About Rocky Springs Bed & Breakfast

The beautiful, natural setting of Rocky Springs Bed & Breakfast comes with a rich history.

In 1855 a butcher from Lancaster, Pennsylvania – Michael Trissler - purchased land just south of the city along the Conestoga River. He named the area Rocky Springs after the cold-water spring on the land. Trissler built a 2-story brick hotel called the Rocky Springs Hotel and opened the grounds for picnics. The hotel was open from 1860 – 1876. This land eventually become known as Rocky Springs Park – Lancaster’s first Amusement Park.  For more than 100 years the park served as a hub for social activity and center for fun and relaxation for the residents of Lancaster County. The hotel became the Mansion House where the park managers had lived.

In 1966, Rocky Springs Park closed, and despite a brief attempt at reopening, it shut down for good in 1980. Some of the park grounds were sold for development, while the remaining 17 acres sat mostly unmaintained for the next 21 years.

In 2001, Sam and Elaine Stoltzfus purchased the remaining grounds. Over the next few years, they restored the original Hotel/Mansion House and built the Private Cottage with a desire to continue the endearing legacy of Rocky Springs by providing a peaceful and restful experience for guests through the Bed & Breakfast. There are several reminders of the park’s glory days still on our property like Pennyland, the Trolley Station and the Spring House. Guests are welcome to stroll our wooded grounds during their visit and take in the sights of an earlier time.

Elaine Stoltzfus is the innkeeper at Rocky Springs Bed & Breakfast. As a native of Lancaster County, she has a wealth of knowledge about the former Rocky Spring Park and Lancaster County area, and is always happy to provide suggestions for fun day trips and interesting ways to explore Lancaster.