How Well Do You Know Pennsylvania Amish Country? Find Out With This Quiz
Pennsylvania Amish country may be known for its farms, covered bridges, and horse-drawn buggies.
But there’s much more to understand beyond those familiar sights.
This eight-round challenge highlights the history, customs, and everyday life connected to Lancaster County’s Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch communities.
Choose the false statement in each round and see how well you know the region.
Deep Roots
William Penn’s promise of religious tolerance pulled Amish families across the Atlantic long before the United States existed.
The Amish trace their name to Jacob Amman, a Swiss bishop whose followers broke from the Mennonite church back in 1693.
That history still shapes daily life across Pennsylvania Dutch country today.
Can you spot the lie?
Lost in Translation
Every visitor to Lancaster County eventually asks where the name “Pennsylvania Dutch” comes from.
The answer surprises most of them.
Can you spot the lie?
Behind the Buggy
A horse and buggy still shares the shoulder with pickup trucks on backroads all over Lancaster County.
Every family’s buggy follows its own set of rules, passed down through the community.
Can you spot the lie?
Calls From the Shanty
Amish technology follows a set of rules that varies by community.
Every church district draws its own lines.
Can you spot the lie?
Stitched and Sawed
10.2 million visitors came to Lancaster County in 2024, and handmade goods, quilts folded over porch rails, furniture stacked in shop windows, are a big part of the draw.
Both crafts carry a few surprises for out-of-towners.
Can you spot the lie?
Stars on the Barn
Painted barn stars show up on postcards, souvenirs and calendars across Pennsylvania Dutch country.
Their real history has more layers than a gift shop can fit on one label.
Can you spot the lie?
Running Around
This Amish rite of passage has a name most visitors have heard, even if the details are fuzzy.
Here’s what happens.
Can you spot the lie?
Two Pies, One Rivalry
Nearly every roadside stand in Pennsylvania Dutch country sells its own version of these two desserts.
Their backstories aren’t nearly as settled as the recipes.
Can you spot the lie?
12 Things Your Pennsylvania Garbage Collector Wants You to Know
A Pennsylvania garbage collector sees more code violations before 8 a.m. than most residents notice all year.
The rules live in borough ordinances almost nobody reads until a fine shows up.
12 Things Your Pennsylvania Garbage Collector Wants You to Know
Does Pennsylvania Tax Social Security? What Retirees Pay in 2026
Pennsylvania treats retirement income differently than most of the country, and Social Security is only where the good news starts.
Pensions, 401(k) withdrawals and individual retirement account (IRA) distributions can all come out tax-free too, once a retiree reaches the right age.
Does Pennsylvania Tax Social Security? What Retirees Pay in 2026
