The Ephrata Cloister is OPEN.
The Cloister is open to the public Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday from 12 to 4. Tour availability will be limited and by appointment only. Requests for appointments for the guided tours can be made by calling the site at 717-733-6600. Self guided tours are available without a reservation. More information about reopening procedures can be found here.
All visitors, volunteers, and staff must wear a face mask when entering and while visiting our museums and building interiors. For our safety and that of our visitors, especially our younger visitors who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, anyone not willing to wear masks will not be admitted. Outdoors, masking is not required for vaccinated visitors. Masks are required for unvaccinated visitors when in crowds but not when recreating individually or in a household group with sustained social distancing.
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) will begin welcoming visitors to state-owned historic sites and museums, including the Ephrata Cloister on Friday, April 30 with reduced hours of operation and limited capacity. Please follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for important updates.
Welcome to Historic Ephrata Cloister
Preserving a Legacy of William Penn’s Holy Experiment
Since its start in 1732, the Historic Ephrata Cloister has attracted visitors fascinated by the community’s unique lifestyle that allowed the creation of incredible architecture, original music, significant publications, and remarkable art. Originally, Ephrata was a retreat from worldly distractions where devoted members followed a disciplined life designed to prepare them for a heavenly existence. Today, you can explore the surviving historic site and discover the history and culture of an intriguing story in the nation’s past.
