Holmes County is located in northeastern Ohio and is home to the 2nd largest Amish community in the world. It's about 3.5hrs from Cincinnati and 1.5hrs from Columbus. My husband and I visited during the first week of November. We arrived just as the sunrise was peeking through on a frosted morning. Seeing smoke rise up from the farmhouse chimneys, endless rolling hills, and animals slowly waking up to graze was a scene that belongs on a vintage Christmas card!
Ohio's Amish Country has been one of our favorite romantic getaways we've had. This was our first time visiting and we couldn't believe how much there was to do. This is the perfect place to slow down, snuggle up, enjoy comfort food and spend quality time with your loved one. Here are some of our favorite things we enjoyed.
I would like to thank Ohio. Find it Here. and the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau for sponsoring this trip. As always, opinions are my own!
Things To Do
Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center
5798 Co Rd 77, Berlin, OH 44610
This was the perfect first stop. Since I don't live around Amish communities, I was curious about their ways of life. The Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center answered all my questions and more. We did a guided 30-minute tour of Behalt, which is an incredibly large and colorful mural that circles around a room. The mural is a timeline and starts at the beginning of the Reformation and ends with how the Amish came to be in Holmes County, Ohio. This tour runs from the top of each hour.
You'll also find a museum, gift shop, and bookstore here. We really loved the museum and looking at all the Amish and Mennonite artifacts from years ago. The gift shop has incredible locally made items. It also carries handmade items made by artists that are challenged with some form of physical disability. We purchased a beautiful Ohio-shaped basket from here!
Hershberger's Farm and Bakery
5452 OH-557, Millersburg, OH 44654
This was such a fun stop to make. Hershberger's Farm and Bakery also has a craft store, food trailers, produce market, wagon rides, and even a petting zoo. It's also open all year round!
Hershberger's Bakery
At the bakery, you'll find fresh baked goods such as pies, bread, cookies, muffins, and donuts. We were surprised to find there were also locally made cheeses, canned goods, and seasonal produce here! I was hoping to try one of their famous Fry Pies, but they were all sold out, so get here early. We did leave with a large assortment of chocolates including buckeyes (my husband's favorite) and turtles (my favorite). I also couldn't pass up a jar of their sweet habanero pickles (I will warn you, they are spicy but so good!). Right outside the bakery are the food trailers! The food smell in the air is heavenly here. They have fresh kettle corn, burgers, ice creams, and smoothies.
Hershberger's Farm Store
This store is full of unique items! We loved all the handmade wood decor and antiques. If you're looking for primitive and Barnhouse decor this will be your new favorite place! The prices and quality are amazing. They also have a large selection of handmade wooden toys for kids.
The Petting Zoo
If you have kids, they will love this area! There is an admission fee, which is $5 per person and ages 2 and under are free. They have chickens, goats, rabbits, sheep, cows, and even horses! You can also purchase animal feed and hand-feed them. During the fall months, they offer wagon and buggy rides as well.
Guggisberg Cheese
5060 OH-557, Millersburg, OH 44654
My husband and I are huge cheese lovers and couldn't pass up a trip to a cheese factory. We took a scenic drive that took us over rolling hills and past beautiful farms to the Guggisberg Cheese Factory. It's home to the original baby swiss and also has a variety of award-winning cheeses. You can request a sample of any cheese you'd like to try. The store also carries crackers, cheese spreads, and souvenirs. Our favorite was definitely the baby swiss. I would have never guessed there was a cheese place like this in Ohio with award-winning cheeses!
Yoder's Amish Home
6050 OH-515, Millersburg, OH 44654
Yoder's Amish Home was closed for the season when we were visiting, but I still want to share it in case you visit during the warmer months. When I was talking to locals, a lot of them mentioned how amazing this place is. It's open from late April to late October. We did drive down to the parking lot and spotted the beautiful barn that's over 100 years old!
Here you can learn more about the history and lifestyle of the Amish. They offer guided tours of an Amish home, schoolhouse, and barn at an affordable price. The complete package tour takes about 1.5hrs and includes a buggy ride!
Shopping in Historic Downtown Millersburg
My husband and I couldn't get over how charming and quaint downtown Millersburg was. We loved walking down the street and looking at the cheerful holiday window displays. Here are some of our favorite stores!
