We went on the movie and house tour combo. The movie is certainly not a complete waste of time but we did leave with a sense of "what was that?..." It has an interesting way of telling the story, with the 4 screens and a few bonus effects, and its not long - so that was good. It's really just a small add-on to the house tour. Do I recommend it? I have no idea. The house tour was interesting although felt a bit too far removed from actual Amish people who live so close. I feel like the bus tour is probably much better. Ah well, it's open Sunday, so that's good and rare for the area. TIP: Groupon has a deal. Helps with the value. read more

Great spot if you are in the area. 1) I did the 4:45 PM EST Amish home replica tour. It was nice and informative. Around 15 USD for the 30 minute tour. 2) Wish I did the 2 PM EST bus tour, which people like better. But, I was at the Shady Maple Smorgasbord buffet, which took over my day. read more

We paid for the tour, school house tour, and movie. All three experiences were positive. We were appreciative of our tour guide and our school house guide. I think there names were Debbie and Kathy. Dana, on the other hand, was extremely rude and unwelcoming. As we entered the store to inquire about purchasing tickets, Dana straight out asked us, "what did we want". We almost left the store, but Daniel (another tour guide) spoke up for us and toned down the situation. Dana never smiled, made us feel as if we were intruding. I highly recommend that Dana is not at the customer service desk greeting g people, I'm sure he has already scared many customers away. read more

We had so much fun making a day of this tour! We had a very friendly and informative tour guide and learned so much about the Amish. I genuinely had no idea about their lifestyle, education, technological advances, etc. my favorite part was stopping at an Amish shop with baked goods, dairy, quilts, soaps, and other miscellaneous items. We bought a ton of things to try and loved them all! There is a video you can watch, tours of their homes and schools, and a gift shop at the end of the tour. I went home and immediately started watching Breaking Amish! read more

The Amish Experience - Horse and buggy - Tours Near Me - Bird In Hand, Pennsylvania

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This was a very unique experience. We are from Florida & did the Amish Experience Visit-in-Person to 3 Farms. My sister & I along with our niece (19) & nephew (27) took this tour with Jim, an outstanding Tour Guide. He put us & a couple from the Netherlands at ease & we quickly got to know each other as we were driven around in a new, very comfortable, Mercedes van. All along the drive, Jim pointed out Amish schools, homes, buggy driving safety tips, history, fun facts, etc. Jim was as interesting as the 3 family's we visited. The first stop was a milk farm, which was amazing to tour in person and the family was so informative, open and knowledgeable. Next up, was a greenhouse nursery & again, the family was incredibly welcoming and so informative. They welcomed us to their home business after a long day of working. Most memorable was the cleanliness, creativity and the story of how the family business started and grew and continues to grow. This was our favorite stop. Lastly, we visiting the home of an Amish Great Grandmother and I would guess, a very well respected pillar of Amish society. It was so striking being invited into the home of a stranger with such a different culture from ours. She was very open, interesting and asked us as many questions as we asked her. The Netherlands couple agreed, that if we all did something like this, the world would be a more open & accepting place. Jim added so much additional Amish information as our guide making the tour even more memorable. read more

It is actually 3.5 stars. I booked with the lady at the front desk on Thursday afternoon for a 5pm Friday evening visit-in-person tour. The tour consisted of a creamery/milk farm, a buggy-building farm, and lastly, we were welcomed into an Amish home. The tour was informative and it was neat to see cows being milked up close. Lady at the front desk was very nice and welcoming. The day of the tour we got to walk around the farm and were able to pet some animals. We also got to walk around the buggy-building farm and see up close how the owner builds buggies for the Amish community from start to finish. Last was an in-person gathering in an Amish family home where we each sat down in their living room in a circle and asked questions about what they do, their family lifestyle/way of life, and the changes they encounter and adapt to as their environment changes. Be prepared for them to ask you back about your way of life and where you originally come from too. The tour guide oddly complained lightly that I didn't talk enough/did not ask enough questions. read more

