning I took the kids. I am so glad I did! They ALL had a wonderful time, and that’s saying something because they range in age from 3 to 12.
In consideration of cost savings, I elected not to do the “Taste Lab” which required an additional fee and an extra half hour. The Taste Lab allows participants to create their own flavor of ice cream and then leave with a sizeable cup of their new concoction. Additionally, instructors give a brief class on the basics of ice cream making. The kids regretted we did not do this!
The Experience starts off on the ground floor of a repurposed factory building and includes a small gift shop, restrooms, and the ticket desk. The rest of your tour takes place on the second floor, following a path of sorts, although everything is self-guided and can be done in any order you desire. The Experience covers topics such as the founding and history of Turkey Hill, product development, the different aspects of ice cream production, marketing and advertising, and information about their iced teas. This museum is informational but highly interactive and modern. Kids and adults alike will enjoy listening to audio excerpts, creating their own scents, designing their own ice cream flavor and then creating packaging for it, making their own commercial, milking the mechanical cow, and stepping into the cold freezer. There is a small play space for the younger crowd including a ball pit and built in slide, although my three-year old was too shy to participate. The highlight for us (and I’m thinking most people) is the unlimited free samples of ice cream and iced tea! The ice cream was a full scoop in a dish, with multiple flavors to choose from. I don’t even want to know how many scoops my 12 year old son had. Everything was so bright and clean, easy to tour, and just plain FUN! 
I recommend getting there as soon as it opens for the least amount of crowds. It tends to get busier closer to the lunch hour, making it more difficult to get through the queue, diminishing the quality of your tour. I would allow 2 hours to go through the Experience and an extra half hour for the Taste Lab. We got there an hour after it opened and ended up having to hurry through two stations to get home for lunch. If you have the time and don’t mind spending more, the Taste Lab would be a great addition to your tour. If you are coming from out of town, there is a Turkey Hill mini-mart and Pizza Hut attached to the Experience. A Burger King and small café are very close by as well. Also, if you want to make a day of it, Turkey Hill Experience could be paired with Martha Wright Ferry Mansion (I already blogged on this) or the National Watch and Clock Museum. Even though it’s tiny, the town of Columbia packs some serious day trip punch!
Hours: generally 9:30 AM- 5:00 PM every day during peak season, reduced hours the other months of the year, see website for complete listings
Admission: (Experience only) $9.95 for adults, $8.95 for children ages 5 and up, Free for children ages 4 and under and Military; add an additional $4.95 to each of these admission prices for the Taste Lab.
Turkey Hill Experience
301 Linden Street
Columbia, PA 17512
See www.turkeyhillexperience.com for details!
