Menno-Hof Shipshewana

The Menno-Hof Museum in Shipshewana is an interesting place to learn the history of three related Christian denominations - the Mennonites, Amish and Hutterites.

A 15-minute introductory film precludes 23 additional exhibits that tell the history of the early church through the present.

The beginning of the Anabaptist movement is highlighted in one exhibit followed by a dungeon room that showcases 16th century persecution. A "rack," tongue screw, and other torture devices accompany the video.

A model of ship's quarters demonstrate how many Mennonites traveled to North America in the late 1800s, and the next room includes a registry of ships and passengers from the 1850s through the 1870s. I found my great-great grandparents on a ship from Europe to the US in 1877.

Further exhibits demonstrate the industriousness and prosperity of the three groups.

Menno-Hof is an interesting place to visit. We spent almost two hours learning about the Amish, Mennonites and Hutterites.