My Weekend Adventures in NW Indiana's Amish Community

Amish Acres Historic Farm and Heritage Resort

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "A Step Back in History"

Taking in the Sights at Amish Acres by Buggy Photo - Amish Acres Historic Farm and Heritage Resort, Nappanee, Indiana

Quote:

Amish Acres Historic Farm & Heritage Resort was opened to the pubic in 1970. The property and surrounding 80 acres dates back to 1873 when an Amish man by the name of Christian Stahly acquired this land for the purpose of building a house and barn for his son Moses. The main house was built in 1893, after Moses Stahly's father-in-law Noah Nissley bought the homestead. It was later transferred to his son-in-law Manasses Kuhns who retained ownership and operation until his death, when it was then sold at auction in 1968.Four local businessmen led by Richard Pletcher formed "Amish Acres, Inc." and successfully bid on and bought the farm at that 1968 auction. Amish Acres welcomed thei...Read More

Amish Acres Historic Farm & Heritage Resort was opened to the pubic in 1970. The property and surrounding 80 acres dates back to 1873 when an Amish man by the name of Christian Stahly acquired this land for the purpose of building a house and barn for his son Moses. The main house was built in 1893, after Moses Stahly's father-in-law Noah Nissley bought the homestead. It was later transferred to his son-in-law Manasses Kuhns who retained ownership and operation until his death, when it was then sold at auction in 1968.

Four local businessmen led by Richard Pletcher formed "Amish Acres, Inc." and successfully bid on and bought the farm at that 1968 auction. Amish Acres welcomed their first guests in 1970. Shortly thereafter, Pletcher bought out the other three investors, making the Pletcher Family the sole owners of the farmstead and the dream that would see Amish Acres grow over the next 40 years.

Many of the Amish buildings now found on the grounds were dismantled and reassembled on the grounds at Amish Acres. Included are the Round Barn (built in 1911 and moved in 1992) now housing a world class repertory theatre and the old German Schoolhouse (built in the 1880's and moved in 2000) .

On their website, Amish Acres reports that the original farmstead was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. My research indicates 1990 (and on some listings more specifically as 11/29/90), so I'm not sure which is correct. Regardless I suppose . . . Amish Acres is the only Old Order Amish Farmstead that has such a designation.

Amish Acres Historic Farm and Heritage Resort provides a fun way to learn about the Amish culture and its people that settled here in NW Indiana. Visitors can take a leisurely stroll around the buildings and shops around the entrance, but must purchase tour tickets or packages if they will to go beyond the Greeting Barn and/or the Restaurant Barn.

The main farmstead tour takes about 45 minutes for the guided portion, with guests encouraged to spend more time exploring the nearby buildings and barns. Included in the $12.95 price are the two documentary movies shown in the Locke Meeting House and the Farm Wagon Ride Tour which features a stop at the German Schoolhouse.

For those wishing to have a more inclusive experience including a horse & buggy ride and Threshers Dinner in the Restaurant Barn, the $32.95 PastPort ticket is your best bet. With the PastPort ticket you also receive discount coupons for shopping at several of the various shops at Amish Acres.

I would encourage folks to plan for a two day/one night visit at Amish Acres. Be sure to include a show at the Round Barn Theatre. Dinner & theatre packages are just under $45. If you are interested in the full tour package offered under the PastPort plus a show, check out the Bonnets and Britches Package for $59.

More information may be found on Amish Acres Historic Farm & Heritage Resort (including their seasonal hours of operation) at: http://www.amishacres.com/plan_your_visit.php . Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 21, 2013

Amish Acres Historic Farm and Heritage Resort
1600 West Market Street
Nappanee, Indiana 46550
(800) 800-4942

Cheer!
Flag

Menno-Hof Mennonite/Amish Visitor Center

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Not to be Missed!"

