Group Tour Itineraries

Cultivating Culture

Agriculture is an integral part of the economy and heritage of Pennsylvania’s Americana Region. It helps to sustain many local businesses like farmers markets, wineries, even festivals.

• Visit the world-famous Rodale Institute, the pioneer in organic farming. Tour the grounds, take a workshop, and browse their bookstore
• Stop at our local farmers markets like Renninger’s Antique & Farmers Market and Leesport Farmers Market, to sample and purchase fresh foods and area delicacies. Check out the wares of the flea market and antique vendors.
• Make a day of touring, tasting, and enjoying the wines along the Berks County Wine Trail including Clover Hill Vineyards, Folino Estate Vineyard & Winery and Pinnacle Ridge Winery and Long Trout Winery.

Depending on the time of year include Kutztown Folk Festival, Oley Valley Community Fair, and Chile Pepper Food Festival in your itinerary.

Dutch Treat – PA German Tour

Our Pennsylvania Dutch or German heritage influences our food, culture, customs, even our way of speaking. Come learn about our fascinating traditions.

• Discover hex signs, a uniquely American art form and symbol of the PA Dutch. Follow our Barn Star Art Tour and learn the meanings of the colorful designs dotting our countryside.
• The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center preserves and promotes our PA Dutch history. Schedule a visit to the center to catch a glimpse into the world of the PA Dutch.

Related activities include the Kutztown Folk Festival and Bowers Chile Pepper Festival.

Haunts n’ Hex

Tour our region’s most haunted places with Charles J. Adams Ill, paranormal researcher, author of more than 35 books on ghosts and hauntings, and storyteller extraordinaire.

Berks County Heritage Center Tour – approx. 3 hours
Venture inside a haunted covered bridge, then follow the former towpath of the Union Canal to the site of an 1875 murder-suicide of three children and their mother. Afterwards, walk to an eerie graveyard to hear stories of its hauntings and search for unmarked graves with copper divining rods hand-crafted by your host.

Centre Park Historic District Tour – approx. 2.5 hours
Stroll through Charles Evans Cemetery, to see or sense the resident spirits. The tour of the city’s premier historic district will also include a visit to The Gables at Stirling Guest Hotel, other ominous Victorian beauties, and the Berks History Center.

Related activities include a lantern tour of Crystal Cave, or a tea luncheon at the stunning The Gables at Stirling Guest Hotel.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Visit the Pennsylvania’s Americana Region museums dedicated to trains, planes and automobiles. We love sharing our contributions to transportation. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

• Visit the Mid Atlantic Air Museum, home of World War II Weekend, and learn of our region’s contribution to flight, as well as a general history of aviation.
• Tour the Gruber Wagon Works, maker of the farm-use wagons. The museum is one of the most complete examples of a rural manufactory of its kind in the nation.
• Located in a former auto body factory, Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, houses and preserves vehicles manufactured in Pennsylvania like the Duryea.
• Ride the Colebroookdale Railroad and discover the treasures of Southeastern PA in a beautifully restored, Edwardian-era coaches.
• When in Reading, stop at the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum. Dedicated to preserving the history of our legendary railroad, the museum features locomotives, passenger cars, and other freight equipment.

Related activities include Diner Days at Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles.

Charming Country Christmas 

The traditions, events, and attractions of Pennsylvania’s Americana Region are sure to put you in the holiday spirit.

• Now celebrating over 70 years, Koziar’s Christmas Village comes to life each year with lights, animated displays, and holiday gift shops.
• Stroll through the illuminated displays and decorations at Holiday Lights at Gring’s Mill. Afterwards, warm up in the barn as you enjoy lively entertainment.
• “A Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas Carol” by Fecho Entertainment is the PA German version of the Dickens’ holiday classic.  The characters board your bus to entertain your group.

Related activities include holiday tea at the The Gables at the Stirling Guest Hotel, PA German Cultural Heritage Center’s Christmas on the Farm, a visit to the Reading Liederkranz Christkindlmarkt, or a holiday excursion on the Colebrookdale Railroad. 

Arts & Antiquities

Greater Reading is home to over thirty museums, historic sites and the Goggleworks Center for the Arts. Our antiques shops are considered some of the best places to shop for collectibles.

• Attend Renninger’s Antique and Collector’s Extravaganza, held every April, June, and September on the last full Thursday, Friday & Saturday of the month.
• GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is the largest integrated art center in America. Tour the galleries, visit the artist studios, and watch a hot glass demonstration.
• Include a show at the Miller Center for the Arts, which offers an array of disciplines including dance, music, and theatre.
• Explore the treasures of Reading Public Museum, Reading Area Fire Firefigher’s Museum and Berks History Center to learn about the fascinating history of our region and beyond.

Related activities include the semi-annual Berks Guild of Craftsmen Craft Shows, Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest, and performances by area theatre groups.

Train & Treasure

Visitors will marvel at this nostalgia filled itinerary. 

• Enjoy an excursion on the Colebrookdale Railroad and discover the treasures of Southeastern PA in beautifully restored, Edwardian-era coaches. Seasonal themes are offered throughout the year.
• The Carousel at Pottstown is sure to put a smile on the faces of all who visit. Built in 1905, the carousel and its menagerie of hand-carved animals have been brought back to life!
•  Located in a former auto body factory, Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles houses and preserves vehicles manufactured in Pennsylvania, like the Duryea.

Related activities include trips to Reading Area Firefighter’s Museum, Reading Railroad Heritage Museum, Allentown and Auburn Railroad and WK&S Railroad.

Keepin’ it Kutztown

Kutztown offers so much to see and do; it’s easy to spend all of your time in this lovely college town.

• Start your visit at the PA German Cultural Heritage Center to learn about our PA Dutch roots. Then, follow our Barn Star Art Tour through the countryside for a close-up look at hex signs, a unique form of PA German art.
• Hungry? What’s your pleasure? Choose between wine tasting and Italian cuisine at Folino Estate Vineyard & Winery, or a cold flight of beers and pub food at Saucony Creek Craft Brewery & Gastropub.
• Following lunch, revive at Crystal Cave, always a cool 54 degrees. Or, relax with post-lunch excursion on the Allentown & Auburn Railroad.
• Take a shopping break at Paisley & Company Bath & Boutique Bar. Purchase the wonderful goods on hand or allow time to for your guests to create items to take home.
• Not to be overlooked, the Kutztown Folk Festival. Make the oldest folk festival in the country the centerpiece of an overnight visit to the region in early July.

Wheels of Time

Pick and choose from our many attractions dedicated to one of man’s earliest inventions to build the perfect itinerary.

• Reading Railroad Heritage Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of our legendary railroad. Run entirely by former RR employees, the museum features locomotives, passenger cars, and freight equipment.
• Wanamaker, Kempton and Southern Railroad runs on 3 1/2 miles of track that was part of the Schuylkill & Lehigh branch of the Reading Company. While not very big, WK&S is largely unmatched in terms of authenticity and scenic diversity. Following your ride, head to Deitsch Eck Restaurant for an authentic PA Dutch meal.
• Tour the Gruber Wagon Works at Berks History Center. This maker of farm-use wagons is one of the most complete examples of a rural manufactory of its kind in the nation.
• Visit Mid Atlantic Air Museum, home of World War II Weekend. Learn about our region’s contribution to flight, as well as the general history of aviation.
• Located in a former auto body factory, Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles houses and preserves vehicles manufactured in Pennsylvania, like the Duryea.
• Take a ride on the Colebrookdale Railroad, and discover the treasures of the Hidden Valley as you travel in beautifully restored Edwardian-era train cars.