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This review is for the V.I.P. (Visit In Person) Amish Experience. ------------- Wow - I am so impressed with the amazing tour with The Amish Experience. Not quite sure what to expect, I was intrigued by the "in-home visits" with three Amish families, and was willing to pay $60 for the three-hour experience. I am so glad I did! Our tour guide Kent welcomed us to the 14-seat bus and drove us around Amish Country while entertaining us with personal stories about his Amish friends. We visited with dairy farmers first, their 14-year old son was our tour guide, and did an amazing job. Kent made it clear that this is our tour - we are supposed to ask questions to really get to know the Amish and their ways of living. After a little shyness on our part at first, we quickly started to ask many questions about the work life - from how the cows are being milked, how many gallons of milk are produced, how many people are helping on the farm - to more personable questions about family life and school, what the Amish boys' hobbies are etc. Then, we visited a woodworker at his shop, he and his family are making lighthouses, birdhouses, and mailboxes, and keep their family of 9 afloat with this wonderful craft business. Again, we were allowed to ask any sort of questions and always received courteous and polite answers. To be respectful, we didn't take any pictures, which allows you to fully immerse in the experience, and talk to the host families without distractions - I preferred it that way, and I'm sure many of the fellow tour guests did as well. The last family we visited were my favorite ones - we were allowed to enter their private residence, saw the kitchen, living room and den with washing machine, then sat down in a circle in their yard, and started a conversation where the hosts were just as interested in our lives as we were in theirs. Kent made us aware that this is not the time to ask inappropriate questions, but keep in mind that these are strangers kind enough to open their home to us. All of us stuck to this simple, empathic rule, and we had an absolutely lovely visit. We found out about the adoption of their daughters, their vacation plans, their intentional divorce from many of our everyday conveniences and luxuries, and how it helps them to focus on their children, their farms, and their community and church-based lives. While driving from place to place, Kent pointed out areas of interest like schools and Amish graveyards and entertained us with stories and anecdotes. I was worried at first that this would be like a "Disneyland" of the Amish, where we get to meet some "show families" in a "fake village", but I was able to make genuine connections with these lovely families, it felt like visiting friends. I will never forget this incredible tour, that I did by myself. If I come back to the area, I would make sure to take the tour again and bring my friends. Kent said that the tour agency partners with about 30 families, so you can take it multiple times and meet more Amish people. Best tour I've ever taken, thank you for everything!!! read more

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A great tour guide provides an experience that is both informative and educational. Kent succeeds wonderfully on both counts during his van tour. Although he is not Amish himself, he has many friends who are Amish, and through many years of living in this area he has learned a lot about their culture and their customs. He does a great job of helping visitors learn about the Amish people and their way of life. It was a great tour! We also enjoyed the Amish Experience movie and the tour of the home & school house. The movie, home & school visit, and van tour complemented each other very well. read more

The Amish Experience - Amish horse buggy - Tours Near Me - Bird In Hand, Pennsylvania

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Interesting story mixed with Amish history. Was a great respite from a hot day and very informative as well

My husband and i spent the Afternoon here We had a tour of the farm and a bus ride around the county. Our Driver Jack was wonderful I do not recommend going on a Sunday because everything is closed read more

We went for the VIP tour. Our first stop was at an Amish dairy farm. We got to see milking cows and also had the chance to feed baby cows. I grew up in a city so I've never get close to animals before, this was really exciting to me. Our second stop was at Fisher's Soap Shop. It is a hidden gem of the Dutch Country and really worth taking time to find it yourself. I couldn't find the soap shop on Yelp so I took one of their flyers to keep their address. They have herbal soaps, loofah soaps and milk based soaps. I bought an oatmeal soap and a loofah soap. Fisher's Soap Shop 89 Pond Road Ronks, PA 17572 (717)768-0707 Hours: 8a - 6p Monday through Saturday Our last stop was an Amish home. We sat in the living room of an Amish family and talked to them about different things. One of the daughters of the family is a school teacher for Amish kids, so we actually looked at their textbooks used in their one room school. It's very informative and very personal. I would recommend this tour to everyone! read more

This review is a departure from my recent practice of including photos to augment my written descriptions of my experiences. The obvious reason is that my Amish hosts did not want to have photos taken, and it was great to put the camera away, and just take in the experience. I have no idea about the movies and gift shops that some of the other reviews seem to be complaining about. I participated in the in-person Amish experience, which consisted of visits to three Amish families. The first visit was to an Amish dairy farm to witness the afternoon milking and to play with a litter of German shepherd pups (the latter was a bonus!). The 14 year-old son of the farmer gave us an overview of the milking process and techniques as his father and sisters performed the actual milking. Alvin is a smart and sociable young man who is about to start his last year of school (an 8th grade education is considered sufficient for the Amish youth to perform their functions). Our second visit was to Isaiah and Linda, an amiable Amish couple who weave beautiful baskets. Isaiah is a wonderful conversationalist, and Linda was very sweet and gracious as she showed us her contributions to the Amish cottage industry. The third and last (and, perhaps, the most memorable) visit was to an Amish family for an evening chat in their livingroom. Unlike typical tours, where one group of people functions as an exhibit for the entertainment and / or edification of the other group, this was a true social visit that consisted of bilateral conversations. The host family members were just as curious to know about their guests and our lives as they were open to sharing about their lives. The patriarch of the family told us about the Church and the districts, while his wife Sarah and his daughter Sylvia talked about the local businesses and the vacations that they liked to take (including a recent hiking trip to the Grand Canyon). In the absence of a television and mobile phones, this lively evening conversation was the kind that turns strangers into friends. Our driver, Jay, was pleasant and informative. If you have time to do one thing in the Lancaster area, let this be it. I know I will be bringing friends and family for many more of these visits. read more

This was great! Their was no one there and we got a private bus tour! The woman who did our tour was very nice and informative.