Menno-Hof Photo - Menno-Hof Mennonite/Amish Visitor Center, Shipshewana, Indiana

Quote:

For anyone interested in the Anabaptist culture, which includes the Amish, Mennonites and Hutterites, a planned visit at Menno-Hof is a "must do" experience. Visitors will have an hands-on opportunity to see and learn about how these religions and cultures stemmed from the Christian Reformation movement in Europe during the 16th century. Ultimately their beliefs and desire to be freed from religious persecution brought them to America during William Penn's "holy experiment" of religious tolerance in the 1730's. Initially establishing communities in Pennsylvania, they began a migration west that first brought four families (24 individuals) to Indiana in 1841.The Menno-Hof center is a cu...Read More

For anyone interested in the Anabaptist culture, which includes the Amish, Mennonites and Hutterites, a planned visit at Menno-Hof is a "must do" experience. Visitors will have an hands-on opportunity to see and learn about how these religions and cultures stemmed from the Christian Reformation movement in Europe during the 16th century. Ultimately their beliefs and desire to be freed from religious persecution brought them to America during William Penn's "holy experiment" of religious tolerance in the 1730's. Initially establishing communities in Pennsylvania, they began a migration west that first brought four families (24 individuals) to Indiana in 1841.

The Menno-Hof center is a cultural and educational resource, providing an opportunity to learn about the Anabaptist movement dating back to 1525 and moving forward to present day. The mix of audio and visual presentations adds to the experience, while providing an opportunity for youngsters to also learn in a visual and creative way.

The story of these most interesting religious freedom seekers is told through a serious of 24 exhibit rooms and areas throughout the large barn-like structure. While visitors are encouraged to allow at least an hour to take the largely self-guided tour, I have to say, it took me nearly two hours!

At the beginning of your tour, a volunteer docent will greet you and provide some historical background information on the Anabaptists and each of the three groups that are presented at Menno-Hof. Included in this initial orientation is a short, 13 minute video presentation that provides an overview on the Amish, Mennonites and Hutterites. The next couple of rooms also provide information on the religious reformation and how Anabaptists were savagely tortured and killed because of their beliefs regarding the separation of church & state, an unwillingness to participate in the military and the belief in baptism of adults who accept Christ voluntarily versus infants as required by the church.

Most of the tour is self-guided with a mix of audio and visual exhibits and displays. The story of each of these groups of people (Amish, Mennonites and Hutterites) is told along parallel lines. While similar in their Anabaptist beliefs, they do have a varied belief system when it comes to things such as the use of technology, shunning and how they live and interact with the outside world.

Caring and generous people, the volunteer and relief efforts of the Mennonites are featured in a couple of areas of Menno-Hof. It is worth your effort to spend some time learning more about how they have reached out to people around the world in need and their mission work performed to bring religion opportunity to those who otherwise might not have the experience.

The commitment to community and service may be no more evident than by two of the volunteers I met during my visit. Ann and Richard are members of the Mennonite community in Pennsylvania. They donate roughly a month of their time traveling to and volunteering service at Menno-Hof. It struck me as such an unselfish and caring thing to do in support of their church and the education of others.

Next month (May 2013) will see the 25th anniversary celebration of the opening of Menno-Hof. The fundraising and building of this educational center is an amazing story of its own. Recognizing the need to provide for accurate information on the Amish and Mennonite of the Shipshewana area, local leaders representing several Anabaptists groups came together in unison and support of buidling Menno-Hof. The barn structure was built the old fashioned Amish way . . . in just six days! People of all faiths came together to raise the barn. A very interesting video shows the work as it was performed via time-lapsed photography. It is truly amazing to think of all that went into making Menno-Hof a reality . . . a community resource to serve and educate others in a non-commercial and objective manner.

Menno-Hof does recognize seasonal hours, so you are encouraged to check out their website for specifics: http://www.mennohof.org/php/plan.your.visit/hours.php . Admission fees are reasonable at $6.50 for adults; $3.50 for children ages 6-14; and a family rate of $16 for two adults and all children. As a non-profit charitable 501(c)3 organization, additional donations are appreciated and fully tax deductible.