Starlight Antiques and Gifts
66 W Jackson St, Millersburg, OH 44654
We loved looking through this store! They sell beautiful primitive home decor and unique antiques. A piece of printed art caught our eye here of a snowy scene, snowman, and red barn. I later learned that the artist, Billy Jacobs was from Ohio. Many of his paintings are of the rural American countryside. They are nostalgic, simple, and beautiful. Starlight Antiques and Gifts sell many of his prints as he was a long-time friend of the owners and used to show up regularly to sign prints.
Farmhouse Frocks
45 W Jackson St, Millersburg, OH 44654
Farmhouse Frocks is run by a mother-daughter team and has a mission to help all women feel more comfortable and beautiful in their own skin. They sell stylish clothing available in a variety of sizes. One thing I noticed when walking through the store is all of the positive messages such as "you are beautiful" and "you are enough" displayed on the walls. They also work with talented Amish women who create beautiful dresses. I could spend hours in this store! If you struggle to find gifts for a special someone, they have an amazing gift guide available on their website.
Cottonwood Shanty
65 W Jackson St, Millersburg, OH 44654
Walking into Cottonwood Shanty made me want to re-decorate my whole house! This store has the most elegant and chic decor. Our favorite thing here is stunning the paper scrolls with quotes that you can hang on your wall! We bought a Christmas scroll and now I may or may not want one for every season.
Tis the Season Christmas Shoppe
363 OH-39, Millersburg, OH 44654
Did you know that you can go Christmas shopping all year round in Ohio's Amish Country? Tis the Season is Ohio's largest Christmas store open all year! Walking in here and seeing all the lit-up Christmas trees made my heart so happy. I love that they have different themed rooms and trees so you can find the perfect piece that fits your Christmas decor style. This store has a Millersburg address but it's located in Berlin, OH.
Age of Steam Roundhouse
213 Smokey Lane Rd SW, Sugarcreek, OH 44681
The Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum is something I wasn't expecting to be in Ohio's Amish Country, but it's worth visiting! It houses the largest private collection of steam locomotives in the world. Visitors are restricted to tours because it is a working roundhouse with ongoing restoration projects. They offer a variety of tours that you can choose from on their website. We did the roundhouse tour which is about 1.5hrs long.
When we first walked into the roundhouse with our group, I'm pretty sure everyone mouthed the word "wow!". It is a sight to see. I truly felt like I was stepping back in time. The steam locomotives are majestic and you can only imagine what they looked like chugging down the railway.
Our guide talked about the founder and how he came to collect the locomotives. He also taught us how steam engines work. Each locomotive has an interesting story and past that the guide shares with you. We also went outside and got to see them using the train turntable since they were working on a project that day! It was so much fun to see the kids who love trains' faces light up and get excited. This is the perfect place for all train lovers or if you're looking for something different and unique to do!
Hummingbird Hill Flower Farm
10055 S Funk Rd, Shreve, OH 44676
Hummingbird Hill Flower Farm is a special place in Ohio's Amish Country. We were in awe of the view at the top of the hill. The rolling farmlands and animals grazing was such a beautiful thing to see. This flower farm is run by a husband and wife team with a mission to "plant hope and create joy". Since we visited in November, many of the flowers were frosted over, but they do offer events all year round. We got to see their beautiful Christmas tree set up in the pavilion and red truck they use for Christmas mini photo sessions. They have special photo sessions and events available throughout the year so make sure to follow them on Facebook to stay up to date!
During the warmer months, you'll find the Flower Farm blooming with 6+ acres of flowers with butterflies and of course hummingbirds coming for a little visit. They offer U-pick sessions where you walk through rows of beautiful fields and create your own bouquet. It's so therapeutic! They also encourage guests to take a seat and relax for a bit! There's plenty of Adirondack chairs around the property for this.
They have plans to add ponds, more flower gardens, and even a secret fairy garden! They also offer workshops such as dried flower wreath making, sunset yoga, and garden vision boards. For the kids, they have firefly Fridays and learn to grow classes. We can't wait to come back and see all the flowers blooming!
