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1865
Cork Factory Hotel
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
480 Holland Avenue, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17602
Original Property Opened in 1865
Historic Hotels of America member since 2010
art
memorabilia
Cork Factory Hotel in Lancaster, PA is set in a vibrant mixed-use community, Urban Place. Urban Place is the former home of a 19th-century cork manufacturing giant, Lancaster Cork Works, and later the home of Armstrong Cork Company and Kerr Glass Company. Today, the eight-acre property has been converted into a hotel along with modern retail, event, and dining spaces. Visitors to Cork Factory Hotel enjoy the restored factory’s original brick interior walls and exposed wood ceilings, along with the luxury of a premier modern hotel. The Cork Factory Hotel preserves and honors its history, but it is not just the architecture that makes this hotel great. It is the attitude: honest, authentic, and welcoming.
Discover
- Discover the fascinating industrial past of Urban Place, a mixed-use complex home to the Cork Factory Hotel. This striking brick structure once played a central role in the city's economy, housing both the Lancaster Cork Works (later the Armstrong Cork Company) from the mid-1870s to the late 1960s and the Kerr Glass Manufacturing Corporation from 1969 to 2000. Although its production ended at the factory more than half a century ago, cork continues to inspire the Cork Factory Hotel and the rest of Urban Place. Neutral hues throughout the guestrooms, restaurant, and public spaces nod to the material's appearance. Meanwhile, cork's elasticity, diversity of uses, and buoyancy serve as a metaphor for Urban Place, a dynamic community with shopping and dining outlets, offices, luxury apartments, and, of course, the Cork Factory Hotel, which seeks to elevate historic Downtown Lancaster.
- Marvel at the juxtaposition of Cork Factory Hotel's industrial heritage and of-the-moment modernity. Fingerprints of the structure's factory past can be seen throughout the hotel, like the structure's original wooden staircases, handsome brick both inside and out, and exposed wood-beam ceilings. In the lobby, distinctive iron castings and tools symbolize a cross-section of traditional Pennsylvania industries. These design details preserve and honor not only the factories that once called the building home but also American values like authenticity, enterprise, and an honest day's work for an honest day's pay.
- Unwind in one of the hotel's beautifully converted guestrooms or suites. Comfortably appointed with lush fabrics in neutral colors, accommodations at Cork Factory Hotel are kept purposefully minimalist. This frills-free aesthetic invites guests to appreciate the simple things in life, while also shining a spotlight on rustic historical elements like original exposed-brick walls and high ceilings lined with rough-hewn beams or decorative tin tiles. Folksy and unpretentious, each space offers the perfect place to retreat after a day spent exploring Pennsylvania's Amish Country.
Explore
- 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.
Experience
- Experience the simpler side of life and the area's abundant natural beauty with a journey through Amish Country by horse and buggy or a self-guided tour. Pennsylvania's Lancaster County is home to the country's oldest and largest Amish community, where tens of thousands continue to follow a centuries-old "Plain" way of life. There are countless ways to learn about Pennsylvania Dutch culture and witness their lifestyle firsthand, like The Amish Village, Amish Farm and House, and The Amish Experience, authentic homesteads with Plain community staples like a schoolhouse and windmill. However, the best way to experience Amish Country is by heading off the beaten path and down the backroads of Lancaster County, stopping at roadside stands along the way. Here, the honor system shopping experience awaits—make selections, write them down, and pay in cash. For even more shopping opportunities, try to stop by one of the region's massive "mud sales." Traditionally held in late winter and early spring when the ground is starting to thaw (though now held throughout most of the year), mud sales serve as fundraisers for Amish communities' volunteer fire companies and feature deep discounts on everything from produce and baked goods to furniture, antiques, livestock, and hand-stitched quilts.
- Journey through 2,500 acres of picturesque Amish countryside and into a piece of Pennsylvania history with a ride on the Strasburg Rail Road. From the comfort of a restored vintage train car, part of the largest fleet of wooden passenger rail cars in the country, travelers roll down the oldest continuously operating railroad in the United States, dating back to June 1832. Each roundtrip ride lasts 45 minutes, with steam-powered speeds appropriate for the early 20th century, and includes an audio commentary with interesting facts and railroad and regional history. Along with regular rides, guests can also choose from themed excursions like dining experiences, kid-friendly trips with Thomas the Tank Engine, seasonal jaunts starring Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, immersive stories inspired by the Civil War or Bonnie and Clyde, murder mysteries, and more. Tours of the mechanical shop and an escape room set in a stationary caboose are also available.
