Northern Indiana’s 50-year-old Amish Acres to close Jan. 1

NAPPANEE, Ind. – An official says northern Indiana tourist destination Amish Acres will close at the end of the year after 50 years in business.

Executive Director Jeff Kitson of the Nappanee Area Chamber of Commerce said Friday he received a letter from founder and CEO Richard Pletcher saying his family is retiring at the end of 2019 and will close Amish Acres after its New Year’s fireworks show.

Kitson says the business will likely go to auction in early spring if the family hasn’t found a buyer by then.

The Nappanee site includes a bakery, meat and cheese shop, arts and crafts boutiques, a theatre for stage plays, an inn with 62 guest rooms and a restaurant featuring traditional Amish cooking. Kitson says more than 5 million people have visited.