The Illinois Amish Heritage Center (IAHC), located between Arthur and Arcola, is breaking ground this month on its much-anticipated 10,000-square-foot Visitor and Museum Center. This major development marks a significant step forward in the Center’s mission to honor and preserve the rich heritage of Illinois’s Amish community through education, celebration, and storytelling.
The new Visitor and Museum Center will serve as a dynamic hub for both locals and tourists, offering immersive learning experiences, rotating exhibits, and space for community gatherings.
“Through hands-on agricultural education and immersive cultural programming, we’re inviting every visitor, from schoolchildren to scholars, to walk away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the values, resilience, and legacy of the Amish people in Illinois,” stated Executive Director David King. “This is history you can feel — and a future we’re building together.”
The state-of-the-art facility will include:
- A film and exhibit gallery introducing historic and contemporary Amish life
- A genealogy research center and archival space
- A children’s discovery area with hands-on exhibits and family activities
- A multi-use gallery for speakers, school groups, and rotating art and history exhibits
- A gift shop featuring Amish quilts, handmade goods, and local specialties
- Rental and catering space for private events.
The IAHC is also developing new curriculum materials for school field trips, seasonal exhibits, and a speaker series, all designed to deepen appreciation for Amish culture and its ongoing influence in Illinois.
The IAHC’s 7-acre Living History Farm already draws visitors with restored historic buildings, including the 1865 Moses Yoder House, 1882 Daniel Schrock House, the Miller Amish German School, and the reconstructed 1879 Herschberger-Miller Barn. The Center’s experiential tours offer a window into traditional woodworking, farming, quilting, and Amish education.
Signature events returning in 2025 include:
- Sheep to Yarn to Quilts (April 26): A celebration of fiber arts, crafts, and heritage
- Harvest to Home (October 10–11): An immersive event highlighting historical farming and fall traditions.
Amish Country tours, including meals in Amish homes and visits to local attractions, are also expanding, further establishing IAHC as a regional tourism destination.
The $3 million project is the result of years of community support, grant funding, and volunteer dedication. Fundraising efforts will continue throughout 2025 to fully realize the Center’s vision.
“This is a project for the entire community — one that reaches across generations and beyond county and state lines,” King added. “It will preserve the legacy of a people whose quiet strength, craftsmanship, and deep-rooted values continue to shape our region. The story of the Amish in Illinois is not just worth telling — it’s essential that we tell it, and tell it well.”
