Amish Country Homestead

After visiting the region and many of the advertised locales, we found the Amish Country Homestead by far the best and the most comprehensive and rewarding in terms of a glimpse and understanding of the Amish. Located between the charming towns of Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse on Route 340, the Amish Country Homestead complex includes a nine-room furnished house, where you learn about Amish clothing and living without the benefit of electricity; a wonderful large shop; and the Plain & Fancy Restaurant, which serves, family style at long tables set for twelve, the traditional Amish meal of seven sweets and seven sours. Joining other guests, you sample fare such as baked sausage, chicken pot pie, dried corn, sweet and sour relishes, shoo-fly pie, dumplings, and homemade breads. At the homestead you can also arrange for individual buggy rides or a more extensive, organized bus tour that visits an Amish farm. The highlight of a visit to the homestead is its remarkable theater and the program entitled “Jacob’s Choice.” This is the only “experiential” theater on the East Coast and it is truly unique. The audience, sitting on benches as the Amish do in church, feel as if they are observing life on an Amish farm as they watch the story of the Fisher family brought to life through a high-tech, multimedia presentation with remarkable special effects and three-dimensional sound and imagery.