Visit Amish Country
Experience a simpler way of life firsthand
Service Description
See Living History on this full-day excursion to another world, where the Amish live, renouncing electricity and automobiles and many of the other trappings of modern society. On the way there, your guide will tell you all about the fascinating history of the Amish—their origins in the Swiss Anabaptist movement, their persecution, the break between them and the Mennonites, and their relocation to Pennsylvania in search of a home where they could live without fear of persecution and intimidation. And you will learn about the lives of modern-day Amish, how their way of living makes sense in the light of their shared past and their shared values. You will be taken through a museum consisting of a typical Amish home, visit an Amish schoolroom, and experience the beauty and tranquility of Amish country. You will conclude your tour with lunch* in an Amish-run restaurant, then return to Philadelphia. At the end, you may find yourself thinking of Amish life in a completely different way: less in terms of what it lacks and more in terms of the good things they experience vividly every day that we without “modern” ways can only wish were possible for us. Duration includes travel time, up to 2 hours.