Mission Statement

     The mission of the Illinois Amish Heritage Preservation Center is to enhance the preservation, understanding, and appreciation of all aspects of the culture and heritage of the Amish people in Illinois from 1865 to the present.

Introduction

     The Illinois Amish Heritage Center was first created in 1994 as the Illinois Amish Interpretive Center located in Arthur, Illinois. The Center offered an introductory film to Amish life, exhibits on Amish heritage and culture, a gift shop, and Amish Country Tours of Amish homes, farms, businesses, and meals in Amish homes.

     In 2010, the Center was moved to Rockome Gardens and renamed The Illinois Amish Museum. The museum remained open at Rockome through 2014 when Rockome went up for sale. Rockome was purchased later that year and the new owner began implementation of a wildlife park. The Amish Museum was subsequently put into storage and the search for a new facility began.

     Back in 2000, two historic Amish houses were saved from destruction and moved behind Yoder's Kitchen in Arthur, Illinois. In 2014, plans had been made to move the houses to Rockome Gardens, $102,000 was raised, and a state tourism grant was written. The pending sale of Rockome and state budget problems put these plans on hold. 

     In 2016, the museum secured five acres of land one mile west of Chesterville and three miles east of Arthur, Illinois. In September, the museum moved the houses to the new site and developed a plan to build a new museum and Amish living history farm. Restoration on the Schrock house and planning for a steam threshing event in the summer of 2017 began. A development plan laid out a four-year timetable to complete the site.

In 2021, the site added a German School house, and in 2022, with community support and a traditional barn raising, we erected the Hershberger-Miller Barn on site. In 2025, we broke ground on a new, state-of-the-art 10,000-square-foot visitor center and museum, set to open in summer 2027!