Shipshewana Shopping The Ultimate Guide
The Amish community of Shipshewana is a shopping mecca. There’s plenty to buy, from cottage industry shops, homemade and handmade goods, thrifting, and a flea market! Here are the best things to buy in Shipshewana, Indiana. I made this to help you create your list and to narrow down the many things you can buy from the town. Admit it: you don’t want to regret going home and not buying the things you wanted because you had analysis paralysis.
You may see a store written multiple times in different categories, so if a few shopping categories meet your list and don’t have enough time to go everywhere, you can just pick up two different items from the same store! Here’s the best of Shipshewana shopping.
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Amish-made jams are the best. They are made from real fruit and have great flavor pairings you may not find anywhere else. Here are some places to get homemade jams, as well as the ones we have tried.
Address: 140 1/2 N, Morton Street Shipshewana, IN 46565
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9 am to 2:30 pm. Closed Sundays.
Scherger’s Kettle Jams and Jellies have creative jams and spreads to bring home. Don’t miss the BARN jam, which is a mixture of bananas apples, rhubarb, and nutmeg, all in one jar. Other creative flavors include banana nut jam and lemon lavender.
I could seriously bankrupt myself by buying one of each jam that they had but the store is cash only.
The small jams (4 oz) are $3.25 at this time. These small jams are easier to transport especially if flying home. You also get a build-your-own sampler pack the more variety you bring home. Bigger jams are 18oz and cost $11.
Address: 5965 S 675 W, Topeka, IN 46571
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9 am to 5 pm. Closed Sundays.
This is a small cottage-industry business run out of the owner’s home. There is an attached shop on the side, which operates on an honor system. While the jam flavors are the usual fruit flavors, the store distinguishes itself by that there’s no added sugar in their jams! The best deal is for the big bottles – $5 for a bottle. The store is cash only. If the store is unattended, there is a box to leave the payment and a piece of paper to write what you bought.
If you like unique spices for cooking, Shipshewana is the place for you. My husband cooks a lot and gets excited whenever I give him salt, spices, and seasoning. Before leaving Shipshewana or Amish Country, Indiana, buy Happy Salt. Seriously, do not leave without buying a bottle.
Happy Salt is a spice that the local Amish made and is good on everything. The locals claim that they use it instead of regular salt and the food tastes so much better. From what I gather, the mix has a little bit of garlic powder, salt, and a few other hidden ingredients in it.
You can pick up Happy Salt at the Shipshewana Flea Market, and also at E&S Bulk Food Store. The Happy Salt is made by the Shipshewana Spice Company and costs $8 for a plastic bottle.
Homemade baskets are a fun and useful souvenir to bring home from travels. I use mine to house pens and other freebies I would get whenever I travel. It’s easy to just grab keys, and other loose items from one place than have them in a drawer where it’ll get lost. Here are some of the places you can get homemade baskets while in Shipshewana, Indiana.
Address: 11020 W 400 S, Millersburg, IN 46543
Sonshine Baskets operates a store out of his home. They sell baskets of all shapes and sizes, ranging from small utensil baskets to huge picnic ones that you can wheel around. If I had a lot of space in my luggage and the budget to get a few, I’d go ahead and buy as many as I wanted. The prices are a bit on the higher end, but everything is handmade. There are three shades available: a light, medium, or a darker shade tint for the baskets, and you can even get basket liners in various designs for an additional cost. The basket liners are also handmade by the same Amish family and are a perfect fit for the baskets you get.
Address: 1450 N 1150 W, Middlebury, IN 46540 (Main Store)
Shipshewana Store: 160 Morton Street Shipshewana, IN 46565
Teaberry Wood Products specializes in handmade wooden goods, from puzzles to baskets, and nativity scenes. The baskets are cut from one piece of wood and look like a 3D jigsaw puzzle after it’s originally cut. It’s then treated and stained before it makes its way to the showroom floor. The toy puzzles and the nativity scenes are so incredibly creative, that it’s hard to leave the store without getting an item or two.
There are booths in Shipshewana’s Flea Market that sell Amish-made leather goods. However, a cottage industry shop called Silver Star Leather is the best Amish-made leather goods product from Shipshewana.
