Tours
Off the Beaten Path Trail
This self-guided tour through the heart of Amish Country takes you past more than 100 Amish cottage businesses and backroad shops, all located in the beautiful countryside surrounding Shipshewana. Stop at the Shipshewana Visitors Center to pick up a map or tune into the Off the Beaten Path Audio Tour available via streaming. Besides containing interesting facts, history, and local folklore, the app includes over two hours of directions and narration to guide you through 100+ miles of scenic LaGrange County.
Art in the Heart Trail
LaGrange County is home to a collection of beautiful murals, with 11 located in downtown Shipshewana. Many of the murals commemorate the early days in Shipshewana while others add a more contemporary decorative component to downtown. All of them together create a living history of the area great for selfies! The Pumkpinvine Railroad mural located at 310 North Harrison Street, commemorates the reason Shipshewana is located where it is. Tracks were laid early in 1888 for a railroad running east and north from Goshen to Middlebury, then up through Northeast Indiana into Sturgis, Michigan, terminating at Findlay, Michigan. The Hezekiah Davis mural is dedicated to the most important man in Shipshewana’s history – he founded the town soon after the railroad came through! Nearby, Shipshewana’s newest mural, located in the alley near Teaberry and Cherry Pickers (Morton Street Art Alley), was designed and painted by Indiana artist Cassi Graber.
My Amish Indiana
This local, well-recommended, and very knowledgeable tour guide can make your experience along the Amish Backroads Byway extra special, introducing you to the region on a variety of 9 different in-depth tours that range from 2 hours to a full day. The length of the longer tours depends on how many stops are chosen to coincide with the time you have available to tour. A number of businesses close early on Saturday, with tours ending at noon. There are no tours on Sunday because virtually every business in the immediate Shipshewana area is closed. Between stops, your guide will answer all your questions about local Amish culture.
An example of the tours you can choose from include:
- Introduction to Amish Indiana (2 Hours)
A loop between Shipshewana and Middlebury on which you will learn the basics of Amish culture such as horse and buggies, Amish clothing, worship services, and schools, plus pointing out landmarks along the route and several Amish shops that have interesting backstories that you can explore later at your leisure. - Locally Made (M-F from 3-8 Hours, Sat 3 Hours)
Enjoy a scenic drive on which you will visit a scroll-saw basket maker, rag rug weaver, local cheese shop, small bakery, buggy maker, cruiser (open buggy) maker, harness maker, pottery maker, wooden toy shop, wind chimes shop, furniture maker, chair maker, and/or leather-working shop. - Farm and Garden Tour (3-8 Hours May-Oct)
Enjoy a tour that takes you to Krider World’s Fair Garden, a selection of the area’s Quilt Gardens, an Amish greenhouse, dairy farm, popcorn shop, produce stand (July to mid-October), farm and garden bookstore, and/or herb shop (“Amish pharmacy”) - Sue’s Deep Dive into Amish Culture (6-8 Hours)
Take a deeper dive into the Amish culture at stops such as a log cabin prayer chapel (orientation talk with music and pictures), an Amish school (in season), small Amish food market, general store, fabric store, rag rug maker, Amish cemetery, Amish farm, carriage maker, farm and garden bookstore, Amish junkyard, and/or herb shop (“Amish pharmacy”). This is a way to get to the know the locals and enjoy a mid-day lunch in Topeka.
Middlebury Then and Now Walking Tour
Middlebury’s original settlers hailed from Middlebury, Vermont. Landing in the area which reminded them of home in 1832, they named the town and got on building lives. It was not incorporated until 1868. Stop by the Chamber of Commerce office at 118 South Main Street and pick up a walking tour brochure that takes you past more than 100 stops. Each stop has a QR code, enabling you to learn both the heritage of Middlebury and the people who lived in the residences and owned the businesses.
