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Last Updated on August 5, 2024
Indiana is a great place to interact with the Amish community. The largest population of Amish in Indiana is in Elkhart-LaGrange Counties of Indiana, making places like Shipshewana a great place to experience Amish culture.
The Amish country in Indiana is very beautiful. Any Amish tour that incorporates a visit to Indiana Amish country, will introduce you to amazing views in addition to the mild-mannered Amish folk that have been hand-making their goods for many decades.
You can arrange your own Amish tour through Amish Country in Indiana. These are the backroads Amish tours to the quaint shops where you get to see the artisans at work and learn about their crafts.
During our recent Amish tour, we visited 6 Amish shops in Shipshewana and the surrounding area. Keep reading to see the Amish men and women that we met! The Backroads Amish Tours are not always the same and can be customized.
NO TIME TO READ But want to Book your own Amish Tour in Indiana? JUMP AHEAD
Grab a map with all the Amish shops and bakeries and hit them as you drive around Elkhart and LaGrange County. Take in the local Amish culture throughout the county and TAKE HOME a unique Amish souvenir that was handmade by the artisans after you chat with them in the shop.
PRO TIP: If you will be doing a DIY Amish tour, you need to call ahead since the Amish business hours vary. OR let the tour guides do that work for you and take a pre-arranged tour!
AND THEN grab some locally grown produce from an Amish farm, a jar of harvested honey, and delicious baked goods from the Amish bakery.
PRO TIP: Take a cooler on your Amish tour so that you can store your perishables.
Come with us as we show you what we experienced on our tour of Amish country in Indiana and what you can expect when you tour some of the best Amish towns in Indiana.
Typical Stops in Amish Country in Indiana
*Note: These are not in geographical order! (I tried to keep the handi-crafts together and the food together)
Amish tours are one of the top things to do in Indiana and especially one of the top things to do in Shipshewana, so don’t miss out
A very special thank you to the Elkhart County CVB, LaGrange County CVB, and Visit Shipshewana for sharing their communities with me. As always, the opinions are my own.
Where is Amish country in Indiana?
Where are the Amish in Indiana?
Elkhart-LaGrange Counties in Indiana (and especially Shipshewana, Indiana) are home to some of the largest Amish communities in the US making them the most interesting areas to visit to experience Amish culture.
Click on the interactive map above to explore Northern Indiana Amish country.
What to see when you visit the Amish in Indiana
Teaberry Wood Products
Retail Specialty: Wood products – Puzzles, Baskets
ADDRESS: 1450 N 1150 W., Middlebury IN
Meet the Miller family at this stop in Amish country Indiana! This is one of the most popular stops in the Indiana Amish communities!
This family-run craft shop started with wooden puzzles. Some of the most popular puzzles from Teaberry are the nativity scenes. They come up with a new scene design and puzzle design each year, so patrons special order them to make sure they get the latest version.
Teaberry is also known for its baskets for which they use a saw to create artwork and display pieces. Everything about their crafting and basket-making is hands-on except the laser engraving. A tour at Teaberry will take you step-by-step through the process of making their popular Monroe-Dutcher-style wooden baskets from a flat piece of wood. Everyone is welcomed into their shop to see their current projects. LaVern Miller will greet you with a friendly smile and dozens of stories about his unique culture.
Teaberry also offers group crafts. With LaVern’s help, our group was able to create our own wooden craft quilt square from the exotic and local hardwood that Teaberry uses in their products.
Yoder’s Rug Weaving
Retail Specialty: Rugs, towels and purses
ADDRESS: 7630 S 300 W, Topeka, IN 46571
Yoders Rug Weaving was started nearly 35 years ago in 1988 when they bought their first rug loom. All the kids wanted to learn too, so they ended up buying a second loom. They do shows in the spring and crafting fairs in the fall but would prefer if visitors just dropped by in person to see their rugs and weaving.
They make wooden items and sew towels too! I even saw adorable purses made from old jeans!
Stop in to see what they have on your next trip through Shipshewana Amish country.
Silver Star Leather
Retail Specialty: Leather- belts, wallets, purses, keychains, holsters
ADDRESS: 6875 N 800 W, Shipshewana, IN 46565
Every last one of the kids in this Amish family helps out at Silver Star Leather Shop. It is a husband and wife team that operates the fully solar-powered workshop with a staff of Amish artisans. They use top-grain leather and exotic materials (such as shark, eel, hippo, stingray, crocodile and OTHERS) to create leather goods including purses, wallets, belts and much more!
There aren’t too many places that deal with such a large variety of exotics!
Tours at Silver Star Leather teach how hides are made into leather and then how the leather is turned into beautiful hand-crafted accessories like belts. Tour groups gather around the table for a 20-minute presentation as the artisan makes a belt from start to finish with time for lots of questions.
NOTE: Silver Star Leather is full of cool facts.
- European hides are much ‘cleaner’ than American hides due to the damaging effects of barbed wire fences in the US
- Stingrays are soft when alive. When they tan the calcium surfaces it hardens which gives stingray the title of toughest leather on earth!
