More To Do in Shipshewana!

I have been to Shipshewana, and the Elkhart County area of Indiana several times. You may think I couldn’t find any more to do. But, you would be wrong! 

Shipshewana is a small Midwestern town. It is filled with history, culture, and fun. In the last few years, the population of Shipshewana has almost doubled. Today there are a little over 800 residents. The Shipshewana area has the 3rd largest Amish community in the US. There is also a large Mennonite population.

Shipshewana brings over a million visitors a year! There are fun shopping and dining options. They offer outdoor activities. Plus, there are also cultural attractions I keep learning more about as well!

I attended the Midwest Travel Network conference. with my friend Annie Jansen. We experienced several first-time activities. There, we learned more about the area, and Amish culture. We stayed at the wonderful Farmstead Inn where we got great service and had a wonderful environment.

To connect with tours, start with the tourism bureau, Visit Shipshewana. They will help with scheduling. All tours should be scheduled in advance of a visit.

History of Shipshewana

Wonder about the name of the town? Shipshewana is named after Chief Shipshewana, Chief of the Pottawattamie Indians.

If you want to know about Amish history visit Menno-Hof. There you learn about Amish history and their religion. Details of their story is found on a blog by Midwest Wanderer.

Auction and Flea Market

Our first outing was learning about Amish auctions. Auctioneers have auctions in up to 10 different auction rings at the Shipshewana auction and flea market. Annie was stunned by the noise under the auction roof. Lots going on!

The auction is at the same location as the huge flea market. You can find from tools to books to clothing and more.  Vendors can bring items. They can set up and sell for a fee. There is no buyer’s premium on the current auctions. There is only a fee to enter items in.

Day in the life of an Amish woman.

The Day in the life of an Amish housewife tour was fascinating. We visited two Amish homes at one we saw the house, and the other we spoke to a farmwife. There we visited with the Amish housewives. We learned what a day was like for these wonderful ladies. They work very hard. Rising early, they do both farm and housework varying by the household needs. The blog Amish Heritage offers details as well.

I always wondered what an Amish school was like. We had a chance to visit one. Students learn both English, and German. To each other, and at home they speak a special Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, a combination of German and English. Children learn this first at home. Then they add English to their vocabulary.  School is done after 8th grade. Then young people often learn a trade, or work with their parents until finding their own niche.

Amish church services are in induvial homes once every two weeks. During the summer months, in the Shipshewana area, they offer German School on alternating Sundays at the school location.  At the school, the English and German alphabet, and Bible were both used. How wonderful to be bilingual!

Amish Buggy Shop

Maynard Hochstetler owns the Hoosier Buggy Shop. Located in Topeka, Indiana, his dad opened the shop in 1960. Annie could have stayed here all day. She relates to how the buggies are built. Her family is Jansen Brothers Garage. They repair cars and antique tractors.

At the buggy shop, we saw how Maynard builds and repairs buggies. They come in various sizes. Buggies cost between $8-10,000. It takes a couple months to build a buggy. Mr. Hochstetler does it all! He builds the wheels, the box, and sews the upholstery. He works on all types of buggies and carriages and has even restored a couple antique tractors!

Cook Bison Ranch

Our last tour that I took was of the Cook Bison Ranch. The only other place I saw Bison like this was in Lindsborg, Kansas! Located in Wolcottville, Indiana we went to the field to feed the bison.  Our Amish guide sat next to me. We shared treats with the bison. He had the technique down perfectly. They cajoled to get front and center for a taste. At Cooks Bison Ranch, they sell bison meat. They offer agritourism tours. Sometimes a meal like the one we had!

Have you been to this gem of a town? If so, let me know what I may have missed!