Effective wayfinding systems support longer visitor stays, more economic activity, and more visitor positive experiences. Wayfinding plays a critical role in helping visitors and newcomers navigate the city and discover key attractions. The system should be designed to ease navigation, create more rapid familiarity with surroundings, and to provide a sense of increased psychological safety that encourages more extensive exploration.
Because visitors explore the city on foot, via cars and public transit, and by bike, the wayfinding system must account for the navigation needs of multimodal transportation methods.
This strategy outlines a phased, scalable approach that supports Lancaster City’s evolving tourism vision while aligning with upcoming branding and placemaking initiatives.
Vision:
To create a cohesive, multi-layered, accessible, and identity-rich wayfinding system that reflects Lancaster City’s unique character, guides visitors through the city’s key districts and destinations, and integrates seamlessly with the city’s forthcoming brand and upgraded digital infrastructure.
Primary Goals:
- Reinforce the city’s new brand and storytelling framework
- Improve visitor navigation and access to key cultural, historical, and environmental assets
- Encourage longer and broader exploration throughout the city
- Layer in digital tools for language access, ADA compliance, and enhanced storytelling experiences
Wayfinding Best Practices:
- Sign Placement Hierarchy: Welcome > Directional (Vehicular and Pedestrian) > Placemaking > Interpretive > Trail Markers
- Readability: Sans-serif fonts, 4-6 second reading time for vehicular signs, high contrast for legibility
- ADA Compliance: Font sizes, tactile maps, audio QR features
- Digital Layering: Beacons or QR codes that lead to mobile-friendly, multilingual, multimedia-enhanced digital content
Timing
Align development efforts to follow on new city tourism branding effort
Defer major design and content development of new wayfinding signage until the city’s branding and marketing campaign is complete.
Rationale:
- The forthcoming branding project will define a new visual identity, tone, and messaging for the City of Lancaster and its tourism offerings.
- Wayfinding signage should reflect and reinforce this identity.
- As part of the branding project, additional sub-brands or coding systems may be created to elevate specific assets, areas, trails, and/or districts. These should be incorporated into the city’s wayfinding system.
- Integrating wayfinding design into the branding scope will ensure a consistent visitor experience across physical and digital touchpoints.
Approach
Develop a tourism sub-branding and district framework
Use the assets inventory and visitor behavior observations noted in this report and the upcoming branding project to define thematic “tourism districts” and “tourism trails” that organize the city’s diverse experiences and attractions into distinct places and routes that can be individually promoted and further developed over time. Strategically select activity hubs that are scattered throughout the city to spread economic impact of visitation citywide.
Purpose:
- Helps visitors easily understand what each part of the city offers.
- Offers flexibility for changes in business mix and development over time.
- Supports consistent marketing, storytelling, and signage throughout the visitor journey.
- Encourages longer stays and repeat visitation by showcasing more of what the city offers.
Key Elements:
- Develop sub-brands for walkable areas and itineraries (e.g., Gallery Row, Market Square, Rail and Stadium District, Freedom & Justice Trail, One World Taste Trek, etc.) that reflect the character and activities in each.
- Develop an evergreen labeling system that describes a district’s identity or activity type. Do not rely solely on traditional neighborhood names.
- Districts should be both navigational (clear to find) and narrative (rich in story in culture).
Task 1
Refresh Downtown Wayfinding Maps (Keep Current Location)
Maintain the existing placement of Downtown Lancaster wayfinding map kiosks and signs, but fully redesign the content and maps to be clear, colorful, and timeless. Keep the “you are here” indicators, but also showcase surrounding offerings using an icon system (Theater, Retail, Restaurants, Markets, Parks, Historic Buildings, etc.). Allow for further customization and storytelling through the inclusion of scannable beacon or QR code technology that offers an extended, language-agnostic, digital experience that is accessible via mobile device.
