On the calendar · Updated October 20, 2026
The Lancaster
Ledger
Ledger
Columbia is a borough on the eastern shore of the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, centrally located between Lancaster, York and Harrisburg. It began as Wright's Ferry, a river crossing settled in 1726, and was once considered as a site for the nation's capital. Today it is known for its historic architecture, museums, antique shops and the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail, which begins at the Columbia Crossing trailhead.
Updated · Also see: Things to Do This Week · Halloween · Christmas Events · Openings and Closings · Elizabethtown · Manheim · Marietta · New Holland · Bird-in-Hand · Millersville · Lititz · Strasburg · Ephrata · Intercourse · Mount Joy
The museum of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors displays clocks and watches from around the world, including a gallery on the history of Lancaster watchmaking. It is open Wednesday through Sunday.
Interactive exhibits let visitors design a virtual ice cream flavor, package and commercial while sampling Turkey Hill ice cream and iced tea and learning the company's history. Add-on tickets include a Taste Lab where you make your own ice cream flavor.
Guided tours show the interior of the First National Bank of Columbia, chartered in 1864, including its walnut teller cages, the president's office and a walk-in vault. Tours are requested by phone or online form, with a suggested donation.
Housed in the former English Evangelical Lutheran Church, the society preserves and presents the history of Columbia, once known as Wright's Ferry, and runs a model railroad and village display. It is open weekend afternoons and closes for a winter break from January through April.
This borough park on the Susquehanna has boat and paddlecraft launches, picnic areas and the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center, which offers maps, exhibits and restrooms. The 14-mile Northwest Lancaster County River Trail starts here, and a seasonal outfitter rents canoes, kayaks and bikes.
Built in 1869 with the borough's funding, the market house now holds a farmers market with produce and specialty food vendors, a restaurant and an event space. The market is open Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
More than 200 dealers fill three floors of a late 1800s former hardware store with antiques and collectibles. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with later hours on the fourth Friday of the month.
The Columbia brewpub is the company's original location and home to its brewery, with a taplist and food menu. It has bike parking for riders coming off the Northwest River Trail.
The Lancaster Ledger sends the week's events, live music, and Lancaster County news three mornings a week. It's free.
Subscribe free →Places to go in Columbia include National Watch and Clock Museum, Turkey Hill Experience, First National Bank Museum, Columbia Historic Preservation Society. Each one on this page links to its own website for hours and admission.
Columbia Crossing River Park is free to visit.
The Lancaster Ledger lists events and live music across Lancaster County three mornings a week. Anything happening in Columbia shows up on this page once it's in an edition.