Lancaster Quilt & Textile Museum

In 2012, our museum will be open by reservation only for tour groups and special events. For more info, call 717.299.6440, or email us at info@lancasterheritage.com. Or visit us during the American Quilters Society Convention Week, March 14-18, when the museum will be open to the public from 9am to 5pm.

We’re located in the heart of Lancaster City’s vibrant arts district, just steps away from Central Market. The stunning architecture of this 1912 Beaux Arts Bank is accented by exhibitions in the building’s textile gallery, featuring the rich and diverse textile traditions of Lancaster County and south-central Pennsylvania. At the heart of the museum’s exhibitions is what many scholars consider to be the finest collection of authentic late 19th-20th century Amish Quilts indigenous to this region. Formerly known as the “Esprit Collection”, it was the brainchild of Doug Tompkins, a founder of the Esprit Corporation, who began collecting the quilts during the 1970s. The Heritage Center acquired this collection in 2002. The combination of the Esprit Collection with the Heritage Center’s own quilt and textile collection results in one of the largest collections of its kind anywhere to be presented in context with the stories of south-central Pennsylvanians.