Lancaster is the urban heart of Lancaster County and has more historical depth than its small size suggests. The city served briefly as the capital of the United States in 1777, and was the state capital of Pennsylvania until 1812. James Buchanan, the country's fifteenth president, lived and is buried here; his home at Wheatland sits on the western edge of the city.
The Central Market, operating since the 1730s, is one of the oldest continuously running farmers' markets in America. Vendors sell everything from Amish baked goods and handmade pretzels to locally raised meats and fresh produce. The market sits on Penn Square next to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument; a block away stands the Fulton Opera House, one of the oldest working theatres in the country.
The surrounding blocks of Queen Street and Prince Street have filled with galleries, restaurants, and coffee shops, making Lancaster one of the more interesting small cities in the state. The North Prince Street arts strip and the small Demuth Museum — the former studio of the American Modernist Charles Demuth — give the downtown a creative undertow. Beyond the city, the Amish farmland east of town and the Moravian village of Lititz make for easy day trips.