I took the house tour and saw Jason's choice video. The house tour was a replica of both and Amish house and school. It was a great way to see deep inside Amish home life. What was very interesting is finding out the technology they are allowed to use. The tour guide was very informative and gave us plenty of information on the history of the Amish and their struggles in Europe before coming to America. She also mentioned that in addition to farming they also own businesses, do carpentry and construction as well as wood work. Jason's Choice gives an inside look of the daily choices and tragedies the Amish can face like the rest of us. read more

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They have a bunch of silly experiences We got some basic bish tickets to see the tour of the school and house It was good, the girl was nice I loved with an Amish family fir a few days once so I wasn't that amazed Anyway. I bought a bonnet and I wore it like a jack ass. I love it! I waved to the Amish people They dug it read more

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Not your typical theater. The show starts on the hour and runs about 30 minutes. We saw Jacob's Choice which deals with a young man's choice of whether or not to continue on with his Amish family and join the church through baptism or leave and become part of the "world". The inside of the theater reminds one of a barn and the movie takes place on the walls of the barn. There are some small items added like smoke, bells, a fan with mist and smoke which makes it appear as if the barn is burning down around you. It was a bit expensive at $21 for me and my daughter for 30 minutes of entertainment. If your in the area, check it out. I wouldn't go out of my way. We were the only people in the whole theater until another mother and daughter joined us a few minutes before the start of the show. Nice customer service and very informative. The show could have been longer and dealt with more of the Amish life. It would have been nice to have a question and answer session or just more information after the movie. Instead, the just seemed to be interested in ushering us into another activity. We did not do any of the other activities listed. read more

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Great! We arrived late for a contactless tour and the desk accommodated us by taking us on an available shuttle. Our guide was a woman from Germany and she knew everything about the history of the Amish. The most interesting parts of the tour were seeing the schools, hearing about their bible/church services, and visiting the stores along the way; she fielded every question we had, and we had a lot. She gave us a tip about buying butter and pretzels at the first stop and it was the greatest recommendation! We're going to recommend this company to friends and family. Finding the location, it's a bit hard to spot on the main road as there's no street sign, but when you see a BBQ restaurant, it's right next to that. read more

Our visit to the dutch country was spontaneous for a saturday mini day trip. We knew it would be a bit chilly outdoors but we came anyway. We arrived and easily found the farm/business. This is a great one stop shop. Theres a store which sells amish goodies, a restaurant right next to the store which serves amish fares, and a hotel right behind the theater/tour center. The hotel seems to have great reviews from other yelpers. The area also has a buggy ride on site from a different company. We signed up for the super saver package. This included the homestead tour (typical school and amish home/family living), farmland tour (stops at bird in hand bakery and craft store), and the theater show. I was a bit hesitant with doing all three but the woman working the desk reassured me that everything was great experience and I would have a great time. She was great help and delightful. Her name was Beatrice i think. Not only did she sell us our tickets, she also was the tour guide for all three activities. Beatrice makes you feel welcome and inviting. She is very knowledgeable about the amish. I would recommend this tour if you'd like to learn about the amish without the frills. read more

The Amish Experience - inside the theater - Tours Near Me - Bird In Hand, Pennsylvania

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Not sure why this place has rave reviews in some places. It is okay but not that awesome. Maybe it has changed some due to Covid but I found it lacking. I did the "Jacob's Choice" theater show & Farmlands Tours. The Jacob's Choice is pretty good but then when he is making the decision it jumps to the end quickly and doesn't flow well. I wished they had more about how he arrived at the choice and what would have happened if the choice were different. The Farmlands Tour, I thought, was supposed to have multiple stops (maybe that is a different company) but we just made a stop at the end at a regular store that anyone might have found and stopped at .. not that unique. The guide was good and gave interesting facts. Just wish we had more interaction with the Amish themselves. I didn't learn a whole lot more than I already knew - but to be fair, I have read some and done some Amish stuff in my home state some years ago. read more

