July 12, 2026 — Shipshewana thrives at the intersection of modern society and deeply rooted Amish culture. LaGrange County, where Shipshewana is located, boasts the third-largest Amish community in the country. The population is 44,000, of which about 40 percent identify as Amish. Shipshewana has 850 residents and gazillions of tourists.
Established as a post office in 1889, the town was named to honor Potawatomi Chief Shipshewana, who befriended early settlers in the 1830s. Locals call it “Shipshe,” pronounced SHIP-shee.
Although there are slight variations from community to community, Amish people, who are Christians, seclude themselves from most conveniences of the secular world. They travel by horse-drawn buggy or bicycle rather than by car. Women wear long, solid-hued dresses and prayer caps, and men wear beards but not mustaches. Amish homes are not wired with public electricity; some may be powered with solar panels or propane, but they use appliances and technology for work. Most Amish do not want their photographs taken, but their horses are highly Instagrammable.
Mennonites, from whom the Amish descended, are more liberal and tend to blend in with the mainstream.
A great place to learn about this unique culture is at Menno-Hof, a museum and interpretive center focusing on the life and faith of Amish and Mennonites. The center was built in 1986 via the barn-raising tradition by 200 volunteer craftsmen who erected it in six days. Architecturally, the center is a red barn.
How far can a horse and buggy travel in a single trip? “About five or six miles,” he said, then paused before adding, “It keeps you close to home.”
Each room and exhibit builds upon the history of Anabaptists, who believe in the baptism of adults who can profess their faith rather than an infant ritual. The story moves through the 16th Century Reformation, which triggered the movement; the horrific persecution of Anabaptists; and their immigration to America. The final exhibit is a replica of an Amish kitchen, complete with quilt loom and family apparel.
At Menno-Hof, I chatted up an amiable, elderly Amish volunteer guide, Floyd, who sports a traditional bowl haircut. How far can a horse and buggy travel in a single trip? I asked. “About five or six miles,” he said, then paused before adding, “It keeps you close to home.”
Going once, going twice
A highlight of my visit was the weekly Antiques and Miscellaneous Auction, which draws crowds from across the Midwest and beyond. The auction barn (white, not red) was packed with antiques, primitives, furniture, home decor, collectibles, advertising signs, tools, and old-timey bric-a-brac.
Before the auction began, long-time auctioneer LaWayne Miller explained the goings on: Minimum bids are $5. Shoppers run the gamut, from Amish to non-Amish and from pickers to interior decorators. About 2,200 lots go up for sale each week. “A lot could be one coffee cup or a box of coffee cups,” he said.
Starting promptly at 9 a.m., between six and nine auctioneers simultaneously offer up the goods from various areas, called “rings,” in the barn. It’s a frenzied performance, and it goes very fast. I watched a world globe sell for $25, and a battery-operated train set with tracks go for $10. The top of a Hoosier cabinet took $55. Each sale lasted less than a minute, and the auctioneers, who stood on stepladders in their respective rings, kept up finely tuned cadences. Miller’s favorite filler words are “rolling with the highs and lows.”
Adjacent to the auction barn is the Shipshewana Flea Market, said to be the Midwest’s largest, with nearly 700 vendors spread across 40 acres.
Down-home cookery
Shipshewana is a mostly dry town (LaGrange County is not), so alcohol is hard to find. The only restaurant liquor license is held by The Black Sheep, which opened in January. Proprietor Shawna Rae Atwater was a wedding caterer until the COVID pandemic, when she pivoted to carryout baked goods. One idea led to another, and soon she demolished the garage behind the shack and built a new one as a sit-down restaurant with a happy food-truck vibe.
Fried chicken, smoked meats, and desserts, dished up from family recipes, are specialties of her scratch kitchen. I hope Death by Chocolate Cake and the Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake are on the menu when you get there. “I want it to feel like someone’s backyard,” Atwater said.
In nearby LaGrange, a historic town with a quaint, walkable Main Street, Fireside Craft Burgers & Brews is the county’s first brewery. The menu features craft beers, specialty cocktails, hand-crafted burgers, and house-smoked meats.
Another memorable meal was the Amish at-home dinner by Linda and Lamar King. They are a farming family who built a large addition to their home to host groups and church services, which typically take place in people’s homes. We were treated to a “haystack dinner,” a deconstructed taco of sorts served family style. We layered our preferred ingredients: crushed crackers, seasoned meat, rice, vegetables, cheese sauce, ranch dressing, salsa, sour cream, sunflower seeds, and Doritos shreds until they resembled stacks of hay.
As we finished our desserts, a creamy blueberry cheese-cakey confection, Lamar hitched up the buggy to take us for rides. Meanwhile, a two-week-old filly was sticking close to her mom in the back yard. The barn is red.
The Blue Gate Restaurant and Bakery is known for homestyle Amish cooking and its signature buffet. Just as I was reaching for my fourth piece of pie, it was time to leave for the Blue Gate Theatre. We had tickets for The Texas Tenors, an Emmy-winning classical crossover vocal trio and a fan favorite from television’s “America’s Got Talent.”
Opened in 2020, the 1,500-seat theater—in a red barn—hosts more than 300 shows a year across myriad entertainment genres. Guest performers and shows have included Trace Adkins, The Temptations, Little Big Town, Jay Leno, Terry Fator, “Menopause The Musical” and lots of tribute bands. Linger a while in the lobby: The decor is an organized chaos of show-biz memorabilia, cowboy kitsch, signed guitars, advertising signs, car parts, and a tableau of life-size bear figures playing musical instruments.
The Blue Gate Theatre was nominated for 2026 Theater of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. The winner will be announced in August at the awards ceremony.
Next door to the theater is Blue Gate Garden Inn, an updated hotel with 155 guest rooms and suites, complimentary breakfast buffet with made-to-order omelettes, swimming pool and hot tub, and gathering spaces galore. Other lodging options are Shipshewana Farmstead Inn and myriad B&Bs and vacation-home rentals.
Curated shopping
LaGrange County is a shopper’s magnet for one-of-a-kind and handcrafted home decor, furniture, fashion accessories, leather goods, and artisan foods. Davis Mercantile houses 20-plus distinctive shops on four levels, including clothing boutiques, a candy store, and a 1906 carousel with hand-carved farm animals.
Scherger’s Kettle purveys jams, salsas, butters, and mustards made on the premises. Jesse Woodworth at Riverwood Pottery crafts nature-inspired stoneware with unique glazes and graphics. Cariloha deals in luxurious bedding, bath, and apparel fashioned from ultra-soft bamboo-viscose fibers. Bloomfield Lavender Apothecary in LaGrange compounds body and culinary goods from its own lavender fields. The lavender-infused wine sold out, so you’ll have to wait for another vintage.
Many cottage businesses have irregular telephone and internet service. In-home meals require reservations, often weeks in advance. Check in with the Shipshewana Visitors Center for help with recommendations, connections, and maps.
Photos by Pamela Dittmer McKuen except as noted.
