Columbia's Chip Factory Hotel Opened Just in Time for the Holidays, and the Calendar Decides What Guests Will Find
October 15, 2026
October 15, 2026
The brick front at 12 N. Second St. went up in the 1870s. It once housed the potato chip division of Becker Pretzel Bakeries. Behind that facade there are now four stories and 80 rooms. The Hampton Inn by Hilton at the Chip Factory is open, and LancasterOnline describes it as the borough's only mid-size hotel.
If you host family in Columbia, this changes the holiday math. Visiting relatives who can't fit in the spare room can now stay a few blocks away instead of a highway drive off. The catch is timing. The places a guest can walk or drive to from that lobby run on seasonal schedules, and nearly all of them get shorter between now and New Year's. Pick the weekend first and the room second, because the weekend you choose sets what your guests can actually do.
Don and Becky Murphy developed the hotel through Murphy Hospitality Group, and Shaner Hotels handles day-to-day operations. LancasterOnline reported the project's cost at $22 million. The Central Penn Business Journal reported that public money helped close the gap. It included a $1 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant from the Commonwealth and a $500,000 grant from the Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Wohlsen Construction, Dever Architects and ELA Group were on the project team.
The building took a long time to get here. "When we first took on this building in 2018, we imagined what it could mean for Columbia to welcome visitors from near and far," Don Murphy said in the opening release, as quoted by the Central Penn Business Journal.
A few details matter when you're booking for family:
Two things aren't ready yet. The hotel's restaurant and seasonal rooftop lounge are slated for late spring 2027. A grand opening and open house are planned for November, but no date had been announced as of this writing. Holiday guests won't have dinner in the building this year, so their meals happen out in town.
The hotel didn't arrive on its own. The Murphys are Columbia natives and also own Hinkle's Restaurant and Burning Bridge Antiques Market. The Central Penn Business Journal frames the hotel as one piece of a larger effort through their Cimarron companies to restore Columbia properties and support downtown merchants.
That puts a ready-made morning within walking distance. Hinkle's lists Tuesday through Friday hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Sunday and Monday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Burning Bridge says it's open daily except major holidays but doesn't post hours online. Both pages look like they haven't been updated in a while, so call ahead before you plan a holiday morning around them.
The Columbia Market House is a block from the river. It was built in 1869, and its wide interior is spanned by arched Howe trusses, a design more often seen in 1860s railroad bridges. Its website now promotes the building mainly as a private event space for rehearsal dinners and receptions, and it doesn't list public market days. If you have a family celebration in mind, the hotel and the Market House are close enough to serve the same gathering.
This is where the timing kicks in. Here's how the main daytime stops near downtown change between late October and the end of December 2026, based on each venue's posted schedule.
| Late October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Watch & Clock Museum | Tue–Thu and Sat 10–5, Fri and Sun 10–4, closed Mon | Same fall hours through Nov. 30, closed Thanksgiving | Thu–Sun 10–4, closed Mon–Wed and Christmas |
| Wright's Ferry Mansion | Tours Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, 10–3 on the hour | Season over | Season over |
| Columbia Crossing River Trails Center | Tue–Sat 10–4, Sun noon–4 | Same | Same |
| Downtown event | Halloween parade, Thu. Oct. 22, 7 p.m. | Fourth Saturday, Nov. 28, 3–6 p.m. | Fourth Saturday, Dec. 26, 3–6 p.m. |
At the National Watch & Clock Museum, last admission is one hour before closing. In December that means 3 p.m. on the days it's open. Wright's Ferry Mansion advises reservations, and its season runs through the end of October. The Turkey Hill Experience sets its hours day by day, and its October calendar already shows several closed Tuesdays and Thursdays. Its November and December days weren't posted yet when this was written.
Put those schedules together and three weekends stand out for hosting this year.
This is the fullest version of a Columbia visit. The Mardi Gras-style Halloween parade steps off Thursday, October 22, at 7 p.m. It's sponsored by the Columbia Lions Club and the Sunsnappers, and this year's theme celebrates Columbia's 300th and America's 250th anniversaries. Guests arriving that afternoon can fit in the Watch & Clock Museum, open until 5 on Thursdays, before the parade. Wright's Ferry Mansion doesn't give tours on Thursdays, but a Friday or Saturday morning tour that week falls inside its last stretch of the season. October 31 is a Saturday and a scheduled tour day, which makes it the final chance until the mansion reopens in May.
Thanksgiving falls on November 26, and the museum is closed that day. It's back on fall hours Friday, 10 to 4, and Saturday, 10 to 5. Saturday, November 28, is also a Fourth Saturday downtown, from 3 to 6 p.m. That makes the Saturday after Thanksgiving the easiest day of the season to fill. Museum in the morning, a walk along the river after lunch, and downtown in the late afternoon.
For that walk, Columbia River Park is the Columbia trailhead for the 14-mile Northwest Lancaster County River Trail. The Columbia Crossing River Trails Center keeps fall and winter hours of 10 to 4 Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 on Sunday.
Christmas is a Friday this year, and the museum is closed that day. Saturday, December 26, falls inside its winter schedule, which keeps Saturdays open from 10 to 4. The same afternoon is the year's last Fourth Saturday downtown, from 3 to 6 p.m. For guests staying past Christmas, that Saturday gives them something to do in town after the presents are open.
On a December weekday, the options get thin. The museum is closed Monday through Wednesday all month, and the mansion tours ended in October. A guest arriving on a Tuesday in mid-December will spend most of the visit at your table, which can be a perfectly good visit.
A few things weren't on any calendar as of mid-October. The borough's 300th-anniversary page lists community activities into early October but doesn't show a closing event for November or December. The current Discover Columbia events calendar lists the Fourth Saturday events for November and December but no 2026 tree lighting or holiday parade so far. Some older holiday pages on that site still show dates from past years. The hotel's November grand opening is still waiting on a date too. Before you lock in a weekend for out-of-town family, check the calendar and Turkey Hill's posted hours one more time.
Hosting family who are coming to look around town as well as to visit? I'm glad to share what I know about the neighborhoods within walking distance of Second Street, from Locust Street to the river trail. When you're ready, Cindy Folckemer is a call away. Let's Connect.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
Cindy provides expert guidance across new construction, short sales, foreclosures, and property management. Known for her strong market knowledge and responsive communication, she is committed to helping buyers and sellers achieve their goals with integrity, care, and dependable service every step of the way.