Visitors can collect five designs at 12 Lebanon County sites on America’s 250th birthday trail
YOU REALLY WANT. TAKE A LOOK AT OUR FIRST STOP. WE’RE AT LEBANON VALLEY AND THIS IS ONE OF 12 LOCATIONS THAT YOU CAN STOP BY AS PART OF AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY FOR THEIR WOODEN TOKEN TRAIL, YOU CAN COLLECT A TOKEN AT FIVE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AMONG 12 THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE STOPS, SO YOU MAY WANT TO STOP BY HERE BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE BELLS THAT IS ACROSS THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA. THERE ARE TWO IN LEBANON COUNTY, AND THIS IS ONE THAT YOU CAN SEE HERE. YOU CAN ALSO VISIT WITH LEBANON LILY, OF COURSE, THE MASCOT FOR VISIT LEBANON VALLEY. AND WE ARE JOINED BY NANCY GATES RIGHT NOW TO TELL US ABOUT WHY YOU CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA TO COLLECT ALL OF THESE COINS AND WHAT YOU HOPE PEOPLE WILL GET OUT OF STOPPING AT THE BUSINESSES, HISTORICAL SITES, AND LIBRARIES THAT ARE ALONG THIS TRAIL. THANKS, KATELYN. WE’RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY. VISIT LEBANON VALLEY. WE WANTED A PROGRAM THAT WAS ROOTED IN THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF LEBANON COUNTY, AND A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO GET OUT AND GET ACROSS THE COUNTY AND SEE SOME OF THE GREAT HISTORIC SITES. SO THE WOODEN NICKEL TRAIL IS ROOTED IN HISTORY AND STARTED DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, WHEN CURRENCY WAS SHORT. SHORTAGE OF THAT. AND SO IT SEEMED LIKE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THAT HISTORY AND AMERICAN INGENUITY INTO TODAY AS SORT OF A THROWBACK. SO WHICH ONE OF THESE COINS IS FOR VISIT LEBANON VALLEY? SO WE HAVE THE COIN HERE. THAT IS THE AMERICAN FLAG HERE AT LEBANON VALLEY. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE A TO
Visitors can collect five designs at 12 Lebanon County sites on America’s 250th birthday trail
Updated: 12:24 PM EDT May 15, 2026
LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. —
Visit Lebanon Valley is one of 12 stops on Lebanon County’s wooden nickel trail, a community initiative tied to America’s 250th birthday celebration.
Visitors can stop at locations across the county to collect nickels, with five different designs available among the 12 participating sites.
If you stop by Visit Lebanon Valley, you can see one of the bells that are being featured across Pennsylvania. You can also meet Lebanon Lilly, the mascot for Visit Lebanon Valley.
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Isaac Meier Homestead offers a step back in time
The Isaac Meier Homestead in Myerstown is one of the stops on Lebanon County’s wooden nickel trail. Visitors who stop by can collect the train-themed nickel, a nod to the railroad that still passes nearby. The site also offers a deeper look into the life of Isaac Meier, a prominent figure in the community who lived — and died — in the home during the 1700s. According to those who preserve the property, Meier was well known in his time, though not especially well liked.
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Inside Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats
Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats is one of the stops along Lebanon County’s wooden nickel trail, and it also offers visitors a behind-the-scenes tour of how Lebanon Bologna is made. Inside one of the company’s 13 smokehouses, visitors can get an up-close look at the process behind a product that has become a staple in the Susquehanna Valley. Owner and president Austin Wagoner said Seltzer’s has been in business since 1902, and he is the fourth generation of his family to lead the company.
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Mount Gretna Historical Society
The Mount Gretna Historical Society is one of the stops on Lebanon County’s wooden nickel trail, where visitors can collect the pretzel nickel. While the site does not open until Memorial Day weekend, the nickel is also available at a few other locations. Regardless, the historical society offers visitors a chance to explore some of Mount Gretna’s most fascinating stories.