Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is a popular tourist destination because it is home to a large population of Amish, who live much as they did 100 years ago, forgoing electricity and other modern amenities in favor of a simpler lifestyle. Most of the Amish make their living through farming and tourism and live in the rural areas of Lancaster County.
Lancaster County, where the Pennsylvania Amish are concentrated, offers a variety of lodging options, from RV and tent camping to higher and middle-end chain hotels to budget motels to B&Bs. Staying at a bed-and-breakfast is a smart choice because many are located in rural Lancaster, close to where the Amish live. In fact, many B&Bs in Lancaster county furnish and decorate their guestrooms with Amish furniture, quilts and handicrafts.
One of the best ways to understand and appreciate Amish culture is to visit an Amish house and farm. The Amish Farm and House dates back to 1805 and is set on 15 acres. Amish tour guides tell guests about what life for the Amish was like in the 1800s and how it is now. Another option is the Amish Country Homestead, which is the only traditional Amish home on the the list of Lancaster Heritage sites. Tours are also available at the Lancaster Amish Country Homestead.
If you want to learn a bit more about Amish history and culture, head to Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, which was once an Amish village and is now open to the public as a museum. The museum is set on 100 acres and features a schoolhouse, wagon rides, farmstead and traditional homes. The Lancaster Quilt and Textile Museum features traditional Amish quilts, while the People's Place Quilt Museum is home to 23 contemporary Amish quilts. Quilting is an important part of Amish culture and much can be learned about the Amish lifestyle by observing both traditional and contemporary quilts.
The Amish are known for their hearty and tasty dishes, featuring dried corn, chicken pot pie, apple dumplings, schnitz und knepp and whoopie pie, pickled cabbage, sauerkraut, pork chops, shoofly pie, molasses spread and cream of cabbage soup. The Amish are descendants of German and Dutch immigrants and many of their dishes reflect this Germanic heritage. "Pennsylvania Dutch" fare, as it's called, is available at family-style restaurants throughout rural Lancaster County.
The Amish are talented furniture-makers and are well-known for their intricate woodworking. Many furniture and woodwork shops in Lancaster County carry Amish goods, such as beds, closets, tables and desks, as well as decorative woodwork items. In some shops, you can even commission the Amish carpenter to make customized furniture for your home. In addition, the Amish are excellent quilt-makers and local handicraft stores as well as outdoor markets often carry Amish-made quilts. Those looking to take home jams, jellies, molasses and other Amish-made sweets will want to visit an Amish farmer's market or an Amish souvenir shop in rural Lancaster.
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