Content Should Include:
- A new citywide map aligned with the district/sub-brand and trail system framework
- New graphics should include anchor attraction symbols, nearby services, public restrooms, and public transit access points
- New branding elements, colors, and typefaces
- QR codes linking to a digital version (see task 7)
- Distance to major attractions, featured districts, nearby neighborhoods, or trail access points
High-Priority Attractions to Highlight:
Anchor Attractions
- Lancaster Central Market
- Southern Market
- Penn Square/Visitor Welcome Center
- Lancaster County Convention Center
- Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center
- Gallery Row (100 block N. Prince Street)
- 300 block of N. Queen Street
Cultural & Historic Landmarks
- Fulton Theatre
- Bethel AME Church
- Wheatland
- Historic Trinity Church/Duke & Orange Street corridor
- The Ware Center at Millersville University
- Penn Medicine
- Lancaster Museum of Art
- Demuth Museum
Science & Family Attractions
- Lancaster Science Factory
- North Museum of Nature and Science
- Clipper Magazine Stadium
Recreation & Environment
- Long’s Park
- Buchanan Park
- Conestoga River Greenway & Access Point
- Reservoir Park/Musser Park/Brandon Park
- Linear Park Trail (South Duke to South Plum)
- Ewell Plaza & Binns Park
Higher Education Institutions
- Franklin & Marshall
- Millersville University
- Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
- Pennsylvania College of Art & Design
Task 2
Expand Directional Wayfinding (Priority Vehicular and Pedestrian Intersections) Citywide
Install additional wayfinding signage at key intersections beyond the downtown core (e.g., Harrisburg Pike, King Street, Prince Street, Queen Street). These can be mounted on existing light poles, traffic signals, or freestanding posts.
Content Should Include:
- Neighborhood/district names for orientation (as developed/confirmed during upcoming branding process)
- Nearby attraction symbols (icons for food, shopping, history, etc.)
- Directional arrows to show the way to major attractions
- Upcoming districts or attractions on the current route with distance measurements to manage expectations
Recommended Locations:
Vehicular Directional Signs
- Harrisburg Pike at College Ave
- Prince Street & King Street intersections
- Walnut & Duke Street corridor
- Near Amtrak Station roundabout
- New Holland Ave & Church Street
Pedestrian Wayfinding Posts
- As currently placed at major intersections within Downtown Core (e.g., Queen/King, Queen/Chestnut)
- At edges of each district as identified
- Near public parking garages and Red Rose transit hubs
- Lancaster Center Market plaza
- Amtrak Station plaza
- Clipper Magazine Stadium
- Penn Square
- North Museum
- Riverfront access at Conestoga Greenway
Task 3
Add Gateway Signage on Ingress Routes
Install brand-aligned gateway signage at major entry points to the city to signal arrival and establish a sense of place. Consider landscaping/beautification strategy as part of the budgeting and planning process to ensure these entry points serve as welcoming indicators of the high-quality local assets, attractions, and offerings available on the other side.
Suggested Routes for Further Planning, Evaluation, and Prioritization Include:
- Route 30 (Lincoln Highway) at Harrisburg Pike Interchange
This route runs through Downtown Lancaster and is a major artery connecting various towns and cities. It welcomes visitors coming from York, Gettysburg, or Harrisburg. It is also near Park City Center and provides access to Franklin & Marshall College.
- Route 222 South at Oregon Pike
This route is a regional connector that passes through the city and intersects with U.S. 222 and U.S. 30. It welcomes visitors arriving from the north (Reading, Allentown) and connects to the suburbs and retail areas. Because this location sits outside the city, cross-jurisdictional coordination will be required. If not possible, consider McGovern or Marshall as alternative entry points.
- Route 222 Northbound
This southern access point into the city is a main point of entry. It features high commuter and visitor traffic year-round.
- Route 462 (Lincoln Highway East)
This route is the main eastern arterial road in Lancaster City and intersects with U.S. 222 and U.S. 30 and becomes East King Street. It is the key entry for visitors coming from Amish Country, Strasburg, Dutch Wonderland, and Eastern Lancaster County.
- Columbia Avenue (Route 462 West)
This route is the main western arterial road in Lancaster City and becomes King Street. It is the main entry point from Columbia, Mountville, and western townships and features high commuter and visitor traffic year-round.
- Millersville Pike (Manor Street) / West End Ave / Hershey Ave
This route is a significant arterial road for residents and visitors approaching from Manor Township, Millersville, and surrounding rural areas. The corridor has ongoing development potential. While not as high-capacity as other highlighted routes, it supports a steady stream of daily and regional visitors.
Task 4
Add Welcoming Gateway and Wayfinding Signage at Strategic Public Transit & Pedestrian Arrival Points
Use a combination of smaller-scale gateway signs, branded columns, murals, and landmark pylons to welcome visitors on foot as they arrive at:
- The Lancaster Amtrak Station
The Lancaster City Amtrak Station is one of the most significant arrival points for out-of-town visitors to the city. It would be ideal to install signage at both the platform exit and by the main parking entrance and exits. While plans for the development of a pedestrian trail connection the station to the downtown core is already underway, additional signage clearly marking this path and providing more information about the distances between the station and major area attractions can improve the use of bike rentals and other assets already in place.