I will close with a comment about the presentation and quality of the experience at Menno-Hof. Having been fortunate to see and learn through a variety of museums and historical venues, Menno-Hof is one of the best I have ever seen! The objective manner in which the story of the Anabaptist movement is told, along with with historical perspective provided, sheds great light into a group of people who otherwise remain private and closed to the general public. I thank the founders of Menno-Hof for providing me with the opportunity to have this experience, first hand. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 21, 2013

Menno-Hof Mennonite/Amish Visitor Center
510 South Van Buren Street
Shipshewana, Indiana 46565
(260) 768-4117

Cheer!
Flag

The Heritage Trail - an audio driving tour

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Along the Heritage Trail Photo - Nappanee, Indiana

Quote:

I had heard about the Heritage Trail while researching my trip to Northern Indiana's Amish communities. Much of what you find on the internet speaks to it being "one of the top places to see in your lifetime" by the editors of Life Magazine. Readers of USA Today give an equally glowing recommendation. So when I checked into my hotel in Nappanee, IN I was pleased to learn that the desk clerk had a copy that had been left by a prior guest.The driving tour spans roughly 90 miles and covers sights of local and historical interest in the counties of LaGrange and Elkhart taking mostly rural roads through the countryside. Admittedly, as I took off out of Nappanee, I quickly became disinterest...Read More

I had heard about the Heritage Trail while researching my trip to Northern Indiana's Amish communities. Much of what you find on the internet speaks to it being "one of the top places to see in your lifetime" by the editors of Life Magazine. Readers of USA Today give an equally glowing recommendation. So when I checked into my hotel in Nappanee, IN I was pleased to learn that the desk clerk had a copy that had been left by a prior guest.

The driving tour spans roughly 90 miles and covers sights of local and historical interest in the counties of LaGrange and Elkhart taking mostly rural roads through the countryside. Admittedly, as I took off out of Nappanee, I quickly became disinterested when the route took me to a more heavily traveled Hwy 19 north to Elkhart. It wasn't so much that I wasn't interested in Elkhart as I was more interested in staying on the back roads that connected small Amish farms and pastures.

I found the Heritage Trail to be the same south of Shipshewana on Hwy 5. Although I must say, I did get one of my favorite photos on that section of highway, where two Amish buggies were heading south towards me, another was heading north just in front of me, and a fourth was traversing across Hwy 5 heading east to west. In one photo, I was able to capture the hustle and bustle . . . Amish Style . . . with four horse & buggies on a Sunday afternoon.

I understand that the general purpose of the Heritage Trail marketing plan is to get people to explore the small towns that make up the framework around these Amish communities. The route takes traffic through Nappanee, Wakarusa, Elkhart, Bristol, Middlebury, Shipshewana and Goshen . . . the location of the first Amish settlement in Indiana. In each of these communities there are Main Street merchants eager to serve your buying needs. Sorry to sound a bit jaded, but my thoughts are that while shopping is a fun experience, often it is shallow in terms of cultural learning.

I also found the Heritage Trail to be very busy on the day I traveled it in and around Nappanee. Admittedly, it was a Sunday afternoon with lots of folks out and about. Because it seemed folks were following the routing provided on the CD, at times there were long lines of cars backed up behind a buggy heading home after church. There was nothing enjoyable about that sort of experience for me so I quickly diverted off the "beaten path" onto roads even less traveled and more out of the way. I was so happy that I did!

As I read the colorful brochure that is contained in the CD jacket, I was intrigued by the description of the quilt gardens that can be found along the trail May 30th through October 1st. These quilted pattern gardens create colorful quilt like designs using more than 100,000 flowers in bloom. That is something that I would like to see in the future, so perhaps a return is in order.

About the CD kit . . . it contains two CDs with the first providing an introduction plus coverage of Elkhart, Briston, Middlebury and Shipshewana. The second picks up in Goshen and heads west to Nappanee and on to Wakarusa. The driving route is in a clockwise direction with each area noted by track number. You are instructed to pause play when you are interested in stopping your vehicle or getting out to explore a particular area. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a pause button on my car's CD player so it became a bit of a hassle to try to follow along with the tour directions.

The Heritage Trail CD kit is available at the Elkhart Visitors Center and at local merchants along the trail. If you do not have a CD player or don't want to use it, you can download the tour guide to an MP3 player from their website: http://www.amishcountry.org/things-to-do/heritage-trail .

