Preserving the Easter Bunny’s Pennsylvania origins at Delaware’s Winterthur Museum

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The Easter Bunny may be known for hopping across the country each spring, but the origins of how the tale became a celebrated tradition in America can be traced back to Pennsylvania.

German immigrants introduced the tradition in the 1600s, bringing with them the legend of the Osterhase, or Easter hare—a folkloric figure said to lay colorful eggs for children.

One of the earliest known depictions of the Easter Bunny in the United States comes from an illustration by Johann Conrad Gilbert, a Pennsylvania German artist and schoolmaster. It’s on display at Delaware’s Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library.

“Winterthur is truly fortunate to have one of the earliest known American depictions of the Easter rabbit,” said Kedra Kearis, associate curator of art and visual culture. “It was brought into the collection just fifteen years ago. But [it] very much reflects our founder’s – Henry Francis du Pont – desire to show the lives and traditions of early Americans, and in this case, how they produced and shared images.”

Kearis described the watercolor, created between 1800 and 1810, as a small yet vivid image, only a few inches wide, of a spotted yellow rabbit mid-leap with a basket of pastel eggs.

The museum also showcases one of the earliest known dyed Easter eggs in the United States, from 1850, which further shows how these customs were part of early American life.

Allie Alvis, curator of special collections at Winterthur’s library, said the tradition was rooted in German immigrants from the Palatinate region of Bavaria, where stories of an egg-laying hare were passed down and later adapted by Pennsylvania German families.

She said the Easter Bunny’s popularity grew in the 19th century as printed materials and illustrated postcards helped circulate the imagery more widely, turning a regional custom into a national symbol.

Winterthur continues to celebrate its history through seasonal events and activities, including its annual Easter egg hunt, a member event now in its third year. The event features about 1,200 hidden eggs filled with treats and typically attracts between 150 and 200 attendees, including around 100 children, according to the museum’s membership team.

Kearis described the watercolor, created between 1800 and 1810, as a small yet vivid image, only a few inches wide, of a spotted yellow rabbit mid-leap with a basket of pastel eggs.

The museum also showcases one of the earliest known dyed Easter eggs in the United States, from 1850, which further shows how these customs were part of early American life.

Allie Alvis, curator of special collections at Winterthur’s library, said the tradition was rooted in German immigrants from the Palatinate region of Bavaria, where stories of an egg-laying hare were passed down and later adapted by Pennsylvania German families.

She said the Easter Bunny’s popularity grew in the 19th century as printed materials and illustrated postcards helped circulate the imagery more widely, turning a regional custom into a national symbol.

Winterthur continues to celebrate its history through seasonal events and activities, including its annual Easter egg hunt, a member event now in its third year. The event features about 1,200 hidden eggs filled with treats and typically attracts between 150 and 200 attendees, including around 100 children, according to the museum’s membership team.