- Search for a souvenir or a tasty snack at Lancaster Central Market. Established in 1730, Lancaster Central Market is the country's oldest publicly owned continuously running farmer's market. Over 65 local vendors set up shop in the historic, circa-1889 Market House on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, serving up the best that Lancaster County has to offer. Goods up for purchase range from fresh flowers and produce to home-baked bread and ready-made meals. A dazzling array of gifts and travel mementos are also available, many of which are crafted in the local Amish and Mennonite traditions, including jarred goods like jams, salsas, and pickled vegetables, bottles of sauces and spreads like mustard and dressing, mixes for soups and cookies, and much more. Non-edible items are also on offer, such as hand-poured candles, natural body products, metal signs, t-shirts, mugs, and paper goods designed by local illustrators.
- Take in a live show at the Fulton Theatre. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964, the Fulton Theatre is touted as the oldest working theatre in the United States. (Stage actor John Wilkes Booth, the infamous assassin of Abraham Lincoln, once took to the stage during the structure's early days as a venue for traveling theatrical groups.) Today, the regional theatre plays host to Broadway-caliber musicals, comedies, and dramas, as well as kid-friendly productions.
Taste
- Taste the rich culinary heritage of Lancaster County at Cork & Cap Restaurant, the hotel's on-site eatery. Here, rural heritage and fresh food coalesce to create scratch-made dishes using the finest local ingredients, time-honored techniques, and simple recipes. Open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday, Cork & Cap crafts Pennsylvania Dutch-inspired fare with upscale flair, like braised beef brisket with herb-infused gnocchi, pan-seared duck breast with a reduction of cranberries and Granny Smith apples, and a bourbon-glazed bone-in pork chop with Pennsylvania Dutch pepper cabbage (a local take on coleslaw). Plush leather banquettes backdropped by the original stone walls of the old Armstrong Cork Factory serve up a side of history with every meal. Or, during warmer weather, enjoy a bite to eat on the outdoor patio beneath Urban Place's signature smokestack.
- Savor a sweet treat at the Lapp Valley Farm Creamery in nearby New Holland, Pennsylvania. Located roughly 30 minutes away, this family farm has been scooping up handcrafted, small-batch ice cream since 1975. What started out as a simple affair for tourists attending church services at local campgrounds has since grown into a thriving family business. Today, the Lapp Valley Farm offers the complete cow-to-cone experience. While enjoying one (or more) of the farm's 16 flavors of ice cream, all courtesy of the family's herd of Jersey cows, guests can stop by the barn to see the milking process, pet the calves, or simply sit on the front porch and watch the world go by.
- Greet the morning in true Pennsylvania fashion with a slice of scrapple for breakfast. A Pennsylvania Dutch spin on paté, scrapple is the head-to-tail philosophy of butchery in breakfast-meat form. As the name suggests, the dish is crafted out of cooked pork scraps (think loins, rib tips, and organs like heart and liver), cornmeal, and spices, including sage, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, and garlic. The entire concoction is then typically shaped into a loaf, cut into slices, pan-fried, and served alongside breakfast classics like pancakes and eggs with a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Round out a meal just like many Pennsylvanians: with a wedge of shoofly pie. Similar to scrapple, shoofly pie's roots trace back to the state's Pennsylvania Dutch community. The filling for this traditional dessert is made with sticky-sweet molasses and brown sugar and is crowned with a crumb of flour and more brown sugar. Naturally, these sugary ingredients are as popular with flies as they are with people, inspiring the name "shoofly pie," as the baker would inevitably need to shoo the flies away from the pie as it cooled on the sill. (In fact, knowing this, the Amish will often bake up some spare shoofly pies for outdoor gatherings and then place them far away from diners, drawing flies to the decoy pies instead of those being eaten.) Shoofly pie is available with either a "dry bottom," offering a cake-like texture throughout, or the more popular "wet bottom," which features a gooey layer near the crust. So, be sure to sample a slice of both.
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