mennonite information center

What an education. This was not a boring stop and the information they are able to provide about the locals and customs was off the hook. My 17 year old was just as interested as the rest of our group. Just minutes off the main highway.

You can gain lots of information from the Mennonite Information Center as you embark on your sojourn in Amish Country. The folks at the Mennonite Information Center can lead you to authentic, reputable places to visit for a true understanding of the Amish/Mennonite people in Lancaster Country.The Center also has an extensive collection of books for sale about the Amish/Mennonite culture, videos and brochures. If you haven't been to Amish Country and need some incite and direction, this is the first stop you should make.

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff in store. Many unique items for purchase. We watched both films (one free and one very inexpensive) which were informative for us but our 3yo struggled a little to sit still to watch both. Our 6yo however was very interested. In the shop upstairs there is even a toy box and the kids loved to play with the toys inside, and next to the Movie Theater downstairs are nice clean rest rooms. Afterwards we were so pleased to have a wonderful informative Personal Guide called Carolyn join us in our car for a very reasonable price of $49 (plus gratuity appreciated for a job well done) for two hours and took us around to many wonderful Amish places in the area, including being able to sample delicious food, see wood craftsman at work, recommendations of a great quilter etc. Our two children (6yo and 3yo) even had their interest held by Carolyn as she pointed out and explained various things as we drove around. She was very happy to tailor the tour towards things we were most interested in, and also explain appropriate etiquette around taking photographs etc (i.e. no photos with people in them up close) and for example we drove past a number of one room schoolhouses which was very interesting but of course we were not allowed inside them. Unfortunately after we left the Center we missed having a Buggy ride as many were closed for Winter and the others were too busy. Also, we did not manage to find a good place for lunch. We went to the Kitchen Kettle Village and found it too busy/touristy and not at all reflective of the nice peaceful atmosphere and food of Amish Country.

The people are very knowledgeable and the tour was well done. It was nice to see what it looked like for the ancient Israelites.

We arrived just at closing hour, but the staff was very friendly and still took the time to allow us in, and to talk to us for a while. This is a must visit, even if its only to the store. Congrats to the staff for your great service!!

Back in the 1920s a Baptist pastor in Florida built a life size version a Biblical Tabernacle. The Mennonites eventually bought the replica and moved it to Lancaster. While I have read the Biblical description many times, it was really interesting to see a hard copy version. The guide did a good and accurate job of describing it. They also have a good movie which describes the history of the Amish & Mennonites for their origins in Europe to the present day in the USA. It really helped to tie thing together.

The Mennonite Information Center, located on the outskirts of Lancaster, PA, has available a wealth of local information for travelers (aka tourists), places to shop off the beaten' track, as well as good dinning suggestions. If you are interested, there is a movie in the center highlighting the Mennonite history, faith and daily living traditions. There is also books, and other local crafts available for purchase. The Center also offers, for a fee, Amish tour guides who will accompany you in your vehicle, and direct you through the rural countryside, which is not usually experienced from the main highway intersecting Lancaster county. It may help to call ahead in busy tourist season to make sure someone would be available to be a guide. I have taken this tour twice in the past and I am not Mennonite. But I found it to be fascinating and informative. It is not fast paced and you need to allow a couple of hours minimum to really enjoy the experience and stop at the roadside shops to sample the handmade crafts, foods and treats.

My wife and I have always wanted to come here so we made it a special trip to go to the Mennonite Information Center. For $3.00 per person we attended the movie that explained the differences between the Amish and the Mennonite. They had a free movie also which was quite enjoyable. They have a very large gift shop as well.

The Mennonite Information Center has two parts, each of which involves an admission fee.Part A is a reproduction of the Biblical Tabernacle (Mishkan) of the Israelites in the desert. The guide was generally knowledgeable and pleasant but I'm not sure the representation of the Tabernacle was accurate. And the admission price seemed steep for the time spent (less than 1/2 hour). The other part was a showing of films about the Amish and about the Mennonites. The Amish film seemed well done, respectful and informative. The Mennonite one was respectful but was more of an advertising pitch for the church than much else.

Just a short bit of background--we have been visiting this area for over 20 years... and I have "studied" the Amish culture and religion. We were, therefore, very hesitant to hire a guide. While we wouldn't claim to have "seen it all," we certainly didn't feel we needed the typical tourist tours.And we didn't get one. We started by viewing the "film" (actually a multiprojector slide presentation) that should be required viewing at the beginning of anyone's visit to the area.There are actually two shows, one free that focuses on the Mennonites and one paid that deals more with the Amish. While both are worth watching, I found the Amish one more moving and informative.Pay close attention to the instruction at the beginning. It will change your visit--if you can do it.) We made our reservation for the next day and by chance were able to meet our guide, taking the time to explain our background and interests. When we returned the next day to tour with Karl it was apparent he'd given some thought to where we might go and what we might do. Karl clearly has a wealth of current information. We learned a great deal about Amish society--even some of the less romantic aspects. We actually developed the tour as we went... with Karl asking questions and clearly paying attention to our interests. The places we visited are perhaps less important than the entire experience--this is not a "canned presentation" with a script. There were times when we found ourselves simply sitting in the truck at one of our stops engaged in lively conversation. At some stops we found Karl steering us to areas he knew we'd be especially interested in... we ended up extending the tour by an hour and were sad when it was over!These tours are one of the best bargains in the area. You can easily spend two to three times this much on bus tours or visiting places promising to "educate" you... start here. You'll be entertained, learn a lot, and feel like you have made some new friends-- your guide, some of the folks you meet on the tour, and the folks at the center.As other reviewers have noted, the folks at the center will help with anything they can... even marking maps to places that you didn't get to on your tour so you can drive yourself.

