My wife and I had the pleasure to visit Elkhart county for a romantic weekend a few weeks ago. This is the third post in a five post series about our adventure in Elkhart County.
Very rarely are you able to find a place to visit that is both a romantic and a family friendly attraction, but Amish Acres in Nappanee Indiana has it all. Amish Acres offers visitors a total Amish experience – with a modern twist.
There are guided buggy tours of the Amish farm as well as guided walking tours through an authentic Amish farm house. They also offer a candy shop, cheese shop and two souvenir shops which sell traditional Amish goods. The staff at Amish Acres is very knowledgeable and friendly.
We checked into the Inn at Amish Acres on Saturday afternoon. We spent the afternoon touring Amish Acres, and learning about the Amish. We’ve enjoy Amish country many times before, but this was my wife’s first time to experience Amish culture.
We went on the buggy ride around the farm and our guide was a kindly Amish woman. The tour highlighted all of the historic buildings that had been purchased over the years and restored to their original luster. The buggy ride stopped at a restored Amish school house, where we were escorted inside an given a very short lesson on how Amish school works.
After the buggy ride, we went to watch the two documentary films that Amish Acres offers. The films tell of how the Amish came to be and how they came to settle in Northern Indiana. There were very much worth taking the time to watch.
After the documentaries, we took a walking tour of the farm. This part of the tour was also guided as we went through an authentic Amish farm house. The house was left as it would have been in the late 1800’s. The guide explained how the house would have worked and the family structure and culture of the Amish.
Once the tour was over, we ate at the restaurant at Amish Acres. They serve traditional Amish food such as fried chicken, ham, mashed potatoes, and delicious goodies. We were amazed at the generous portions of food that we received and the food was absolutely delicious. We sat in a rustic style dining room, which was very romantic.
After dinner, we saw a show at the famous Round Barn Theater. We were unsure of what to expect when it came to the show – we were not expecting a professional Broadway musical. Yet, it was exactly that. We saw the Once Upon a Mattress, which was a retelling of the fable the Princess and the Pea. The caliber of the performance was amazing. The actors were very talented. Even if musical theater isn’t your thing, it’s worth the price of admission just to sit and admire the amazing Round Barn Theater.
When our show was over, we returned to the Inn. Our accommodations were extremely nice. Our room was impeccably clean as well. The staff at the Inn were very accommodating as well. The hotel was decorated in a quaint style evocative of Amish country. The Inn had board games in the lobby for all to enjoy.
I highly recommend Amish Acres for all who are intrigued by Amish Country and want to learn more about their culture. Amish Acres is open May through October check the website for hours and prices where you can also find information on the Round Barn Theater and the Inn at Amish Acres. Be sure to inquire about package prices if you want to get away and experience all that Amish Acres has to enjoy.