Hoosier Buggy Shop
Retail Specialty: Custom Amish Buggies
ADDRESS: 5345 West 600 South, Topeka, IN
I doubt you will be able to purchase the goods at Hoosier Buggy Shop, but it will be an amazing learning experience to see how these custom Amish buggies are built. Maynard will explain all the requirements in designing the buggies and how much a buggy typically costs. (—but I won’t spoil that shocker!)
The buggy he was building when we were there even had windshield wipers!
This is one of the friendliest Amish places to visit in Indiana as you are led around the shop where those Amish buggies are designed and put together.
Amish Kuntry Fried Pies
Retail Specialty: Fruit-filled and flavorful handmade fried pies
ADDRESS: 10750 W 600 S Millersburg IN
These pies are addicting and so good! They are all handmade from scratch right there in the Amish kitchen. Many people drive for miles to pick up a batch. They also do a lot with schools and communities for fundraising events. They once had a record-breaking order of 15,000 pies in one week!
They have 13 flavors: black raspberry, peach, apple, cherry, strawberry, strawberry rhubarb, blueberry, Bavarian cream, lemon, chocolate, peanut butter, coconut, and the seasonal pumpkin. They were not making peanut butter when we visited or I would have tried that one and taken home two handfuls!
We were able to see the pies being made at each stage. The dough was formed into small balls by the youngest Amish daughter who had the important first job in the assembly line. The dough was then flattened on a roller machine. Meanwhile, the fruit filling was mixed in large pots over the stove.
The pies were then filled by using an old-fashioned ice cream scoop and then the crank was wound on the hand-powered machine to seal them before lining them up on a large wire crate to fry them. OH SO DELICIOUS!!
Carolyn’s Kitchen
Retail Specialty: Jams and Jellies
ADDRESS: 5965 S 675 W., Topeka, IN
Delicious Amish-made jams with no artificial ingredients and just pure fruits, the way it should be. No artificial sweeteners or artificial flavoring. These goodies are great for diabetics. Leave some room to take home a jar or two.
Carolyn’s warm greeting as you walk through the door will make you smile.
PRO TIP: They also sell salsa and homemade Amish noodles
Stutzman Dairy Farm
ADDRESS: 1360 N 850 W Shipshewana, IN
One of the iconic stops on a Backroads Amish Tour in Shipshewana is one of the Amish farms in Indiana to tour a working dairy farm. Our tour stopped at the Stutzman Dairy Farm, a 6th-generation Amish family farm that gave us a personal tour.
They had a viewing platform in the milking parlor where we could see the cows file into the stalls, be outfitted with the milking machines, and then file out back to the barn.
PRO TIP: Make sure you call ahead to reserve your authentic dairy farm tour since they only give tours on certain days and times.
Is Amish country open on Sundays?
No. Most Amish stores in Indiana are closed in the evenings and on Sundays so that the Amish families can spend quality time together.
How to Arrange Amish Experiences in Indiana
Customized Leisure Tours are available upon request. Large group tours are also available.
Vickie Estep
574-970-3344
Other Ways to Meet the Amish in Indiana
Amish Buggy Ride
After you visit all the Amish shops, don’t forget to take an Amish buggy ride tour. There are several places to get an Amish Buggy Ride in Shipshewana. We chose Buggy Lane Tours on the Boardwalk in the Harrison Street Shop complex and right near the Davis Mercantile. This buggy company looked more authentic since it was a typical black Amish buggy. Ours was driven by our Amish driver, Perry, and pulled by our horse, Stormy.
Our Amish Buggy Ride circled the little town of Shipshewana and passed by Amish and Mennonite homes in a relaxing buggy ride while we chatted with Perry. We even passed Perry’s brother who was doing a tour in a white buggy for that ‘Other Company’ as he called it!
Dine with the Amish
Unfortunately, I can’t always do everything on my Bucket List itinerary. Sadly, the Amish home-cooked meal was one of those activities that I wasn’t able to squeeze it.
SO, I called in some back-up from one of my experienced travel blogger friends. Veronica has dined with the Amish a couple of times and is here to give you all the advice about what to expect from this ultimate Amish experience in Indiana
- Tips, photos, and advice from Veronica from Hip Grandma Life:
You haven’t experienced honest Amish cooking til you’ve experienced a truly home-cooked meal in an Amish housewife’s home. The first thing you may notice when you enter the dining space is the lack of artificial light. Because the Amish don’t use electricity connected “to the grid,” the dining area is lit by window light alone. No worries, though. The lighting has very little effect on the yum-factor of the food you’re about to enjoy!
The experience begins with a prayer offered over your meal by your hosts, often delivered in German, the language the Amish use at home and during church services. Your meal will be served family-style, so your host will provide heaping bowls of food, and you’ll scoop and pass. Go ahead and scoop hearty! There is plenty for everyone!
All dishes are prepared from scratch from a menu you’ve selected from in advance. Expect dishes such as chicken, potatoes, gravy, dressing, salads, and veggie sides. The highlight of the meal is undoubtedly the homemade pies served for dessert. With their flaky crusts and rich fillings, these delicious creations are the perfect end to a memorable dining experience, so save plenty of room!