- The Red Rose Transit Authority Queen Street Station
A larger scale wayfinding kiosk by the Red Rose Transit Queen Street Station can add visual orientation for public transit users arriving downtown, helping to welcome them and connect them to the other pedestrian wayfinding system engagement points they will find throughout the city.
- North Prince Street near Clipper Magazine Stadium
This location has high visitor traffic counts, often related to sporting events, and is a key gateway to northern downtown.
These signs:
- Should integrate with new city branding
- Include lighting, landscaping, and public art
- Provide additional opportunities for interpretive messaging about Lancaster City’s identity and history, districts, and trails
Task 5
Layer in Interpretive & Contextual Signage
The new wayfinding system could also be supplemented with a system of interpretive signs throughout the city to highlight Lancaster City’s historic, architectural, cultural, and environmental assets. Some of this work has already begun but a systematic planning effort that includes key partners engaged in studying the regions assets will be helpful in ensuring the accuracy, prioritization, and alignment of these efforts and will add strength to future grant applications that might help fund the future build out of these signs, systems, and trails.
Types of Interpretive Signage:
- Historic markers (e.g., Underground Railroad, Colonial landmarks)
- Architectural highlights (e.g., notable buildings and design styles)
- Eco signage in parks and green spaces (flora, fauna, sustainability)
- Cultural highlights
- Urban trail markers
Design Consideration:
- Co-branded under the citywide wayfinding system
- Unified in style but adaptable in content and placement
- Urban settings and more temporary trails may also call for less permanent markers (window stickers, movable plaques, and similar)
Potential Locations:
- Outside the Bethel AME Church
- In front of the Convention Center near the entrance to Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center
- At the Science Factory
- Along the Conestoga Greenway
- In Long’s Park and Buchanan Park
- Near all new museums or anchor visitor attractions as proposed (target one wayfinding sign with map within a two-block distance of all anchor assets)
Task 6
Digital Integration
All non-digital wayfinding signage and map kiosks should have a discreet, well-placed QR code or beacon that allows visitors to directly link to a mobile-optimized city tourism website for expanded information.
This landing page should offer:
- Auto-translation capabilities to increase language accessibility
- Expanded multimedia content where available (e.g., place-based video tours or interviews, historic images, audio guides, timelines and similar, project profiles)
- Nearby activity listings ideally with extranet connection so accurate information can be provided and updated by attraction and event managers
- Interactive mapping connections to enable easily activated GPS wayfinding
Future Tools to Consider Adding as Resources Allow:
- Digital itinerary builder
- Accessibility filters (ADA-friendly routes, sensory-friendly spaces)
- Augmented reality layers
Task 7
Develop an “Outer Lancaster Bureau of Tourism and Promotions” Connection Strategy
Longer term, coordinate with transportation and planning teams to create a secondary asset Lancaster Bureau of Tourism and Promotions that intentionally builds assets, art connections, retail and restaurant experiences, and thoughtful trails that bring people from the outer limits of the city into the downtown core and vice versa.
Implementation Ideas:
- Incorporate additional signage into bike routes and transit stops
- Add branded wayfinding for trails, riverwalks, and future greenways
- Connect city gateways with nearby county tourism nodes and trails
Implementation Timing
The Lancaster City wayfinding plan is not yet fully funded and will be reliant on additional foundational branding work that has yet to be secured. However, the proposed plan could be implemented according to the following phases and should be an ongoing point of discussion for city leaders as they think about transportation, building plans, economic development, and tourism investment over the next ten years.
Next Steps
- Advance this Strategy with Branding RFP Scope Acknowledgment to ensure district framework, visual identity, and signage design are unified.
- Engage Stakeholders from neighborhoods, tourism, parks, and history groups to inform district identities and source opportunities for authentic and engaging interpretive content that helps reinforce the city tourism brand.
- Conduct a Full Signage Audit to evaluate the condition of existing wayfinding infrastructure, specific placement of new signage, and maintenance plan for wayfinding system.
- Develop Budget and Identify Funding Opportunities (e.g., infrastructure funds, grants, public-private partnerships, and similar) for signage fabrication and installation.
- Develop a Strategy and Funding Plan for continuous maintenance of wayfinding.
