Historic Ephrata Cloister

05/24/2026

Lancaster County native, Tony Award winner, and friend of the Cloister Jonathan Groff was recently named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people for 2026! Pictured here is Jonathan Groff visiting the 1743 Sisters' House a few years ago.
Congratulations!

05/22/2026

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Historic Ephrata Cloister with our Upper Floor Tours!🔎✨

On Saturday, May 23, we’re offering a rare look at the 1743 Sisters' House with our Upper Floor Tours! See the unrestored second and third floors of the building where celibate Sisters lived and worked.

-Tour times: 10 AM and 12 PM.
-Limited spots: these tours operate on a first come, first served-basis. Tickets cannot be purchased in advance, tickets will be available for purchase in-person on the day.
-Pricing: $14 for Ephrata Cloister Associates members, $18 for non-members

Important information: this event is for those ages 12+, a signed waiver is required, and there are steep stairs to the upper floors.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see rarely visited spaces at Historic Ephrata Cloister!

05/21/2026

Historic Ephrata Cloister will be closed on Friday, May 22nd for construction work. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We will reopen on Saturday, May 23rd at 9:00am for regular guided tours and Upper Floor Tours! Thank you for your understanding.

05/19/2026

Can you guess what this object was used for? 🔍👀

At first glance it may look like a table of some kind, but it actually served a very different purpose!

Think you know what it is? Leave your guess in the comments!

05/17/2026

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Historic Ephrata Cloister with our Upper Floor Tours!🔎✨

On Saturday, May 23, we’re offering a rare look at the 1743 Sisters' House with our Upper Floor Tours! See the unrestored second and third floors of the building where celibate Sisters lived and worked.

-Tour times: 10 AM and 12 PM.
-Limited spots: these tours operate on a first come, first served-basis. Tickets cannot be purchased in advance, tickets will be available for purchase in-person on the day.
-Pricing: $14 for Ephrata Cloister Associates members, $18 for non-members

Important information: this event is for those ages 12+, a signed waiver is required, and there are steep stairs to the upper floors.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see rarely visited spaces at Historic Ephrata Cloister!

05/16/2026

This Sunday, May 17, The Ephrata Cloister Chorus will present its annual Spring Concert at 3pm in the 1741 Meetinghouse (Saal). 🎵🎼Join us for an hour-long performance of the historic music of Ephrata Cloister, early American communities, classical composers, and contemporary pieces.

Admission to the concert is free. Regular site admission will be charged until 2:30pm. After that time, guests may enter the site to attend the concert at no cost. Seating is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The concert is rain or shine. We hope to see you there!

05/14/2026

Step into spring with an afternoon of music at Historic Ephrata Cloister! 🌷

The Ephrata Cloister Chorus will present its annual Spring Concert on Sunday, May 17, at 3pm. Join us for an hour-long performance of the historic music of Ephrata Cloister, early American communities, classical composers, and contemporary pieces in the 1741 Meetinghouse.

Admission to the concert is free. Regular site admission will be charged until 2:30pm. After that time, guests may enter the site to attend the concert at no cost.

Seating is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The concert is rain or shine.

We hope to see you there!

05/13/2026

05/04/2026

Join us on Saturday, June 27 from 10am to 4pm for an America250 celebration! 🎉

From December 1777 to June 1778 the Ephrata Cloister was the site of a Revolutionary War Hospital. Ephrata's hospital accommodated 260 soldiers of which 60 of these soldiers died and are buried on the grounds of our site. During this special 250th event, visitors can learn more about the military hospital and its impact on the pacifist members of the Ephrata Cloister.

Throughout the day there will be performances, family-friendly activities, lectures, demonstrations, music in the Amphitheater, and more! Food and drink will be available for purchase.

Event highlights:
- See Ephrata's military hospital brought to life with a Lantern Tours reprise!
- Hear historic music from our Ephrata Cloister Chorus with a special performance in the Amphitheater to close out the event.
- Visit the witness tree on property, as well as the monument honoring the soldiers in the Mount Zion Cemetery.

Tickets can be purchased at the door and are $5/person for non-members. Ephrata Cloister Associates members receive free admission. Children under age 3 are free.

Wristbands are required for select performances, such as the Lantern Tours reprise. After paying admission, visitors can pick up a wristband for a specific performance time. These wrist bands are first-come first-served.

This event is rain-or-shine, and parking is first-come first-served. We hope to see you there!

05/03/2026

Servant Stage will be coming to the Historic Ephrata Cloister on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 6 pm for a preview performance of highlights from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

The performance will be held at the Amphitheater on the Ephrata Cloister Grounds. Performance is pay-what-you-will. Seating in the Amphitheater and parking on-site is first come, first served.

See the full performance schedule and reserve tickets at servantstage.org or call 717-455-0255.