It may be the only McDonald’s with hitching posts to accommodate its patrons.
Located here in the heart of Amish country, this fast-food franchise is catering to the needs of customers arriving in horses and buggies.
In a harmonious meeting of the 19th and 20th Centuries, a little more than two hours from Chicago, Amish Acres rests in the peaceful Hoosier countryside. The re-created village established here recalls the lifestyle of this simple, tradition-bound people.
Set among the sparkling white-painted farmhouses, fertile farmland, horse-drawn buggies, women in white prayer bonnets and men in wide-brimmed black hats, sporting chin whiskers (and NO mustaches), one can experience this age-old spartan lifestyle in north-central Indiana.
Nearly 2,500 Old Order Amish live around the small community of Nappanee. (More Amish live in Indiana than Pennsylvania.) Their ancestors arrived here around 1830. They cleared the forests, built log cabins and settled down to farm the land won from the wilderness.
The city grew next to the five acres that three pioneer farmers gave to the B&O Railroad for $1 to build a station along its new route to Chicago in 1874.
Horse-drawn buggies are still tied next to the station, which now serves as an Amtrak stop for the Broadway Limited between Chicago and New York.
Twenty buildings, including nine original farm structures, comprise the 80 acres of Amish Acres. The centerpiece is the restored farmhouse of the Stahly-Nissley-Kuhn families, built in 1873. Next door is the Grossdaadi Haus, where the grandparents lived.
Relocated buildings include three hand-hewn barns, two log houses, a blacksmith shop, round barn (now a theater), ice house, mint still, sawmill, maple sugar camp, sorghum press, weaving house, cider and grist mill, and broom shop. Knowledgeable guides in country costumes explain all of this and the use of ancient kitchen equipment, plus the hardships of the early settlers’ lives.
Admission to Amish Acres is free, but there are some charges for specific events.
You may want to begin your visit with a viewing of the documentary film “Beyond the Buggy,” shown in the meeting house, located in the lobby of the Greeting Barn. It is shown every 15 minutes.
A guided tour of the 12-room farmstead, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, takes you to another bygone era. Demonstrations of domestic chores include rug weaving, quilting, baking in the original outdoor oven, candle dipping, food drying and broom-making. Be sure to take a 30-minute buggy ride through the nearby woods.
With the purchase of a Past Port you will be admitted to the film, the tour of farm buildings, the half-hour buggy ride and a “Threshers’ Dinner” (see below). The cost is $22 for adults, $9.35 for children. When adding theater tickets, the price is $33.95 for adults, $14.30 for children (ages 3-12).
A 21-passenger bus tour of the farms on the backroads, led by a guide, costs $7.95 for adults, $3.95 for children. The area is well known for its excellent woodworking shops by Amish tradesmen.
The seasons bring a variety of experiences-tulip, rose and lilac festivals in the spring, a huge arts-and-crafts show in August, Fall Craft Days in October and November, and hayrides and sleigh rides in winter.
The Threshers’ Dinner is served in the Restaurant Barn, a 400-seat facility, serving a single family-style menu for $12.95 for adults, $4.95 for children. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible.
The Barn Loft Grill, on the second floor, serves lighter fare.
On the main floor, the Threshers’ Dinner is presented on oilcloth-covered tables by gingham-clad waitresses. It starts with seasonal relish, sweet and sour cabbage, spiced apple rings, an iron kettle of thick bean soup and two favorite meats (choose from country fried chicken, roast turkey and hickory-smoked ham or beef roast).
All of this is accompanied by bowls of mashed potatoes, sage dressing, beef and noodles, and giblet gravy.
The Bountiful Breakfast Buffet, served in the large dining room on weekends during the fall and winter, includes fruits and juices, freshly-baked pastries, eggs, ham, sausage, biscuits, egg batter fried toast and maple syrup. All of this for $5.95 for adults, $3.95 for children.
A lavish buffet will be presented in the main dining room on Thanksgiving Day. Fruitcake and wassail bowls around glowing fireplaces at holiday time add to the festive spirit. Although Amish Acres is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it is open on Thanksgiving, Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Across from the Restaurant Barn is the Theatre at Amish Acres, housed in a round barn, which was dismantled and moved from a nearby site.
