Leacock Township blends Amish life with tourism
Leacock Township is a big Amish farming community with the village of Intercourse at its center. The village has become a big draw for outsiders looking to experience the shops and restaurants of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. “People from New York think it’s slow-paced here, but we don’t feel that way,” says Kimberly Eby, a broker with Hostetter Realty who has lived in the region her whole life. “On the same road, you’ll see tour buses, tractor trailers, Amish buggies and people just trying to get from one place to the other.” While locals live among tourists most of the year, Eby says everything slows down from November through February.
Kitchen Kettle Village and local businesses offer PA Dutch traditions
Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse features more than 30 shops and restaurants that embody Pennsylvania Dutch Country. “You’ve got fudge-making shops, a leather shop, a jewelry shop, a jelly-making shop — it’s like Amish Disney World,” Eby says. Among all the businesses in the village, locals and tourists alike are especially drawn to Jam & Relish Kitchen. It features many artisanal grocery products, including jams, bread, pies and a variety of other canned and baked goods, with free samples. Down the street from the village, Stoltzfus Meats serves as a Dutch-style deli and bakery, while also running the attached Amos’ Place Restaurant, which serves sandwiches and fried chicken. On the township’s outskirts, Bird-in-Hand Farmers Market offers even more fresh produce and handmade products, such as candy, soft pretzels and canned pickles. These are just some of the community’s many businesses that hold true to the area’s Amish and Dutch heritage.
A mix of historic homes and newer builds
While there are many homes out in the country, Intercourse is the township’s more communal residential area, where most homes are sold. The oldest homes in Intercourse date back to the mid-1800s to early 1900s, running along Old Philadelphia Pike and intersecting Queen Road. They include many Colonial Revivals and American Foursquares that range from around $250,000 to $440,000. Midcentury and contemporary ranch-style homes, along with Cape Cods, are common in subdivisions, with prices ranging from $400,000 to $580,000. The small town of Gordonville has many manufactured homes built between the early 2000s and today, which sell for $60,000 to $190,000.
Pequea Valley School District plans to merge middle and high schools
Students may attend Paradise Elementary School, which receives a C-plus grade from Niche. Pequea Valley Intermediate School is also graded a C-plus, while Pequea Valley Secondary School gets a B. In 2026, the school district is expected to merge the middle and high school into one single campus.
Community parks offer a place to relax and play
Intercourse Community Park offers a space to relax and play. Locals enjoy sitting by the pond and looking out at the ducks and water fountain. The park also has a playground, gazebos and two picnic pavilions that can be rented for special occasions. Paradise Community Park is geared towards athletes, featuring ballfields, a basketball court, sand volleyball court and two tennis courts. It also has a playground and two rentable picnic pavilions. Mascot Park offers a spot to pull over and cast a fishing line into Mill Creek, which is stocked with trout and features several other freshwater fish species.
Intercourse Heritage Days and the Magic & Wonder Dinner Theater
Every year, the community gathers at Intercourse Community Park for Intercourse Heritage Days. The summer event celebrates the village's history, featuring tractor rides, wood-carving demonstrations, local food and the highly anticipated volleyball tournament. The event is then capped off with live music and fireworks.
Magic & Wonder Dinner Theater has been entertaining the Lancaster area since 2016. It puts on performances throughout the year, including magic shows, Jukebox Generation, which brings back music from the 1950s to ‘80s, and Christmas shows in November and December.
Getting to Lancaster and Philadelphia
Commuters take Old Philadelphia Pike or U.S. 30 to get to Lancaster, about 12 miles away. It’s about a 25-minute drive. Red Rose Transit Authority operates buses from Intercourse to Lancaster with bus stops along Old Philadelphia Pike. From U.S. 30, it takes about 90 minutes to drive 60 miles to Philadelphia.
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Written By
Nicolas Stuart