Take a Scenic Drive on the Amish Country Byway
The Amish Country byway is 164 miles of picturesque rolling hills and charming Amish farmland. We loved seeing the horse pulled buggies on the roads and waving back at all the friendly people as we passed. We didn't complete the byway, but some of our points of interest were along the way. We definitely had to stop on the side of some roads to snap a picture! You can view a map with stops to make along the way on the National Scenic Byway website!
Wine Tasting
Sunny Slope Winery
12251 OH-39, Big Prairie, OH 44611
Sunny Slope is a winery, general store, and deli with a disco ball! We had so much fun sipping wine while talking, laughing, and listening to amazing live music. We each had a flight of their delicious fruit wines and went home with a bottle of our favorites! Mine was the Coal Bank Hill (their blackberry wine made from handpicked blackberries in Holmes County) and my husband's favorite was the Elderberry Wine (a popular one for both sweet and dry wine lovers).
If you get hungry they also have deli sandwiches and paninis available! The general store sells local Amish goods as well. During the warmer months, they also have cozy outdoor seating with firepits. They have live music almost every Friday and Saturday. Follow them on Facebook because they also have fun events such as craft nights!
Baltic Mill Winery
111 E Main St, Baltic, OH 43804
The Baltic Mill winery is a boutique winery located in a brick building that used to be the Little Daisy Flour Mill. Even though the building has been renovated you can still see some of the chutes and machinery remaining giving it extra charm. We loved sitting on a comfortable couch close to the fireplace and sipping on our flights of wine. The blackberry wine was both of our favorites!
Where to Eat
Rebecca's Bistro
4986 Walnut St, Walnut Creek, OH 44687
Rebecca's Bistro is located in a charming log cabin that dates back to the mid-1800s! The food here is heavenly. We started with a seasonal white chocolate pumpkin latte and oh my goodness, it was so good! They have all kinds of specialty coffee and tea drinks to choose from so make sure to get one! For lunch, I had grilled cheese and the famous basil tomato soup (definitely give this soup a try before leaving!). My husband had the quiche and a side salad with Rebecca's house dressing. He said the dressing was the right choice and loved all of his food as well! There's also a bakery here with scones, muffins, cookies, and layered cake!
Millersburg Brewing Company
60 E Jackson St, Millersburg, OH 44654
Dinner at Millersburg Brewing company was incredible! They have an amazing selection of beer here and my husband loved their porter. I couldn't pass up the hot spiked cider since it was chilly that night (it was so good and warmed me right up)! I ordered a barnyard salad that was full of fresh fruit and amazing goat cheese crumbles. My husband had the buffalo cauliflower, which became both of our favorites! We later found out that the buffalo cauliflower is a popular choice with the locals.
East Main Kitchen and Coffee
108 E Main St, Baltic, OH 43804
We loved having breakfast at East Main Kitchen. The menu is full of gourmet comfort food and specialty coffee. I was surprised to see they also serve bubble tea here! I loved the fresh flowers on our table and the cozy atmosphere. I had avocado toast served with sweet potato fries and my husband had an egg breakfast sandwich served on a flaky croissant. We both loved our food! Everything was so fresh.
Millers Creamery
105 W Jackson St, Millersburg, OH 44654
Even though it was cold outside we couldn't resist trying the famous Miller's Creamery in downtown Millersburg. My husband asked what the most popular ice cream was, which is the hand-dipped cheesecake. He got it on a chocolate chip cookie cone! I could pass up the apple cobbler special served warm with soft serve vanilla ice cream. It was heaven.
Where to Stay
Wild Rose Cabin
The Wild Rose Cabin was incredible. It's located in the countryside but only minutes away from downtown Millersburg. The front entrance looks like it belongs in a storybook with the weeping branches of a pine tree and winding pathway. This was the perfect place to relax and spend quality time with each other. We loved sitting on the porch and watching the neighbor's farm animals graze. The trees in the back were incredible and made the cabin feel so secluded and private. There's also nothing like getting in the hot tub after a full day of exploring! Amish Country Lodging has many cozy cabins to choose from for the perfect romantic getaway.
Visit the Ohio Amish Country website to find more things to do and start planning your trip today!