The Amish Village Holiday Tradition Tour

Experience the Amish Village this Holiday Season

Christmastime reminds many of warm hugs and holiday cheer, but did you know the Amish don’t offer Christmas hugs; instead choosing handshakes since they prefer not to show affection?  During The Amish Village’s newly unveiled Amish Holiday Tradition Tour, learn intriguing facts about Amish holiday traditions and the reasons behind these customs.

Traditional Amish kitchen

A guided tour of an original 1840 Amish Farmhouse offers an insider’s look at authentic Amish life in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, while showing how centuries-old heritage and religious beliefs influence how the Amish celebrate the holidays today. Yes, that is a refrigerator and mixer you see!  But they are powered by air pressure fueled by a gas tank outside.  And the holiday decorations, since there is no Christmas tree, consisted of a colored popcorn strand of garland on each window, hung homemade cards on a string across the threshold of the kitchen, and some wrapped practical gifts.  Additional seasonal decorations are displayed inside the Amish

Work attire

one-room schoolhouse.

Following tours of the farmhouse and 12-acre Village Grounds, visitors may also purchase a ticket to embark upon the popular Backroads Bus Tour.  Escape off the beaten path into the heart of scenic Lancaster County during this 90-minute photographer’s paradise.  We learned so much on this portion of the tour.  It’s amazing how in this area there are Amish homes right next door to “English” homes, and unless you noticed the green shades, there’s no obvious difference.  This time of year is perfect

Bus tour

to do the tour since it’s their wedding season.  Weddings are held at the family home in a temporary “Wedding House”.  The church members build this to hold the guests and then take it down, reusing all of the materials for another family’s wedding.

Wedding house

About The Amish Village:
Get the behind the scenes look at Amish culture at The Amish Village; now through December visit Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Amish Village is located at 199 Hartman Bridge Road, Ronks, PA. Admission for the house tour and access to the entire 12-acre property is $8.50 for adults and $5.25 for kids ages 5-12. Children 4 and under are free. Bus Tour only is $20 for adults, $13 for children ages 12 and under. Premium package tour, including the house tour and 90 minute countryside bus tour is $26 for adults, $16 for children ages 5-12 and $13 for children ages 4 and under. For more information visit www.theamishvillage.net, www.Facebook.com/TheAmishVillage or call 717-687-8511.

Travel Tips: 

Do both the house and bus tour!  It’s worth it to spend two hours at the house and allow the hour and a half for the bus tour.  You won’t be disappointed!  We even got to meet an employee, Rebecca, who is Amish and a neighbor.  It’s REAL and was a perfect opportunity for Q&A.

I wouldn’t recommend children under 8.  I think it’s a lot of information to take in.  However, if you have younger children, do the house tour, they will really enjoy that portion, especially seeing the barn animals and school house!

Take advantage of the area!  After our tours, we drove around the corner and had a delicious lunch and then shopped a few of the stores at the outlets.  It was the perfect Saturday!

School house

Disclosure:  In exchange for this review, The Amish Village gave me and a friend a comp ticket.  However, the photos and opinions in this review are my own.