Dedicated to interpreting the lifestyle of the Amish in an authentic tasteful manner, the musical “Plain and Fancy” has been playing here for eight years. A significant hit on Broadway 39 years ago, it’s the story of the “plain” Amish people in Lancaster, Pa., and their “fancy” New York visitors. Tickets are $15.95 for adults, $5.95 for children. Dinner-theater packages are available.
The holiday show, running Nov. 25 to Dec. 18, is “I Do, I Do,” a musical history of a marriage.
Bed-and-breakfast lodgings with Amish farm families abound in the area. Call Amish Acres at 800-800-4942 for information and reservations for any of the 23 B&Bs.
On the grounds itself is the 64-room Inn at Amish Acres, which combines the charm of a country inn with contemporary amenities (cable TV with HBO and rental movies are available, and 16 one-room suites boast whirlpool baths). Breakfast is included, as is a 4 p.m. Sunset Cider treat. Rates vary from $64-$125 per room for two adults; rates are highest during summer, holidays and special events (Notre Dame is nearby, so beware of football weekends).
The red-shingled new Nappanee Inn is one-half mile west of the Inn, though it’s part of Amish Acres. This 66-room motel, with its country barn architectural design reflects the buildings of the countryside but the amenities are strictly modern. Rates range from $64-$84, depending on the season and special events.
Both of these motels are wheelchair accessible and are non-smoking facilities. Children under 17 stay free.
Shops on the grounds and nearby are filled with tempting goodies to bring home. The Stone House Christmas Shop, jams and jellies, breads and pies, and quilts, quilts, quilts are everywhere. Antique buffs can have a field day browsing and buying at Amish Acres and surrounding shops. There are six antique malls and four specialty shops in Nappanee.
Richard “Dick” Pletcher, founder and president of Amish Acres who is not Amish, admits that all of this started as a hobby. “My dad took me to Lancaster to observe the development there,” he says. “That’s where I became aware of the responsibility to maintain the authenticity relating to the Amish. It started with a craft festival 32 years ago, located around our family’s furniture store.”
Amish Acres is open daily March 1 through Dec. 30, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; the hotels, however, are open year-round. Amish Acres is wheelchair accessible. Grounds are open for shopping and tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, call 800-800-4942.
GETTING THERE BY CAR OR TRAIN
Amish Acres is about 100 miles from Chicago, 140 miles from Indianapolis and 190 miles from Detroit.
By road: Amish Acres is just off U.S. Highway 6 one mile west of Nappanee, Ind. You can also take the Indiana Toll Road (Interstate Highway 80-90), about 20 miles to the north. Take Exit 72 when traveling from the Chicago area or Exit 92 when traveling from the east to the U.S. Hwy. 20 Bypass to the Nappanee Exit.
By rail: You also can reach Amish Acres via Amtrak’s Broadway Limited. The fare is $50 round trip. Phone 800-USA-RAIL for information.
ATTRACTIONS NEAR AMISH ACRES
There are numerous other points of interest near Amish Acres. Among them:
– Borkholder Dutch Village (food and festivities), County Road and County Rt. 101, Nappanee 46550; 219-773-2828.
– Shipshewana Flea Market and Auction, Box 185, Shipshewana, Ind. 46565; 219-768-4129.
– University of Notre Dame Basilica Tours (219-239-7329) and Tours of Notre Dame Campus, South Bend, Ind. 46556; 219-239-5726.
– Snite Museum of Art, Notre Dame Campus, South Bend, Ind. 46556; 219-631-5466.
– Studebaker National Museum, 525 S. Main St., South Bend, Ind. 46601; 219-235-9479.
– Goshen Antique Mall, 107 S. Main St., Goshen, Ind. 46526; 219-534-6141.
– Copshaholm House and Gardens, 808 W. Washington St., South Bend, Ind. 46601; 219-235-9664.
– Dick Lehman Pottery at the Old Bag Factory, 1100 Chicago Ave., Goshen, Ind. 46526; 219-534-1162.
– Twin Mills Camping Resort, 1675 W. State Rd. 120, Howe, Ind. 46746; 219-562-3212.