Perhaps the most valuable part of the Heritage Trail driving tour kit is the map contained in the CD jacket. I used it often, especially when venturing off the trail into more remote areas in search of a road less traveled and people out and about, not so mindful of the tourists looking to catch a glimpse of them going about their day-to-day lives. Read Less

Cheer!
Flag

My Own "Self Driving" Tour

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Young Amish Woman Plowing the Field Photo - LaGrange, Indiana

Quote:

As I mentioned in another entry in this journal, the local CVB has produced a CD tour kit called the "Heritage Trail" which provides an audio accompaniment to aid in your driving experience through the Amish communities of Elkhart & LaGrange Counties. For those who are a bit more adventurous and willing to just go where the roads may take you, I encourage you to do as I did and just get in the car and drive!My first morning in Nappanee, IN I was up very early knowing that I could not start my tours over at Amish Acres for several hours. It worked out well that I gassed up my car and just headed out of town. Once I was about five miles out, I took the first of what would be many turns...Read More

As I mentioned in another entry in this journal, the local CVB has produced a CD tour kit called the "Heritage Trail" which provides an audio accompaniment to aid in your driving experience through the Amish communities of Elkhart & LaGrange Counties. For those who are a bit more adventurous and willing to just go where the roads may take you, I encourage you to do as I did and just get in the car and drive!

My first morning in Nappanee, IN I was up very early knowing that I could not start my tours over at Amish Acres for several hours. It worked out well that I gassed up my car and just headed out of town. Once I was about five miles out, I took the first of what would be many turns to head into more rural surrounds. To be honest, I later found out I didn't even have to go that far out to be among the Amish and Mennonite people starting their day of Sabbath. That said, I was really happy with my choice of initial directions and where the roads took me.

I ventured into one small Amish community that had several merchants and stores that served both the Amish and English communities. Garden shops, cabinet makers and woodworking were all seen in a small area. As the sun rose higher into the sky, I started to see horse & buggies out and about. Most were driven by married men, as evidenced by their long beards. On a couple of farms, I drove past men getting their buggies ready for their trip to church.

In the Amish communities, they hold church service in one of the homes of a local church district member. I was fortunate to drive by a couple of different homes hosting church service on this particular drive.

As the morning got later, I started to see more and more people out walking or riding their bikes . . . presumably to church as well. It was very interesting to see this as in the Amish communities I'm familiar with in Wisconsin, I have never seen folks using any other means of transportation besides their horse & buggy. I later learned that here in Indiana, with the large population of Amish, there are more people in a more densely populated area. There are more church districts with people closer together. In Wisconsin, the Amish farms are spread out requiring they travel greater distances to go to church.

I drove in amazement of all that I got to see on that Sunday morning . . . and later that afternoon including children playing in their yards and driveways. That evening before nightfall, I observed several gatherings of Amish teenagers in fellowship at a local home. One location had the girls bringing baskets of food prepared the day before, to be shared with the group. At another farm that I drove by, there were three or four girls sitting up on the roof of the side building attached to the main house. It appeared that they had climbed out of a window in the house to get up onto the adjacent roof. They could be heard talking and giggling as I slowed down to catch a longer glimpse of them.

I went to bed that night thinking about all of the great things I witnessed and experienced, even if I didn't get photos of most of them. It was a wonderful day!

The next day, I spent time wandering the rural roads around LaGrange County, largely in Shipshewana and Middlebury. As with the day before, I was up very early. By the time I was venturing around some of the Amish farms, many of the ladies had already washed and hung laundry. By 8:00am, school aged children were walking and riding their bikes to school. One schoolyard had dozens of kids playing before classes started for the day. Girls were seen playing volleyball, while the boys were hitting softballs out towards the highway. I drove by carefully so as to not hit the youngsters shagging grounders as they entered the road before me.

As the afternoon arrived there were several young people out tilling the land as spring planting is just around the corner. I saw mostly men working the teams of large Belgian horses, but was fascinated to see one young lady with her blue dress blowing in the wind as she steered her four-horse team and plow through the winter-hardened field.

