There’s plenty of fun to be enjoyed in Lancaster County! Lancaster County Parks andRecreation (LCPR), which represents Lancaster, Heath Springs, Kershaw and Indian Land operates baseball/softball fields, soccer fields, tennis courts, playgrounds and picnic shelters which are all open to the public. For youth in Lancaster County, LCPR conducts team sports that include fall and spring soccer, T-ball, football, basketball, wrestling and cheerleading.

LCPR currently has three area multi-purpose complexes – Lancaster’s Springdale Complex features lighted sports playing fields, a one-third mile asphalt walking track, a pond and a gymnasium; the Indian Land Complex includes a lighted sports playing field, a soccer field and a gymnasium; the newly-constructed Kershaw facility also has sports playing fields and a gymnasium. At each complex, the playing fields and gymnasiums are available for rentals such as tournaments, private parties, wedding receptions, family reunions, etc. All three gyms are open through the week to walkers free of charge.

LCPR offers after-school programs at the Springdale Complex, Indian Land Complex, Buford Elementary and Heath Springs Elementary School for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Summer camp as well as one-week sports camps are available at the complexes, and each location offers weekly programs such as gymnastics, Tae Kwon Do, aerobics, children’s dance and shag dance lessons.

LCPR provides entertainment opportunities for teens and adults such as dances, family fun nights, music concerts, 3-on-3 tournaments, fear factor challenges, talent competitions and more.

Additional recreational programs for local residents are sponsored by the Leroy Springs Recreation Department, and include a six-court lighted tennis facility and swimming pool that is open to the public and often used for area swim team competitions. With its reasonable fees, the semi-private Lancaster Golf Club, an 18-hole championship course with 6500 yards of play, is popular throughout the area.

With membership open to all Lancaster County residents, the USC Lancaster’s Gregory Health and Wellness Center features a 25-meter swimming pool, basketball court, indoor track, racquet ball courts, tennis courts, weight rooms and aerobic workout equipment. Licensed clinical programs are offered for cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation and physical therapy. Aquacize programs, competitive and lap swimming, swimming lessons, and other fitness programs for adults/children are also available.

The Kershaw area provides additional recreational opportunities, including an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts and a recreation center with bowling facilities.

Located nine miles north of Lancaster, the 360-acre Andrew Jackson State Park features a museum and one-room schoolhouse reminiscent of the Jackson era. Recreational opportunities include a 25-site family campground, a seven-acre fishing lake with rental boats, picnic shelters, nature trails and a playground. Both a Meeting House (complete with kitchenette) and a 7,500 square-foot outdoor amphitheatre can be rented for special events.

Boating, fishing and swimming on the Catawba River and nearby Lake Wateree, as well as hunting on either the 29,000 acres in wildlife management or on the many privately-owned hunting grounds, are popular recreational activities in Lancaster County. Sailplane classes are offered at Bermuda High Soaring.

During the spring and fall, the Lancaster Speedway is the place to be for exciting Saturday night races. Located in Kershaw, the Carolina Motorsports Park, Inc. is a private road race facility that hosts a variety of motorsports activities.

The Arts

Visual arts are a highlight of downtown Lancaster which features Ralph Waldrop’s murals on several walls. The corner of South Main and East Arch Streets illustrates native Lancastrians involved in everyday community activities. Directly across the street, a ceramic tile mural depicts downtown Lancaster in the early 1900s.

Lancaster’s Wall of Fame, on the corner of South Main and Dunlap Streets, honors community natives who have contributed significantly to society, including: Seventh President of the United States Andrew Jackson; Charles Duke, astronaut; Nina Mae McKinney, actress and Broadway star; Elliott White Springs, industrialist; and Dr. J. Marion Sims, “father of modern gynecology.”

With a full-time Executive Director and staff, the Lancaster County Council of the Arts is an umbrella organization for many arts-producing and arts-supporting affiliates, including the Lancaster Art League, which hosts local artists’ exhibits; the Community Playhouse, producing musicals, comedies, dramas and children’s productions throughout the year; the Lancaster Chamber Choir; and two quilting guilds. The Council also sponsors arts camps for children and administers Artists in Education, an artist residency program for the Lancaster County Schools. Housed in the historic Springs’ House in downtown Lancaster, the Council is supported by the community’s citizens and businesses.

One of the Council’s biggest events is the all-day Carolina Legends festival held each May at Andrew Jackson State Park. Local craftsmen and food are included, but the major attractions are the legends and pioneers of bluegrass, Celtic and old-time country and gospel music who perform throughout the day-long event.

Preserving its history, the Lancaster and Chester Railroad Museum showcases memorabilia from the Railroad’s 100+ years’ history. Located on the second floor of the Lancaster and Chester Railroad’s office, the museum features a model train running a track that traces the current route of the Railroad.

Lancaster also offers opportunities for involvement with a deeper commitment. Throughout the county, hundreds of churches as well as civic and service organizations provide programs for citizens of all ages. Church and club/organization listings are available at the Chamber office.