The Wandering Disciple

A traditional Amish school house sits in the middle of Amish Village.  The one-room school house is where the Amish children go to school to learn until they reach the eighth grade.  Afterwards they will enter Amish life with the boys working in the fields alongside their fathers and the girls will tend to household chores with their moms.  Each school hosts about thirty kids of various ages and they learn a curriculum that teaches them reading, writing, spelling, basic math, geography as well as learning both English and German.  The schools are run by the church and are taught by an unmarried woman from the community.  (Photo: April 23, 2004)

A clothesline hangs from the window of an Amish homestead to a barn. Without the conveniences of electricity, the Amish revert to simple ways of completing everyday household chores. You can get a glimpse into Amish life at the Amish Village in Lancaster County. (Photo: April 23, 2004)

Water Wheels like the one here at the Amish Village are used to generate power, helping to keep the Amish living off the power grid. (Photo: April 23, 2004)

A replica covered bridge spans a small creek at the Amish Village in Lancaster County.  Bridges like these can be found throughout Lancaster County. These wooden bridges were covered to prevent the bridge structure from being exposed to the snow, leading to bridge failure during the cold winters.  (Photo: April 23, 2004)

Windmill's like these can be spotted throughout Amish country to help power the homestead.  The Amish do not rely on traditional electric service, so they use wind power and propane to help power their appliances.  Here at Amish Village, visitors can look into the lives of the Amish through a homestead, farm, schoolhouse and more.  (Photo: April 23, 2004)

An Amish One-Room Schoolhouse on display at the Amish Village in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Amish children attend schools like these from age 6 through 8th grade. The curriculum is based around the basic subjects of reading, writing, spelling and arithmetic. The students will attend school for 6 hours a day for 8 months. (Photo: April 23, 2004)

Strasburg, Pennsylvania: Located in the heart of Amish county in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the Amish Village takes a look into everyday Amish life. As you enter the village, you are quick to realize how life is for the Amish as they tackle the everyday chores of running a household without the modern day conveniences of electric power and technology. Because of their lifestyle, the Amish Village could be the closest that an outsider may get to seeing what life is like for the almost 25,000 Amish that live within the Lancaster County region. You begin your tour in the Amish homestead. Here your tour guide takes you through a replica of an Old Order Amish home. As you tour the house you see how they complete even the simplest household tasks without the aid of electricity. You will see the handmade quilts and antique furniture that is typical of the Amish home. Once you leave the homestead you can then tour the rest of the village. There is a barn with horses and mules, bl...