Explore the former home of James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States. Located less than three miles from Cork Factory Hotel, Wheatland is a handsome, Federal-style mansion. Architecturally unaltered since it was built in 1828, the beautifully preserved house has been restored to reflect its appearance during Buchanan's presidential campaign in 1856, with many original furnishings and personal artifacts. Knowledgeable guides in period dress offer fascinating tours, providing valuable context on life during the Civil War era and insight into one of the country's most controversial presidents. Another local house with presidential connections is the Historic Rock Ford plantation, the circa-1794 home of General Edward Hand, adjutant general to George Washington during the American Revolution. One of the most important surviving examples of late-Georgian domestic architecture in Pennsylvania, the mansion stands as the most intact structure predating 1800 in Lancaster County. Along with exquisite, period-style rooms, visitors can also explore the Snyder Gallery of Early Lancaster County Decorative Arts, which features furniture, tall-case clocks, long rifles, portraiture, and more. Guided tours of the house and grounds are available, traversing topics like the lives of the Hand family to enslavement and servitude in early Lancaster County.

Learn about the world at the North Museum of Nature and Science and, for families, the Lancaster Science Factory. The North Museum of Nature and Science, located less than two miles from the hotel, features an array of interactive exhibits covering everything from dinosaurs to outer space. A live animal room allows visitors to come face to face with (or even touch) turtles, snakes, monitor lizards, tarantulas, and degus, adorable rodents that are closely related to chinchillas and guinea pigs. The museum is also home to the largest planetarium in South Central Pennsylvania, immersing guests in the night sky. Meanwhile, families with children will not want to miss the Lancaster Science Factory. Only a minute-long stroll from the Cork Factory Hotel, this hands-on science center has interactive STEM displays and workshops that kids are sure to love.

Revel in Lancaster's creative spirit at one of the city's art museums. Located only a mile from the hotel, the Demuth Museum was once the home and studio of artist and lifelong Lancaster resident Charles Demuth. A major contributor to the Precisionist art movement, Demuth was renowned for his beautiful watercolors, for which he drew inspiration from the modest architecture of his hometown, and the modernist, Cubism-influenced paintings he produced to honor his famous friends like Georgia O'Keeffe and William Carlos Williams. Also nearby, less than a 15-minute stroll from the hotel, the Lancaster Museum of Art features a collection of works by regional, national, and international artists. Exhibits change frequently at this small museum, which is housed in the former townhouse of ironmaster Clement Brooke Grubb.

Climb aboard a caboose at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Boasting an impressive collection of over 100 historic locomotives and rail cars, this fascinating museum in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, just 20 minutes from the hotel, chronicles the state's rich railroad heritage. Visitors can uncover the captivating stories of the people who built, ran, and traveled by Pennsylvania's railways and experience first-hand the riveting history of and technology behind the industry that shaped the United States, whether inspecting a 62-ton engine from below or taking the throttle of an authentic freight locomotive during a simulated run. Afterward, for a look at a different kind of American muscle, make a pit stop at Barry's Car Barn in Intercourse, Pennsylvania. Here, guests cruise down memory lane as they stroll past automobiles dating as far back as the 1930s, with a special focus on cars from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Gearheads of all ages will also appreciate the antique Harley Davidson and Indian motorcycles, as well as automobilia curated over the years, like gas station pumps, signage, and more.