Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is pretty much synonymous with Amish country. It’s easy to spend a day in Pennsylvania Amish Country and learn about how they live. Here are a few things you can do in just one day.
Visit an Amish village
I visited Amish Village, an Amish property that includes a traditional home, farmhouse, one-room schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, and barn with farm animals, including a peacock. We took a guided tour of the home that shows how Amish live day to day.
Other similar options are Amish Farm & House or The Amish Experience.
After looking around a bit more, we decided a horse and buggy ride would be our next activity. Ours left from the Amish Village, but you can also find them with Aaron & Jessica’s Buggy Rides, which is run by Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren people.
Visit an Amish market or restaurant
After the scenic horse and buggy ride, we searched for Amish restaurants nearby. You can find Amish-run businesses and only Amish-themed restaurants, though they can sometimes be kitschy. We ate at Plain & Fancy Farm Restaurant which is Amish-themed. The food ended up being very good and since we went with the family-style option there was plenty of it.
Traditional Pennsylvania Dutch restaurants include Miller’s Smorgasbord and Shady Maple Smorgasbord.
Amish markets are a must-do, as well. Lancaster Central Market is the oldest continuously running farmer’s market in the country. Open every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, vendors sell food, produce, meat and dairy products, gifts, and more. Other markets include Village Farm Market, Bird-in-Hand Farmers Market, Lemon Street Market, and many more. You may also run across roadside markets.
An important tip!
Here’s an important tip for anyone planning a day in Pennsylvania Amish Country: don’t go on a Sunday! The Amish don’t conduct business on Sundays for religious reasons. That means Amish markets or other Amish-run businesses will not be open and you’ll see few Amish people in public other than some passing by in their buggies.
Would you like to spend a day in Pennsylvania Amish Country? Let me know what your favorite part is in the comments.
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