Holmes County is the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country and home to the largest Amish community in the world. The county and its surrounding area — stretching into Wayne, Tuscarawas, and Coshocton counties — offer winding backroads lined with working farms, family-run shops, and a pace of life that feels genuinely removed from the modern world. Whether you’re planning a weekend drive or a longer stay, here’s what’s worth your time.
Drive the Amish Country Byway
The Amish Country Byway is one of Ohio’s officially designated Scenic Byways, routing drivers through Holmes County’s most picturesque farmland and small towns. The road passes through Millersburg, Berlin, Walnut Creek, Charm, and other villages where horse-drawn buggies share the road with cars and roadside produce stands appear without warning. Budget two to three days if you want to stop frequently rather than just pass through.
One practical note: navigation gets difficult after dark in rural sections of the county, where road lighting is minimal. Plan your evening meals and lodging before sunset. Maps of the byway are available from the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce or online through the Ohio Department of Transportation. Options along the route include inns like The Inn at Honey Run, a well-regarded property set in the hills outside Millersburg. Horseback riding vacations are another popular way to take in the countryside if you prefer something more active than driving.
Shop at Yoder’s Bargain Store
Located in Fredericksburg, Yoder’s Bargain Store is a low-key Amish discount shop set on a family’s private property down a long gravel lane — easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. Horse and buggies tied outside signal you’ve found the right place. Inside the barn, shelves are packed with kitchenware, glassware, children’s clothing, woolens, candies, and religious goods, typically well below retail prices. Cash only; no register or card readers. Finding things you didn’t know you needed is most of the appeal.
Stock Up at Walnut Creek Cheese
One of the best-known stops in Holmes County, Walnut Creek Cheese in Walnut Creek carries locally produced cheeses, house-made jams and jellies in a wide variety of flavors, fresh-baked breads and pies, and bulk pantry staples sourced from nearby Amish and Mennonite farms. The bakery section moves quickly on weekends, so arrive early if you want first pick. A gift shop carries Amish cookbooks and kitchenware alongside the food. This is an efficient stop for stocking a cooler before heading deeper into the county. Nearby is also a strong reason to explore the yurt camping scene in Ohio if you’re looking for an overnight stay with a local feel.
Visit the Farm at Walnut Creek
Just outside Sugarcreek, the Farm at Walnut Creek is a working farm that offers wagon tours led by a local Amish family. The farm runs without electricity, and visitors can watch field work in progress. Craft demonstrations — quilting and canning among them — give a hands-on sense of daily Amish life. The farm is also home to an unusually diverse animal collection, including more exotic species like camels, zebras, kangaroos, and emus alongside the expected deer, sheep, and draft horses. Sleigh rides operate in winter when weather permits. This is one of the better family-friendly stops in the county.
Tour a Cheese Factory
Several cheese manufacturers in Holmes and Tuscarawas counties offer daily tours. Guggisberg Cheese in Sugarcreek and Bunker Hill Cheese near Millersburg are two of the most visited, both producing regional specialties using local milk. Tours take you through the cheesemaking process and typically end with samples. Factory shops sell cheese crumbles — offcuts from production — at a discount, and they make excellent road snacks. Pricing and tour availability change seasonally; verify details directly before visiting.
The Victorian House Museum, Millersburg
The Victorian House Museum in Millersburg is a 28-room Queen Anne-style mansion built in 1901, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and operated by the Holmes County Historical Society. It’s a deliberate contrast to the plain aesthetic of the surrounding Amish community — rooms filled with period furniture, decorative glassware, musical instruments, and historical artifacts. The house appears on HGTV and in national architecture publications. During the holiday season, the mansion is decorated extensively and hosts special tours; verify seasonal hours and ticketing at the Holmes County Historical Society website before visiting. Adjacent to it is the Millersburg Glass Museum, which holds the only public collection of Millersburg Glass in the world — an art glass produced for just three years, from 1909 to 1912.
Sweetwater Farm, Sugarcreek
Sweetwater Farm operates seasonally from May through November and sells farm-grown fruits, vegetables, and hanging flower baskets directly to the public. The farm is known particularly for its strawberries and blueberries, which feed into locally produced jams. It’s a modest roadside operation — marked by a small stand and sign — but the produce is fresh and the prices reflect the farm-direct model. Locals use it regularly for bedding plants and quality mulch in addition to food.
Baltic Meats
Baltic Meats in Baltic, Ohio, is a local butcher shop sourcing all its meat from nearby farms and handling all curing and smoking in-house. The operation cuts to order daily. If you’re traveling with a cooler, this is worth a stop for stocking up on fresh cuts and locally made smoked meats. Cheese from nearby producers is also available.
Horseback Riding Through Amish Country
Amish Country Riding Stables, coordinated through the Guggisberg Swiss Inn, offers guided horseback rides through Holmes County’s rolling farmland in small groups of roughly two to five riders. Rides run approximately 45 minutes, making them easy to fit into a day that includes other stops. Horse-drawn carriage rides are an alternative in winter. Reservations book up quickly, particularly in peak season, and rides are weather-dependent — contact the stables in advance to secure a spot.
Holmes County pairs well with a broader road trip through Ohio’s natural and cultural sites. If you’re making a longer trip of it, the hiking trails at Mohican State Park are about 30 miles northwest and worth adding to the itinerary. For paddlers, the Mohican State Park canoeing guide covers routes through the same scenic forest. And if you’re traveling with kids, Ohio’s yurt camping options offer a low-effort way to extend the trip overnight in a setting that fits the area’s back-to-basics mood.
Practical Tips for Visiting Holmes County
Most Amish-owned businesses are closed on Sundays, and many close early on Saturdays. Cash is expected at roadside stands and small shops, and many family-run businesses don’t accept cards at all. Cell service can be spotty in rural sections of the county. If you’re driving the byway, download offline maps before you leave. Spring and fall are generally the most comfortable seasons — summer weekends can be crowded around Berlin and Walnut Creek, the two busiest tourist towns, while spring and fall offer the same scenery with fewer cars on the road.
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