My wife and I visited Amish country and visited the Mennonite Information center to learn more about the Amish and Mennonite communities. This place was a very good place to visit to learn, and shop for small gifts that you might give to friends and family back home.They had great videos on the Mennonite and Amish people, and I learned a lot from them. Some of the video presentations are FREE, and others cost a little. So you can learn a lot without spending anything....but for a few bucks, you can get even more.But the thing that made me really love this place was that I was able to speak open and candidly with those at the counter, who were Mennonite, and they gave me an personal view of the Mennonite and Amish people. They talked about their lives, and how they believed and lived their life.Then as an added bonus that I never thought of, I asked a simple question about how I could differentiate the true Amish store from just someone who opened up shop calling their store and Amish store....and the woman there took out a map and showed me some of the true Amish locations. Some of them ere on local farms, and that alone was worth the visit to the Information Center. (and those locations she pointed out were excellent)I highly recommend this place!

I actually stumbled across this exhibit while dining in nearby Strasburg with my sister. She spotted the brochure in the hallway there next to Isaac's Restaurant. As it was a short ride to the Mennonite Visitor Center where it was housed, we thought "What the heck--let's go!" It was not hard to find--it is on Rt. 30 just east of Lancaster. If you are heading INTO Lancaster, it would be just past Dutch Wonderland--make a left onto Millstream Road. Then it will be right there on your right. The Visitor Center has tours of the Tabernacle every hour on the hour from 8 to 5 until November--the hours for the last tour get earlier and earlier for winter. $8 for adults, kids 6-16 for $5.50. Groups get a cheaper rate--call ahead. Ph: 800-858-8320. So we go in and buy our tickets at the desk, and start to noodle around to kill 20 minutes before the next tour. They have some REALLY cool stuff there! Lots of displays of area history, and the gift shop has amazing Bible-oriented items that will knock your socks off--kits to make your own mini-tabernacle, beautiful maps, DVDs, books, replicas of artifacts, etc. So then it was time for the tour, and a really pleasant fellow takes us (just the two of us!) into a lecture room with benches. One wall is a giant painting done by local high school kids of what it may have looked like when the Tribe of Israel was encamped during the flight from Egypt--massive! Our guide tells us that this particular tabernacle replica was created in the 1940's by a Baptist minister in St. Petersburg, Florida. He used measurements and descriptions he took right from the Bible. It was on display down there for a number of years, but didn't get that many visitors. I don't recall how it ended up in the hands of the Mennonites, but since they put it up, it has had thousands of visitors every year. Then we followed him through a door, and WOWEE! We enter a real life-size tabernacle! You can't actually go in the area where the priests would have walked around, but you are kind of standing outside the pillars looking in. You can even look through windows into the Holiest of Holies and view a replica of the Ark of the Covenant. I don't know how accurate the portrayal is, but it certainly caused my sister and I to automatically whisper and tiptoe around. Our guide explained all the structures and the ritual uses of all the trappings. Great short tour for those interested in history and the Bible. I'm not sure it would be the best tour for younger kids--they may be bored. But if you have a spare hour and are tired of outlet shopping, trains, and putt-putt golf, check it out--I bet you whisper, too!

I did not actually visit the Mennonite Information Center, but our group paid for a certified Amish Country tour guide, and we picked up and dropped her off at the center. Therefore, I assume she was associated with the facility. Her name was Ann, and she boarded our tour bus and guided us around the beautiful Amish area of Lancaster County. She was well-informed, courteous, and gave our group an up close and personal discussion about the ways of life of the Amish & Mennonite community. Ann did an outstanding job, and if you are ever in the area of the Mennonite Information Center, located at 2209 Millstream Road, please drop by and "hire" Ann to ride around with you. She's a gem, and we came away with tremendous respect and awe for the Amish & Mennonite people.

Based on other reviews we had arranged for a tour guide to join us in our own family car (4 adults, 2 teenager). Our guide Lois was just wonderful, she shared so much with us about Mennonites and Amish that we much better understood and valued the experience. Thanks to her we visited several places at our own speed and got to talk to some Amish people as well. This is definetly a strong recommendation when you explore this area and are interested in the way of life of Amish and Mennonites.

This place isn't going to win any excellence awards, but it's high-quality nevertheless. It really breaks down into five things:1) The Tabernacle tour (cost): very worth it, especially if you have Judeo-Christian interests. Very cool depiction of the original tabernacle to scale, and the guide who runs it, while not always the most charismatic person, is very knowledgeable and connects the presentation well to Jesus Messiah. About 40-45 minutes.2) The Postcards of Faith video (free): an overview of the Amish and Mennonite cultures. Looks like it was made in the 90s, but still good stuff. About 20 minutes long.3) Who are the Amish video (cost): a more in-depth explanation of the Amish. A bit dated, but does a fantastic job at educating about the Amish, their history, and dispelling certain myths about them. About 20 minutes.4) The gift shop. Some neat items, especially from Mennonites around the world.5) A short exhibit saying similar things to the video. Pretty good quality. Probably 5 to 20 minutes, depending on how thoroughly you read everything.Friendly staff, openly evangelical, good place. Definitely worth checking out if you have the slightest interest in the Amish, Mennonites, or the Tabernacle.