We did the VIP tour at 5pm on a Friday. You ride around on a small bus with 14 or less people. You visit three Amish homes and get to speak with the owners. We saw An active dairy farm, basket maker, and a retired farmer. We got to go through one home and inside the barns of others. Our driver was very knowledgable. There are no bathrooms or food along the three hour journey. I highly recommend this tour...we learned a lot. read more

Looking to get a decent overview about the Amish way of life, I randomly found this place on Google maps. Once I clicked on it to see what exactly it was, I thought it would a perfect overview. I purchased the supersaver 3 in one tour (which happened to come with a buggy ride voucher (reviewed separately)). We arrived around 10am on a Friday. We saw the short movie titled JACOB'S CHOICE, which had the charm and plot holes of Hallmark movie. However, it was meant to be an overview film, not an in-depth analysis. It was presented in a cute get-up, being displayed on a side of a barn. After this, we had a tour of the Amish house and schoolhouse. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, but also rather irritated that her normal tour routine was modified due to a school group ahead of us. Once that was out of the way, she was visibly happier and more relaxed. This portion of our tour was only four people, so we didn't need to rush around. There was enough time between the house/schoolhouse tour and the bus portion to take a bathroom break inside the gift shop. Nothing really remarkable about this, although the bathrooms were really clean. The final portion of the tour package was a 90 minute bus ride which was narrated by the driver. He told different things about Amish way of life and made a few jokes. I really enjoyed this portion, although was expecting to see different things than what I did. About 2/3 of the way through the bus ride, we stopped at a farm at another gift shop, specializing in handicrafts, with a few things to available to purchase and eat. As a side note, this place had the cheapest prices for the items we found on the entire trip. After this, it was back on the bus and back to the loading point. We also did get a voucher for Aaron and Jessie's buggy rides, which is reviewed on it's own page. All in all, a solid, decent value for the ticket price. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend for someone who is looking to learn about Amish way of life. I would recommend arriving early to avoid the mass of tourists, whose numbers seem to grow exponentially after noon. For the person who is planning things, we arrived around 9.45 AM and left around 2pm. read more

We went on a Sunday and were the only people for the tour and for the Jacob's Choice movie. Beth, our guide, was super nice and informative. We did the Super Saver and it's about 3 hours long. I recommend going! read more

My husband and I took the farmland tour with a kindly tour guide, Kent, who was very informative and entertained us with his personal stories about some of his Amish friends. This tour was the highlight of our Lancaster vacation. read more

We went on the VIP 3 hour tour. It was worth it! Such a great experience. Lots of chances to ask questions and get an up close and personal experience. Our tour guide was great and made the trip educational and fun. I feel like we truly made some new friends. Especially with the last stop in the families private home as we sat and talked with them for over an hour. Thank for you this great memory made. read more

I took the house tour. I think it's a great informative tour. It took about 40 minutes - we started in a Amish classroom, where we got some explanation about their education system. Then, we moved to the house (which used to belong to Amish family in the past). We saw the boys/girls/parents bedrooms, as well as the living room and kitchen, with explanation in each room, and demonstration of their cloths, games, decoration etc. I definitely recommend this to you, and I think this is exactly what you need in order to get the Amish feeling :) read more

Took the farm tour. Bus driver/guide was great. Knew history on every farm and so much about the Amish history and culture. Very hot day but we were comfortable in the air conditioned bus. read more

I avoided the tourist traps like a seasoned pro on our trip to the Amish country. Still, I managed to fall for one- the Amish Experience Theater. We dropped a couple of dollars on tickets hoping to learn more about the way the Amish live. No such thing happens in this very dated film (70's? 80's?). How do the boys hook up with the girls? Inquiring minds want to know! Does the color of the girls bonnet mean anything? Inquiring minds want to know! Do Amish guys ever pick up non-Amish girls? No really, some of them are hot and you know, inquiring minds want to know! Anyway. "Jacob's Choice" is instead a half hour film with special effects that you'd expect at Disney World. When there was a storm projected on the screen fans would pump out a misty rain over the audience, when war scenes were shown a "cannon" shot out puffs of smoke into the theater, etc.. Maybe I'm leaving off some stars for the film having stopped projecting a few minutes into our "experience" or maybe because I never did learn anything more about the Amish that I didn't know already. Props to our host and speaker before the film started - friendly, funny, and laid out a good foundation for what to expect from the "experience". read more

My family and I participated in the Visit-In-Person Amish Experience and it was amazing. We also bought tickets for the Amish meal in the smokehouse, which was delicious. For a family traveling into the area we checked into our hotel, went to dinner and then participated in the experience. Highly suggested to get a feel of the Amish culture and lifestyle. Beth was our guide and was wonderful and very informative of everything Amish. read more

