Intercourse, Pennsylvania

Many Amish and mennonite communities reside in this area

The welcome sign post for the town are frequently targeted by thieves, as this is the most stolen sign in America

Intercourse, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated village in Leacock Township, Lancaster County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.

As with the nearby town of Paradise, Pennsylvania, Intercourse is a popular site for tourists on account of its name, which in modern times has acquired sexual connotations. Sign posts for the town are frequently targeted by thieves.

Besides its name, Intercourse is also famous for its Amish communities. For this reason the movie Witness was filmed in Intercourse.

General Information

• Zip code: 17534
• Area code: 717
• Local phone code: 768

Economy

Tourism and farmland are major industries in the town. Small businesses sell Amish crafts, food, and give horse and buggy rides. The town thrives on thousands of tourists that visit the region each year. Most of the land surrounding the town is farmland.

History

Intercourse was founded in 1754. The community was originally named Cross Keys, after a local tavern. Intercourse became the name in 1814, and there are various theories to explain this; one possibility is that the name derived from a race course, the "Entercourse", at the intersection of the town's two major roads. Another is that at the time, the word "intercourse" had commercial connotations relating to business transactions, and that the area was named "Intercourse" in hopes that it would become a center of commerce. "Sexual intercourse" was a legalistic sub-meaning of the term, roughly analogous to the non-sexual modern meaning of "congress" as in "sexual congress". As the more general use of the term fell out of popular usage, the narrower meaning became the term's primary connotation. Now that the town's major industry is tourism, the name serves as an excellent attraction.

Sites of interest

• Museums and Historic Sites
  • American Military Edged Weaponry Museum
  • People's Place Quilt Museum
  • The People's Place

• Attractions
  • Intercourse News
  • Intercourse Pretzel Factory

• Restaurants
  • Best Western Intercourse Village Motor Inn Restaurant
  • Stoltzfus Farm Restaurant

• Lodging
  • Best Western Intercourse Village Motor Inn
  • Carriage Corner Bed and Breakfast

• Shopping
  • Crafts of the World
  • Kitchen Kettle Village
  • Village Pottery

External links

• Template:Mapit-US-hoodscale
• Intercourse, Pennsylvania - World's Most Stolen Sign
• The town's major website
• The town from the air, surrounded by farmland