Lancaster City Visitor Center | Hammel Associates Architecture

With tourism being a significant part of the economic sustainability of center city Lancaster, it was vital to have a visitor center that would create the right first impression and encourage tourists to explore downtown.

Ideally located at the center hub of the city, a county-focused visitor center and museum was transformed into the state-of-the art interactive Lancaster City Visitor Center, now totally focused on city attractions and history. The historic building, once the Old City Hall, is located opposite Central Market, one of the most popular attractions downtown.

The Visitor Center includes a portrait gallery that combines traditional portrait art with new interactive “living portraits” of people who played a prominent role in the history of the city; they literally talk to each other and interact with visitors.

The reception area of the new center is deliberately designed with lots of open floor space to accommodate heavy visitor traffic. A local artisan created custom poplar furniture which is installed through the facility. The modern flair of the furniture creates a juxtaposition with the traditional style of the historic building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.