Uncover the centuries-old mysteries behind the black bonnets, beards and electricity-free lives of the Amish at sites in midwest and northeast America. Visitors to these laid-back locales replace rush hour with the rhythmic clip-clop of horse hooves on tours of Amish-themed destinations.
Amish museums, craft stores and quiet countryside roads continue to inspire guests with their messages of simplicity.
Lancaster County, Pa.
Winding country roads lead guests through America’s oldest Amish settlement in Lancaster County, Pa. Little has changed since the group arrived in Lancaster County in the 1720s; tradition lives on in Amish dress, customs and focus on community.
Visitors get a good introduction to Amish customs at the Amish Farm and House, which was founded in response to a growing demand for information on the Amish culture.
“The Amish Farm and House was opened in 1955 as the first truly authentic Amish farmhouse to show how the Amish lived,” said Joel Cliff, media relations manager for the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s a nice facility to get a flavor of the traditions they preserved in Pennsylvania.”
Tours of the 15-acre farm and 1805 farmhouse explain the reasoning behind the dark clothing, old-fashioned farming techniques and other distinctive Amish practices.
The Amish Country Homestead also allows tours of its three Amish properties as part of the Amish Experience bus tour. The tour begins with a 40-minute video at the Amish Experience Theater, which gives a detailed view of the people also known as the Pennsylvania Dutch.
Other bus tours also traverse the area regularly with stops at roadside stands, craft shops and bakeries.
Holmes County, Ohio
The world’s largest Amish community lies in central Ohio’s Holmes County, where typical handmade quilts, furniture and other crafts commonly hang in Amish and non-Amish stores alike. Some tour guides even hire Amish escorts to give firsthand accounts of why they chose a life without televisions, cars or cell phones.
 |
| Courtesy Holmes County Chamber of Commerce |
“We spend a lot of time with our families,” said Lester Beachy, an Amish tour guide for Swiss Valley Tours. “We play games together, and in the winter we go ice skating. Without television, we find other ways to occupy our time.”
Visitors can learn the daily routine of the Amish at the 116-acre Yoder’s Amish Home, which offers tours of two houses, an 1885 barn and a one-room schoolhouse. Authentic buggy rides at the site give a peaceful look at the surrounding farmland.
At the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center, videos, exhibits and a 265-foot circular mural help relate the Amish and Mennonite outlook on life. After spending a day learning all about the Ohio Amish, guests can choose from several Amish restaurants that cater to groups, among them the Amish Door Restaurant and Village, Der Dutchman Restaurant and the Dutch Valley Restaurant.
www.visitamishcountry.com
Jamesport, Mo.
 |
| Visitors can experience Amish culture by guided tours of places like Yoder’s Amish Home, above and below. By Eliza Tychonievich |
Groups can walk through the home of a modern Amish family in Jamesport, Mo., the largest Old Order Amish settlement west of the Mississippi River and Missouri’s largest Amish settlement. Around 165 Amish families live on farms in the area, and the town offers carriage rides, bus tours and step-on guides to help guests understand Amish history and religious beliefs.
The Country Colonial Bed and Breakfast’s step-on guide service takes groups to the Graber family farm, where Jake Graber guides visitors through his home and his home-based company, J.A.M. Wood Products.
“He’ll take you through his house and out to the barn to show you his buggy and horses,” said Roger Hansen, media liaison for the Jamesport Community Association. “He talks about his Amish lifestyle. He has his boys building items for his store right there during the tour.”
Tours usually also make several shopping stops to showcase Amish building and crafts at the
 |
| By Eliza Tychonievich |
Homestead Creamery, Yoder’s Discount Grocery and Sherwood Quilts. Country Heritage Furniture and Oak Ridge Furniture allow visitors to watch craftspeople making furniture through bay windows.
For a large helping of Amish flavor, the Mennonite-run Gingerich Dutch Pantry’s Amish Dinner serves homemade roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, schnitzel beans and other traditional fare. Gingerich’s bakery can also satisfy a sweet tooth after the Amish feast.
Elkhart County, Ind.
Learn about the Amish — from their 16th-century flights from persecution to their current tranquil existence — at Elkhart County’s Menno Hoff. The museum chronicles Amish and Mennonite history with a repli
 |
| For filling Amish fare many go to Das Dutchman Essenhaus, above, or to a local Amish produce stand, below right. Courtesy Das Dutchman Essenhaus |
cated 16th-century European dungeon, a 17th-century sailing ship and the Tornado Theater, which re-creates some of the modern natural disasters whose damage Mennonites have helped repair.
Elkhart County’s Amish community of more than 20,000 boasts many established Amish guided tours, Amish farms open to the public and Amish-themed restaurants, such as Das Dutchman Essenhaus, a 1,100-seat restaurant with an Amish home-style buffet. Visitors can also find accommodations at the Essenhaus Inn, and gifts and baked goods at the Essenhaus Village Shops.
 |
| Courtesy Elkhart CVB |
Amish products also fill the world’s largest Amish-built peg barn at the 51,000-square-foot American Countryside Farmers Market. This sophisticated barn houses two levels of shops, and most items for sale there are made within a 100-mile radius of the market.
“People don’t just come here to shop,” said Rene Hostetler, director of sales and marketing for the market. “They can learn how to cook, knit or make pretzels. The market is a living, breathing thing that is expanding and changing all the time.”
www.amishcountry.org
St. Lawrence County, N.Y.
Brightly-colored quilts, hand-woven baskets and fresh maple syrup line the roadside stands and crafts stores of Lawrence County, N.Y. Many Amish families in the area sell these items, along with fresh produce such as strawberries and corn at businesses or booths in their front yards.
 |
| Visitors can take driving tours through of the Amish countryside, above and bottom right. Courtesy St. Lawrence County CVB |
“We have more than 200 [Amish] families in the county,” said Ellen Nesbitt, associate director of the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. “Of course, each family can range from two to 20. There has been an influx of families here in the last five years.
“One bus tour to an Amish road stand bought an Amish woman’s entire basket supply. She had to go to the back of her barn to bring more baskets to the road. She was amazed. This initially got the Amish in our area interested in tours.”
 |
| Courtesy St. Lawrence County CVB |
The chamber arranges itineraries for those wishing to browse the various Amish roadside stands or tour a local farm. One stop recommended for an immersive Amish experience is the Pickens General Store. Not only does the store sell handcrafted Amish furniture, quilts, baskets and other craft items, but it also contains products made exclusively for the Amish, such as buggy lanterns, hand egg beaters and squeeze-powered flashlights.
www.northcountryguide.com