We went out of our way to attend a magic lantern show at this theater and we were thrilled that we did. The show, presented on antique (but updated to use electric lights) lanterns, was incredibly well executed. The presenter clearly enjoyed his work and was happy to answer everyone's questions about the history of the magic lantern and how everything worked at the conclusion of the show. The entire family had a great time, and the kids walked out discussing how we could make our own magic lanterns. Highly recommended for anyone interested in a little pre-moving picture history. read more

Not Amish. Definitely not an experience. This is a gift shop that promises much, and delivers little in seeing what Amish life is really like. I was excited to partake, until we realized this isn't what was promised by marketing. Disappointing. read more

This review is for the House and School tour only. My mom and I took this tour and found it very informative and interesting. The man who led the tour did a great job. They had a $2 off coupon right outside where you buy the tickets, so it ended up being only $9/person. My kids didn't want to go, so my husband stayed with them while we took the tour. But if I had known how good the tour was, I would have made them all come. I considered having them do the tour after me, but decided we didn't have time in our schedule. I'd recommend it to anyone visiting the area who wants to learn about the Amish. read more

Very informative. We went to visit a Dairy farm where the teenage son gave us a tour and answered any questions. Then we visited an Amish business, then lastly we were able to sit down and visit with an Amish family. We had a great time and enjoyed it and our Tour guide, Joe. read more

AMAZING!!! Well worth the drive!! This was truly an Amazing experience. The movie "Jacob's choice" was probably one of the most captivating and engaging tourist attractions we've ever been to. It's a truly MUST experience if you get a chance. read more

The Amish Experience - Tours Near Me - Bird In Hand, Pennsylvania

My mom and I were visiting Lancaster and we did the VIP Tour. We we are so happy we did it. Jay our tour guide was great. We were a group of 9 woman that night. Our first stop was an Amish Farm. We saw how they milked a cow and the process from start to finish. Alvin the little boy that showed us everything was great. Our next stop was to see a basket maker. That was very interesting. Our last stop of the night was to visit and speak to an Amish Family. The family was very nice and friendly. They answered all our questions. They gave us some homemade pie. ( the next day we went to a local bakery to purchase some to take home) What a great experince. I would recommend this tour and would also do it again. read more

I've never been treated so rudely in my life. I don't think the people who operate this are Amish. They are rude and charge for everything too much. My kids got sick at the restaurant and were up all night too. This was not a good "experience". read more

We bought the super saver that you included a farmland tour, movie, replica house tour and a buggy ride. It was our first visit to the area and this package gave us a good overview of the Amish culture and lifestyle. It helped us understand a lot of what we saw as we drive around the area for the rest of our stay. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. read more

It was a movie in a small theater that different really use a typical screen. The stage comprised of multiple walls that were part of the show in that they were part of the stage set. They had different visual effects and the show was informative. In the end though, it was still simple and not too intriguing. read more

Everyone who works there is VERY friendly. But, today I WANT to give special accolades to Deanna. I came there today with my mother, brother, and 2 cousins. Deanna drove and gave GREAT info on the 10am Amish Bus, in the theatre, and on the schoolhouse tour. She is friendly, comical, sweet, sincere, and VERY knowledgeable. Someone PLEASE give her a raise, and like a day off with pay. We adored her. read more

Buggy tour to private farm was awesome!! Got to see lots of animals and family at work. Family was engaging and polite. Small children sold pretzels and drinks (no pressure). If you like to see animals close up (milking cows, newly born calves, chickens) this is the place for you!! Price was $22 for over an hour tour in a horse drawn buggy.. read more

We have seen pictures and we have heard stories about the Amish way of living. However, we could't imagine how it really was until we took the Amish Experience Visit-In-Person Tour. I strongly recommend it and we would like to experience it again. The tour is divided in three activities and each one of them is equally touching. Our teenage son enjoyed the cow dairy experience the best, as it was done by a 14 year old boy, who was very sweet and my son could relate to him. My husband and I were very moved by visiting an Amish family in their home and having a conversation with them. How many times do we "the English" get that opportunity??!! Our family was Mike and Mary Fischer, and their two darling small daughters. Mike and Mary opened their heart to us and were very open about sharing their way of living. They mostly wanted to ask about our lives. We immediately felt warm feelings towards their candid and sweet ways. Our tour guide, Art, a retired school teacher, was funny and very knowledgeable. The drive in the comfortable van was so beautiful, going thru this pretty country side of the Amish, flanked by their manicured farms, silos, barns, and homes. Seeing them in their buggies or walking was a delight. Thank you for giving us this opportunity!!!! read more