The Barns at Nappanee facts for kids
The Barns at Nappanee, Home of Amish Acres is a fun place to visit in Nappanee, Indiana. It used to be called just Amish Acres. This special place was built on an 80-acre (about 32 hectares) farm that belonged to an Old Order Amish family.
The farm was bought in 1968. It was first settled by Moses Stahly in 1873. His family were some of the first Amish settlers in Indiana, arriving in 1839.
Amish Acres first opened to visitors in June 1970 after more than a year of hard work to fix it up. Over time, it grew to include the original nine buildings, plus other buildings moved there. These included an ice house, a place to make mint oil, a maple sugar camp, an apple cider mill, a one-room school, and a blacksmith shop. Three large barns and a special Round Barn Theatre were also moved to the property. The original farm is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site.
Amish Acres used to offer guided tours of the house and farm, wagon rides, and demonstrations of old crafts. It also had a big family-style restaurant, another grill restaurant, a musical theatre, and two hotels.
Amish Acres closed at the end of 2019. However, parts of it, like The Barns at Nappanee restaurant and a shop, reopened on May 15, 2020. Other parts of the attraction have also reopened since then. In 2025, The Barns at Nappanee announced they would be making some changes to their operations.
Contents
History of the Farm
Early Settlers and Changes
An Amish community started holding church services nearby in 1841. The land where Amish Acres is located was once a swampy and heavily forested area. This made it one of the last parts of the county to be settled by people moving into the area.
In 1830, the county was created in Indiana. At that time, Native American tribes, like the Potawatomi Indians, lived in villages along the Elkhart River. The U.S. Government later moved the Potawatomi people from Indiana.
Railroad and Farming
In 1873, a railroad company planned a route from Ohio to Chicago. Even though a nearby city wanted the railroad to go through their town, the company chose a straight path through the swampy land. This swamp was a large wetland. Government programs helped drain the land, which made it very good for farming. The trees in the area also helped create a sawmill industry.
The Windmill Controversy
In 1893, the Moses Stahly family moved away from the farm. This happened because of something called the "Windmill Controversy." It was about new farming tools like windmills to pump water and machines to spread manure. Some Amish people felt these new machines were too modern. The more traditional Amish families moved to other areas rather than use these new tools.
The Stahly farm was then bought by Noah Nisley. The Nisley family built a new house on the farm, connecting it to the older house. Later, Noah Nisley's son-in-law, Manasses Kuhns, took over the farm.
Farm's Decline and Reopening
Over the years, Manasses Kuhns became ill, and the farm was not well cared for. Because of this, many old buildings that might have been torn down were saved. These included a food-drying house, an outdoor brick oven, a smokehouse, a root cellar, and an apple cider mill. The fruit orchard was also left untouched.
Richard Pletcher, the founder of Amish Acres, announced in November 2019 that it would close at the end of that year. He said it was time for him to retire after 50 years. The property was sold in different parts in February 2020. The new owners, including former U.S. representative Marlin Stutzman, planned to reopen the main attractions.
Plans for reopening were announced in March 2020. The name "Amish Acres" stayed as part of the new name: "The Barns at Nappanee, Home of Amish Acres." The LaSalle Farm & Table restaurant and The Mercantile store opened in May 2020. The opening of other parts was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How Amish Acres Started
The Idea Behind It
The idea to buy the farm, fix up the buildings, and open it to the public came from LaVern and Richard Pletcher. They were furniture store owners. Their main goal was to save and restore the old buildings. They also wanted to help start tourism in Nappanee, Indiana, by teaching people about Amish culture.
The restoration work was finished by 1970. Fred Simic and Albert Kuhns, who grew up on the farm, helped a lot. Albert remembered how the old buildings and machines worked, which helped bring them back to life. The farm opened to visitors in June 1970.
An architect named Robert Holdeman created a master plan for Amish Acres. This plan included ideas for dining, lodging, and theatre programs. The Pletchers worked to make this vision a reality over many years.
Growth and Recognition
Amish Acres was started with some investors, but the Pletchers eventually took full ownership. Richard's daughter, Jennifer Wysong, is now the president of the company.
Many visitors to Amish Acres come from outside Indiana. The restaurants, musical theatre, and arts and crafts festival also serve many local people.
Amish Acres has been recognized by magazines like Time and Newsweek. It was praised for helping Nappanee's economy and for its arts and crafts festival. Travel Trade Magazine even called Amish Acres Indiana's top tourist attraction.
The Round Barn Theatre
The Round Barn Theatre is a special place where a musical called Plain and Fancy is performed. This musical, first shown on Broadway in 1955, is about Amish life and love. It was the first musical for its writer, Joseph Stein, and composer, Albert Hague. Both later won awards for other famous shows.
Amish Acres' production of Plain and Fancy ran for many years. The theatre building itself was once a real round barn. It was taken apart, moved, and rebuilt as a modern theatre in 1992. It can seat 400 people. Since 1995, other plays have also been performed there.
Actors for the theatre come from auditions held in New York City. They live in houses on the Amish Acres property. There are also shops for making sets and costumes, and a rehearsal studio. The Joseph Stein Young Actors Studio offers classes and camps for children aged 8 to 12. High school students also put on full plays there.
A book called This Wooden O was published in 2001. It celebrated the United States Postal Service releasing special Amish Quilt stamps. The first day these stamps were sold was at the Nappanee Post Office. A special ceremony was held in the Round Barn, where actors from Plain and Fancy sang a song from the musical.
Arts and Crafts Festival
How the Festival Started
The Arts and Crafts Festival began in 1962 as a small art show in downtown Nappanee. It started with watercolors made by a local arts and crafts program. Over time, more artists and crafters were allowed to sell their work from booths. Judges would pick the best artwork. The festival also started offering more food and entertainment.
Visitors began asking for products and services related to the Amish. So, baked goods, meats, jams, and jellies were added. Horse and buggy rides and tours of the countryside also became part of the festival. By 1968, the festival had enough Amish-related activities that it helped show that Amish Acres could be a successful idea.
Festival Growth and Awards
In 1969, while the farm was being restored, the festival stayed downtown. Visitors could take shuttles to the farm for a sneak peek. An Amish church even held an ice cream social in one of the barns. A year later, the festival moved to the farm's courtyard.
As the festival grew, with nearly 350 vendors from over 35 states, it moved to surround the pond on the property. Vendors compete for cash prizes, and three stages offer continuous entertainment.
The festival has won many awards. The American Bus Association named it one of the Top 100 Events in North America several times. Sunshine Artist magazine has also listed it as one of the top traditional arts and crafts shows in the country.
