Craving a slower-paced, wholesome getaway this season? Amish Country in Ohio is a great choice for its family values, rural landscapes, farm-to-table food, and endless cultural activities.
Here at Your Family’s Place, we emphasize family and connection through our expansive, multi-generational homes. We have cozy cottages and large chalet-like properties across many towns within Ohio’s Amish Country.
Speaking of those towns that compose Ohio’s Amish Country? Many of them are located in both the Holmes & Tuscarawas Counties.
We’ll break down things to do, historical attractions, and the best Amish restaurants in each town with this guide!
1. Dover, Ohio
Best for: Indoor historical attractions in the winter
Located 68 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio, in Tuscarawas County, Dover is one of the largest towns in Ohio’s Amish Country. While 13,000 people is still a population much smaller than many of the cities our travelers come from; you can sense Dover’s largeness in its vast array of activities.
Are you a fan of natural wines and stunning landscapes? Check out these wineries:
- Breitenback Wine Cellars: A Swiss-style architectural dream with wine tastings and delicious food.
- Silver Moon Winery: A quaint winery selling sweet wines (Watermelon Blush, anyone), along with reds and whites since 2007.
You can also enjoy the city’s constant air of history through attractions like:
- The Ernest Warther Museum & Gardens: An homage to wood-carving artist Ernest Warther, with glass-covered artifacts and a preserved 1910 family home.
- Reeves Victorian Home & Carriage Museum: A lavish Victorian mansion from the early 1900s, open for tours.
We see Dover as the center of Ohio’s Amish Country and a great starting point to enjoy your vacation. That’s why Your Family’s Place has properties in this city.
2. Berlin, Ohio
Best for: Shopping and souvenirs
If you want to bring back a taste of Amish Country back home, Berlin is a must-see on your trip. This small, unincorporated area of Ohio’s Amish Country features some great shopping options, like:
- The Sheiyah Market: This barn-like structure was used to host a dairy farm before being converted to the Amish Community’s #1 shopping destination. You can find clothing, accessories, preserved foods, and much more at its many shops.
- Berlin Village Antique Mall: We know antique furniture might not be the most pragmatic souvenir to carry back. But you can still opt for small keepsakes of history from this 26,000-sq-ft-mall’s vendors, like coins, glassware, and collectible art pieces.
Your next stop? The Behalt-Amish Mennonite Heritage Center. This is a cultural hub for the Mennonite and Amish communities, where they attend family-friendly events, shows, and other community-building activities.
3. Walnut Creek, Ohio
Best for: Delicious, Amish-style food
Walnut Creek is technically an unincorporated township, as its population is quite small (900ish people). But it’s one of our Amish Country’s hidden gems, full of Amish cultural experiences and incredible food.
A must-visit is the Amish homestyle restaurant, Der Duchmann. Here, you can have a truly traditional family-style dinner. Pick your meat — turkey, roast ham, beef — and get it served with all the fixings, like Thanksgiving stuffing, potatoes, corn, and more. The large restaurant features wide windows of the sights of Walnut Creek, where you can gaze upon Amish families rolling by in their traditional buggies.
You can also visit the Walnut Creek Cheese & Market to bring farm-fresh cheeses, jams, and other goodies back home to your vacation rental. After all, our rentals have large, family-friendly kitchens where you can have dinner at home, too!
4. Millersburg, Ohio
Best for: Amish lifestyle immersion
Despite its small population of about 3,000, Millersburg is a tourist hotspot in Ohio’s Amish Country for its deep cultural immersion.
One attraction we always recommend in Millersburg is the Yoder’s Amish Home — a wholesome homestead that’s been rented out to Amish farmers for years since its construction in 1885 until couple Eli and Gloria Yoder bought it.
The Yoders decided to open their historical home for tours and visits in 1983, and the rest is history. You can enjoy buggy rides and tours around the 19th-century schoolhouse, family home, and barn.
Other Amish cultural experiences include:
- Hershberger’s Farm & Bakery: This farm and bakery pumps out delicious, homemade pies, breads, jams, and pastries for every traveler to enjoy. They also host various events, like Big Horse Day, for kids to interact with the farm’s horses, as well as Fall Late Nights, for evening, horse-drawn wagon rides!
- Guggisberg Cheese: The cheese made here comes from cows in the nearby pastures. Try 60 different kinds in a family establishment that’s reflected Amish values and craft for over 70 years.
5. New Philadelphia, Ohio
Best for: Historical attractions
New Philadelphia is the largest city on our list with around 17,000 people. Still, it’s a prominent spot for Amish Country History.
The city’s Schroenbrunn Village, where you can walk through historical sights and homes, was a settling point for Moravian Christians in 1772. The group later left the area during the American Revolution, but the influence remains, as seen in the city’s staple Moravian Christian Church.
Alongside plenty of great things to do and delicious restaurants to try, you’ll also find abundant opportunities to enjoy nature. Tuscora Park is a large green space that’s great for family-friendly picnics. But you’ll also find fair rides like carousels and pool areas for the kiddos to enjoy.
6. Sugarcreek, Ohio
Best for: Swiss culture and history
This small village of approximately 3,000 people is your go-to spot to experience the Swiss roots of Ohio’s Amish Country. Even the buildings give off a Swiss Christmastime energy, so much so that the whole family will feel a sense of wonder.
Here, you’ll find the infamous Dutch Valley Restaurant, where you’ll enjoy Swiss, Dutch, and German fare like Liver & Onions, Swiss Steak, and potluck-style family specials.
And if you want a taste of history, check out the Alpine Hills Museum, which features the most Swiss historical insights and artifacts out of all the region’s museums. They even host cultural events like Swiss National Day and various community book signings.
7. Winesburg, Ohio
Best for: A small town Americana feel
Named after the German “Weinsberg,” Winesberg is a 300-person area located two hours from Columbus. It’s known for its true Amish charm and way of life. You won’t find as many attractions here, but you will notice cultural differences through the prominent Amish presence here.
We’re talking about Amish families in buggies driving on back roads, and farms that produce delicious products for places like Whitmer’s General Store & Pizza. But if you want to host a BBQ at your rental with Your Family’s Place, Winesburg Meats is a must. It’s a family-run butcher that sells grass-fed and organic beef, lamb, chicken, and other delectable fruits from Amish farms.
While you don’t need more than an afternoon to visit Winesburg, we’d still recommend it as a stop on your trip itinerary!
Explore Ohio’s Amish Country: Stay at Your Family’s Place
Bottom line? There’s no shortage of places to visit on an Amish Country Vacation. Even if you stay at our Middlehaven property in Dover, you’re only a stone’s throw (short drive) away from all the other lovely towns and villages in the county.
It’s time to take a deep breath and reconnect with loved ones this year on your vacation. Swap beaches for rolling hills and cocktails with board games at any of our multi-generational homes.