Mount Gretna and Governor Dick Tower

Mount Gretna grew up in the 1880s and 1890s along a narrow-gauge railroad, first as a picnic ground and resort and then as the site of a Pennsylvania Chautauqua, part of a national movement that brought lectures, concerts, and adult education to summer communities across the country. Families built modest woodland cottages, many still standing, and gathered in open-air halls to hear speakers and music.

That heritage still shapes the place. The community keeps up its summer programs of arts, theater, and Chautauqua-style talks, and the compact village of narrow lanes and Victorian cottages has been carefully preserved. The Lebanon Valley was part of the ancestral homeland of the Susquehannock and, along the wider region, the Lenape, whose descendant nations continue elsewhere today. Long before the resort, iron furnaces worked these hills, and the tower's namesake ridge is tied to that early industrial past.

On the forested height of Governor Dick Hill stands the observation tower that draws hikers up from the village. Built of concrete in the mid-1900s on land given for a public park, it rises well above the treetops, and inside a sequence of stairs and ladders leads to a viewing level at the top.

From that height the reward is a sweeping panorama, the wooded ridges of the Lebanon Valley rolling away in every direction, patchworked with farm fields and, on a clear day, distant landmarks. The tower sits within the Clarence Schock Memorial Park, a large tract of forest laced with trails, so the walk to and from the tower is as much of the outing as the view itself.

Part of Mount Gretna's charm is how little it has changed. The lanes are lined with tall trees and characterful cottages, and at the center sits the Jigger Shop, a beloved open-air ice cream parlor and soda fountain that has served the community for generations. There is a small lake for swimming and boating, an outdoor theater, and a scattering of shops and galleries.

The pace here is deliberately slow. People come to walk the shaded streets, sit with an ice cream, take in a summer concert or play, and feel the unhurried rhythm of a Victorian resort that never quite modernized. It is the kind of place that rewards wandering rather than a checklist.

Summer is Mount Gretna's high season, when the cottages fill, the theater and Chautauqua programs run, and the annual arts festival draws crowds to the wooded village. The tower hike is popular then too, with the deep green forest offering welcome shade.

Fall brings color to the ridges and a fine, crisp view from the tower, along with quieter streets. Winter and early spring are hushed, the cottages mostly still, though the trails and the tower remain open to those who want a bracing walk and a bare-branch view across the valley.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Mount Gretna is a charming, historic cottage and arts community in Lebanon County, in south-central Pennsylvania, known for its storybook Victorian gingerbread cottages, a beloved summer playhouse, a lake with a swimming beach, and famous old-fashioned ice cream. Nearby stands the Governor Dick Tower, a roughly sixty-six-foot observation tower atop a wooded hill, reached by a hike and rewarding climbers with sweeping views over several counties. Together they make a delightful pairing of small-town charm and outdoor adventure.

You can stroll the enchanting tree-lined streets lined with historic cottages, catch a performance at the open-air Mt. Gretna Playhouse, swim at the lake's beach in summer, and enjoy a treat at the beloved local ice cream shop. The town is also known for its arts scene, including a popular annual art show. With its relaxed, nostalgic atmosphere and creative spirit, Mount Gretna is a lovely place to wander, especially in the warm-weather months.

The Governor Dick Tower is a tall, hollow concrete observation tower on a forested hilltop within a public park, reached by a hike through the woods. Climbing the interior stairway brings you to an open top with panoramic, 360-degree views stretching across multiple counties, spectacular especially during fall foliage. Because the interior can be dark and the top is open to the air, it is worth bringing a flashlight, watching your footing, keeping children close near the edges, and wearing good shoes for the hike up.

Spring through fall is ideal, with summer bringing the lake, the playhouse, and the town's lively arts events to life, and autumn offering spectacular foliage views from the tower. The tower and its surrounding park can be enjoyed year-round for hiking. For the fullest experience of both the charming town and the panoramic tower views, a clear day in late spring, summer, or fall is hard to beat.

Mount Gretna sits in Lebanon County in south-central Pennsylvania, within easy reach of the sweet attractions of Hershey, the Amish country and historic sites of Lancaster County, and the state capital region around Harrisburg. The rolling countryside and small towns of the area offer more to explore. That central location makes Mount Gretna and the Governor Dick Tower an easy and rewarding addition to a broader trip through the region.