You will need to book your experience in advance by calling ahead. Expect an answering machine because the Amish don’t have phones in their homes; instead, they share a communal telephone with a couple of neighbors. Leave a message, and you’ll receive a return call to make all the arrangements.
Amish Shopping in Indiana
- Where to shop in Amish Country Indiana for authentic goods and fun souvenirs
- Where to buy Amish food in Indiana
Dutch Country Market
ADDRESS: 11351 CR 16, Middlebury, IN 46540
Save a spot on your Amish Indiana itinerary for the Dutch Country Market.
They have their own beehives -you can even watch some of them through the window as they work hard every day. Honey from their hives as well as hives from beekeepers throughout Indiana is used to make some delicious pure honey in many different flavors. They even have a specialty of PEANUT BUTTER HONEY that is a fan favorite!
Katie’s Noodles are handmade and sold at the Dutch Country Market. If you are lucky like we were, they will be giving out noodle samples for your enjoyment.
E & S Sales Bulk Foods
E & S Sales Bulk Food store is the grocery store in Shipshewana and one of the Amish stores in Indiana. You can still drive your car to the bulk food store, but it will be parked out front, while all the horses and buggies will be hitched on the side.
This is a unique shopping experience where you can stroll the aisles, pushing your shopping cart behind an Amish family of 4 who are also browsing the nut aisle.
Stock up on fresh Amish foods and snacks before you embark on your trip through Amish country to explore all the things to do in Shipshewana.
PRO TIP: The bulk food store isn’t open on Sundays or in the evenings, and like most Amish businesses, they don’t take credit cards, only CASH and checks.
Amish Flea Market in Shipshewana
Besides being known for its Amish population, Shipshewana is known for its flea market and Amish shopping. This large 40-acre lot of vendors features many Amish-made products. If you want more ways to interact with the Amish in Indiana, stop at the open-air flea market to wander through the 700 stalls and experience the most diverse shopping in the Midwest!
There is FREE ADMISSION (and parking is only $5). The Flea Market is open Tuesdays & Wednesdays from May through September.
There are some special weekends for extended markets, like Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Find out all the year-round events at the Shipshewana Flea Market Calendar of Events.
FREE ADMISSION (and parking is just $5). The Flea Market is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from May through September.
Where to stay in Amish Country Indiana
Essenhaus Inn & Conference Center
ADDRESS: 240 US Highway 20, Middlebury, IN
Staying at the Essenhaus Inn & Conference Center in Elkhart County offers guests a charming and serene retreat with beautifully decorated rooms reflecting a cozy, country style. The inn provides modern amenities alongside a warm, rustic ambiance, ensuring a comfortable and relaxing experience.
Location is the key!! Guests can enjoy a variety of on-site activities, including shopping at the nearby Amish stores, dining at the Essenhaus restaurant, and exploring the picturesque grounds –all within walking distance! It is like a mini Amish town all in one place.
Hotel Elkhart
ADDRESS: 500 S Main St, Elkhart, IN 46516
If a remote Amish hotel isn’t your style, perhaps this one is more for you.
Staying at Hotel Elkhart in Elkhart County provides a blend of historic charm and modern comfort, with elegantly restored rooms that offer contemporary amenities. The hotel’s prime downtown location allows easy access to local attractions, dining, and entertainment options. Guests can enjoy exceptional service, a rooftop bar with stunning views, and a refined atmosphere that enhances the overall stay.
We were able to walk to the Downtown Riverfront on a nice stroll from the Hotel Elkhart.
Where to eat in Amish Country Indiana
Das Dutchman Essenhaus
ADDRESS: 240 US-20, Middlebury, IN 46540
Indiana’s largest restaurant
Remember the cute Amish hotel in Middlebury that I suggested up above? Well, they also have a great restaurant on site!
The Das Dutchman is the perfect Amish dining experience. They even have a booth inside an ‘Amish buggy’ if you want to dine at that selfie-inducing table!
PRO TIP: Like most places in Amish country, they are closed on Sunday.
Das Dutchman serves a hearty Amish-inspired breakfast buffet. What should you eat in Amish country? a HAYSTACK! They have all the fixin’s to build a big pile of a breakfast haystack.
What is a Haystack?
The base can be a biscuit (or corn chips for the dinner haystack). On top of that, you can stack layers of hashbrowns, ham, green peppers, onions, scrambled eggs— and a special gravy topping and shredded cheese!
Other Places to get an Amish Haystack:
Conclusion about the top things to do in Amish country Indiana
Immersing yourself in Indiana’s Amish Country offers a unique glimpse into a way of life that values simplicity, tradition, and community. From touring authentic Amish farms and sampling homemade delicacies to exploring quaint shops and witnessing traditional craftsmanship, each experience provides a deeper understanding of the Amish culture.
As you engage with the local community, you’ll discover the rich history and enduring customs that define this distinctive region. By exploring our list of ways to connect with Amish culture, you not only gain insight into their everyday lives but also develop a profound appreciation for their steadfast commitment to living harmoniously with nature and each other.
Whether you’re a curious traveler or a cultural enthusiast, Indiana’s Amish Country promises an enriching and memorable journey.
Very well written! I always wanted to learn about Amish culture and you have done it so well.