The Academy Retreat Center is located in Littlestown, PA, a borough in southeastern Adams County with a population of approximately 4,500 people. The town was originally laid out by Peter Klein in 1765. Originally, the town was named "Petersburg" and had a large German population. The town officially changed its name to Littlestown in 1795.
Littlestown is surrounded by three larger towns, Hanover PA 7 miles to the East, Gettysburg PA 10 miles to the North, and Westminster, MD 13 miles to the South. Be sure to check out our links below to businesses in the Littlestown area that may be of interest to you:
- Quilt Shops - Looking for fabric or supplies? Here are some local quilt shops.
- Restaurants - Looking or some place to eat? Check out some of our favorites.
- Hotels - Looking for some place to stay? Check out some of our favorites.
- Local Events - Looking for local events during your stay? Check out our list of events.
Hanover PA is the snack capital of the world being the home of Utz Potato Chips, Snyder's Pretzels, and other snack companies. Both Utz and Snyder's offer tours and have factory stores so you can purchase snacks to take home with you. Hanover is also home to Codorus State Park, The Markets at Hanover, and The Eichelberger Performing Arts Center so there is always something to do in town.
Gettysburg PA is the home of the Gettysburg National Battlefield Park. If you are a history buff, Gettysburg is the town for you! You can take tours by foot, car, bus, horse drawn carriage, bicycle, GettyPeds, Segway, horseback and more. People in town love to dress up in period clothing and reenactment weekends are a big draw, especially around the 4th of July.
Westminster MD is the home of Penguin Random House Books, anyone with school age children know about their book fairs and flyers. The town holds many festivals on Main Street including the famous Peep Show at the Carroll Arts Center just before Easter. Our favorite Italian Groceria/Deli, Giulanova Groceria is located on Main Street, stop by and say hi to the owner Bill Schroeder while you enjoy the best Italian Hoagie in Maryland.
Westminster is the capital of Carroll County and hosts the Carroll County Barn Quilt Trail. Originally, the trail included 12 historic barns displaying quilt block patterns. The number has grown to 35 historic barns in 2019. The quilt blocks include both classic patterns that depict life in a rural society as well as original designs created by the farm owners that tell a story about their family or the farming operation where the barn quilt block is displayed. Be sure to ask Carolyn for a copy of the Barn Quilt Trail booklet and enjoy a drive through the countryside along the trail.