Amish Life

The Amish community in Central Illinois consists of nearly 4,000 people, most of whom live in the country west of Arcola. Amish people lead simple lives separated from the rest of the world. They don't use electricity, telephones, or take pictures of themselves. While in the area, we ask that you respect their beliefs and do not take pictures of them.

In our area we have many Amish farmers. These farmers work the land by horse drawn equipment. On the farm many families have huge gardens that they can feed their families and have some left to sell at local farmers markets. We also have a very large portion of Amish families that make beautiful furniture and cabinetry. They use many different woods to create sturdy heirloom pieces. Their custom cabinetry gets shipped all over the United States. We have many Amish owned businesses in our area. From an Amish owned grocery store and bakery to an Amish owned dry good store. Make sure to stop at Arcola’s Historic Depot to get a map of the area so you can tour all the businesses.