Thousands visit Amish Interpretive Center each year

ARCOLA – Last year, 23,000 people visited the Amish Interpretive Center in downtown Arcola to learn about the Amish community in Central Illinois.

The 10,000-square foot building-museum is an educational center that features several interesting displays that depict Amish lifestyles and customs. Many of the items in the museum were contributed by local families of Amish heritage.

The center provides exhibits and videos in the center as learning tools, as well as hands-on experiences such as scheduling dinners with an Amish family and tours of Amish farms.

"People are naturally curious about the Amish, so it's nice that we're here to fulfill that need for them – instead of

television shows that teach them the wrong things."

A lot of the center's information goes a long way in dispelling misconceptions visitors have about the Amish community, Kauffman said.

Many people don't understand why Amish choose not to use electricity in their homes or the community's beliefs about joining the church.

Kauffman tries to convey the idea that the Amish are similar to other people in many ways.

"I usually like to tell the groups that Amish people eat Doritos and drink Mountain Dew," she said. "They are normal, they just choose to do a few things differently."

For more information, visit http://www.amishcenter.com/index.shtml. The center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.