Throughout Monday, the Amish people were out and about doing their routine whether that was working at home, in the fields or in town; children going to school; or ladies taking the horse & buggy into town for their weekly shopping trip. I saw several older Amish gentlemen riding bikes to work.

I felt so blessed to have been allowed to share in their life's experiences, even if from afar or through the lens of my camera. Read Less

Cheer!
Flag

The Differences Between Wisconsin & Indiana's Amish

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Automobiles & Buggies Photo - Indiana, United States

Quote:

Please understand, this is purely from an observational perspective, having visited and photographed the Amish communities throughout Wisconsin for a little more than a year now . . . and after my first weekend experience doing the same with the Amish of Northern Indiana.While I have read a lot about these communities, rich in tradition and largely holding to the beliefs of what is known as the Old Order Amish, much of what I read about cannot really be observed by an outsider. For instance, the Amish in Wisconsin generally do not have indoor plumbing and still out outhouses. Even the schoolhouses here in Wisconsin still have outhouses. In Indiana, however, many if not most do have indo...Read More

Please understand, this is purely from an observational perspective, having visited and photographed the Amish communities throughout Wisconsin for a little more than a year now . . . and after my first weekend experience doing the same with the Amish of Northern Indiana.

While I have read a lot about these communities, rich in tradition and largely holding to the beliefs of what is known as the Old Order Amish, much of what I read about cannot really be observed by an outsider. For instance, the Amish in Wisconsin generally do not have indoor plumbing and still out outhouses. Even the schoolhouses here in Wisconsin still have outhouses. In Indiana, however, many if not most do have indoor plumbing.

As I drove around Northern Indiana's Amish areas, the first thing that struck me was just how many farms and people made up their local communities. First evidenced by the number of horse & buggies seen out and about (even at 10:30pm on a Saturday night!) . . . and later realized while driving over rural roads and seeing the number of buggies in driveways and "carports".

I wasn't sure at times if I was seeing an "English" farm (non-Amish) or one that was Amish or Mennonite because often there would be buggies in the driveway along with automobiles. I was later told that the Mennonite and Amish are often social with one another, often traveling together for shopping trips into town, etc. in the vehicle belong to the Mennonite. I saw this personally at Yoder's Meat & Cheese Company in Shipshewana.

The other big difference I noticed was that the Amish people that I crossed paths with did not seem to mind if they noticed I was taking photos from afar using a long telephoto lens. In Wisconsin, even from hundreds of yards away I have found Amish children in particular will scatter if they realize I am photographing them. Here in Indiana, however, they seemed to be OK with it.

I asked about this at Amish Acres and was told that generally the Amish in these communities near tourist attractions and local Amish businesses have grown somewhat accustomed to photographers taking pictures. While tolerant of the practice from afar, however, they would be understandably offended and refuse to pose for photos. That really helped to explain a lot for me given that I had taken some photos of young Amish children (under age 12 or so) who seemed as if to unknowingly pose because they simply did not move to avoid the camera.

The use of bicycles in Northern Indiana was something else that I was surprised by. While I had seen bikes in Wisconsin, they largely seemed to be ridden on the driveways of their homes and not to school, church, work, etc. During my driving around on Sunday, the first time I saw a pair of young Amish teenagers riding their bikes towards what I knew to be that morning's church location, I was so surprised I couldn't get my camera out fast enough. I was later able to capture a couple of photos of the Amish going or coming from church on bicycles.

The other mode of transportation, even on a somewhat rainy and blustery Sunday morning, was walking. Many families were seen walking to or from church during my driving around. I especially enjoyed the one image I captured of three generations walking home together.

The last difference that I noticed during my time in Indiana is that they are required to license their buggies and obtain a "plate" (or "tag") much the same as what others have on their automobiles. The plate is numbered and specific to that buggy. The State of Indiana is reportedly the only state in the USA that has this requirement and they charge $25 to register the buggy.

The Amish, regardless of where I've seen them, have all been friendly and quick to offer a wave. I have enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about their culture and lifestyle thanks in part to the time I've spent reading and subsequent driving around amongst them. I hope to be able to return to Northern Indiana later this year to see how they live come summer and later in fall during the harvest. Read Less

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Indiana Journals

Upload Photos