Menno-Hof Museum
The Menno-Hof Cultural Museum shares a narrated history of Anabaptism and how the religion eventually became the Amish and Mennonite cultures that we know today. See and hear the Amish-Mennonite story through multimedia presentations, historical environments, and colorful displays. Step into a 16th century courtyard where Anabaptism began, then board a ship of immigrants making a perilous journey across the ocean to America in search of religious freedom. Feel the power and destructive force of nature in the tornado theater, before reflecting in the calm and quiet of a meeting house. Don’t miss the gift shop, which is full of hand-made items crafted by locals.
Off the Beaten Path Trail (now with a NEW Audio Tour option!)
To learn a great deal about the current home life and businesses of the Amish, make sure you venture Off the Beaten Path! This handy guide will lead you on a self-guided tour of the highways, byways, backroads, and side trips that make this Amish destination one of the most visited in the U.S. It’s a combination self-guided tour and instructive map that will guide you through multiple small towns and Amish communities throughout LaGrange County. You’ll meet friendly people, see glimpses of the past, view historic sites, and find amazing meal opportunities.
The Off the Beaten Path journey can be taken anytime, and on any day of the week (Amish shops will be closed on Sunday.) Go at your own pace, and stop to shop, visit, or eat on your own schedule. You’ll see Barn Quilts, Amish farms, Amish cottage shops, roadside stands, buggies and bike riders, parks and lakes, trailheads, restaurants, and attractions. You’ll also be able to visit all of the small towns that make up the unusual and beautiful Heart of Amish Country.
The BRAND-NEW Off the Beaten Path Audio Tour contains over three hours of directions and narration to guide you through the scenic countryside of Lagrange county, to see Barn Quilts, Amish shops, working farms, small towns, and Amish communities. The Audio Tour is informative and fun, containing facts, history, and local folklore. It’s a perfect addition to the Off the Beaten Path tour, and it’s available via CD, USB Drive, or streaming on Spotify!
Buggy Rides & Tours
Take a real buggy or carriage ride around beautiful downtown Shipshewana, or even further! Located right in the heart of the downtown Shipshewana shopping district, Buggy Lane Tours offers lots of options to fit into whatever schedule you have: 8-minute, 15-minute, or 30-minute buggy ride options, as well as possible tour additions like a farm tour and full Amish dinner!
Another option is located right in front of the Blue Gate Restaurant: Blue Gate Carriage, and offers either Amish buggy rides or rides in a beautiful white carriage. (For special occasions like weddings or proms, etc. they even offer a 22 passenger horse-drawn trolley!)
Options include:
Shipshewana Ride (approx. 15 min.)
Country Ride (approx. 30 min.)
The Deluxe: A private ride for 30 minutes – just your party; up to 5 guests.
The Supreme: A private ride for 60 minutes – that special occasion; up to 5 guests.
Barn Tour & Ride (approx. 30 min.) includes a Barn Tour: Learn about the gentle giant Percheron horse while taking a tour of the barn they call home. Find out all the fascinating facts about these horses such as where they came from, how much they eat, how a horse is measured and what they are used for.
Feel free to ask questions of your driver, or listen to them tell you about all the sights and sounds of Amish Country as you’re passing by.
Stutzman Dairy Farm
Less than a mile from small downtown Shipshewana is the Stutzman Dairy, a working, family-owned Amish farm. Multiple tours are available daily (except Sundays, from May 1st thru Oct. 15th, just call and make a reservation to start your Amish Farm Adventure. You’ll be able to observe milking machines, learn about the milking and pasteurization process, and see what the life of a Dairy Cow is really like.
Visit the barnyard to feed and pet the animals! Take a peek at the roosters and chickens, and the beautiful, large garden. Make sure you visit the new baby animals, like calves and piglets! You can even hold a new baby pig if you wish! Remember to take lots of pics to remember your adventure learning about life on the farm.
Amish In-Home Dinners
At location like The Carriage House, you can make group meal reservations for anywhere from 20 – 160 people! Groups AND reservations are required due to the size of the meal, and the planning and cooking involved. But if you’re able to partake of the experience, it’s so much more than you’ll find at a restaurant meal. Traditional large Amish meals include the Thresher’s Dinner, so named because of the quantity of food necessary to satisfy a small army of farmers who’ve some in from threshing the crops all day, or a traditional Amish Wedding Feast, a meal meant to feed hundreds.
The large Amish meals typically consist of several main entrees: fried chicken, meatloaf, roast beef, or ham. Many side dishes: chicken and noodles, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, carrots, corn, cornbread, and dressing. The meal starts with a salad and ends with your choice of a long list of pies. Weddings would also have punch, ice cream, and cake! And of course, there is always bread, butter, and Amish peanut butter on the table all through the meal. Remember, these are just SOME examples, and not a complete list of possible options. And the courses are served with lots of options, not just one or the other. You can try some of everything if you can fit it all on your plate (or in your belly!)
Additionally there are Amish businesses in town, shopping alongside the locals at various stores, Amish musicals that bring the culture to life on stage, and even Amish-run B&Bs to stay at, so Shipshewana truly makes it easy to immerse yourself in the Amish life and make yourself at home!