Address: 6875 N 800 W, Shipshewana, IN 46565
Hours: Monday to Saturday 10 am to 4:30 pm, closed Sundays.
Silver Star Leather is an Amish-owned shop. All the items they sell in their shop: bags, belts, and accessories are handmade. Silver Star Leather does not just sell leather goods, they also sell exotic skin items. You can get ostrich, alligator, turtle, stingray, among others. However, once you find an item you like, get it, as the owner makes limited quantities of the items, depending on how much hide he gets from his suppliers.
The Blessed7 brand is a more affordable brand offered by Silver Star Leather. It offers a non-leather lined interior. It costs less than the original Silver Star Brand but does not compromise the quality of the leather bag or accessory.
This by far is my favorite store of the bunch since I love leather bags and accessories. If I was a billionaire or had unlimited funds, I would’ve grabbed most things from the store!
Yes! This is one of a few stores that do take credit cards! And it makes sense – the store carries higher ticket items that go up to hundreds of dollars. It’s not something you’ll want to bring in bills while exploring Shipshewana.
Baked goods are a souvenir staple in our family. It’s my husband’s kryptonite and he would stop at any bakery that’s of interest.
Then there’s the kid. Cookies and chocolate milk are his food weaknesses. He would eat that every day, all day, if he had a choice. Here are the places where you can get milk (regular or flavored) and other Baked goods in Shipshewana.
Address: 1065 N 1150 W, Middlebury, IN 46540
Hours: Monday to Friday 7 am to 5 pm, Saturday 7 am to 4 pm, closed Sundays.
Rise’n Roll is a customer favorite. Get there early to get the freshest and most assortment of breads available. There may still be pastries and bread available in the afternoon, but the best ones sell out.
Rise’n Roll also sells packaged goods like popcorn and candies as well as jam from other local places in the area. Make sure you bring a cooler if you want to bring stuff home. The icing on some of the pastries melts quickly, and the milk needs to be in a cold environment.
Rise’n Roll Bakery accepts credit cards!
Address: 1360 N 850 W, Shipshewana, IN 46565
I had a chance to tour this dairy farm which makes the best chocolate milk in the area. Another favorite is the salted caramel. This farm is part of Lagrange County’s cottage industry where you can buy milk from the owner’s garage on a trust system. There’s a price per milk and a box to put the payment in (cash only).
Alternatively, if you can’t drive to the farm, you can get the same milk at Rise’n Roll Bakery.
Address: 9555 W 300 S. Topeka, IN 46571
OWL Toys started as a side hustle by the owner. Like most Amish men living in Lagrange County, he worked for the RV industry, assembling RVs that are sold throughout the US. During lunch, the owner will use some scrap wood from making RV interiors and create wooden toys for his children. He continued making toys after he got back from work and decided to scale up.
When the RV demand during the pandemic became low, he quit his job and decided to go full-time in the wooden toy business. You can order his toys through a catalog and third-party online retailers. OWL does not have an online presence.
Address: 150 N Harrison St, Shipshewana, IN 46565
At Kids Kreations, you can customize and create your Amish dolls. For $28 a doll, you can customize their clothing, and choose to make a boy or girl doll (or both). The shop is located very close to Davis Mercantile, with the exterior looking like a cottage/small house.
Address: 1450 N 1150 W, Middlebury, IN 46540 (Main Store)
I’ve mentioned Teaberry Wood Products as the place to get a wooden basket, but Teaberry also sells wooden toys. These wooden toys are 3D puzzle pieces, which are easy to build or detach. Prices range from $10 and up, depending on the intricacy of the piece and how big the toy is.
There are two Teaberry stores: one located in the downtown area, close to Davis Mercantile. The main store, however, is located in a shed beside the owner’s house. The main store has more toys and offers demonstrations on how they make the toys or baskets.
Address: 800 S Van Buren St, Shipshewana, IN 46565 ·
There’s a big chance you’ll end up staying at the Blue Gate Inn while in Shipshewana. The performance arts center is right next door and the flea market and other sights are a quick drive away. For those who don’t have time to go downtown or the flea market, the Inn offers dolls and other toys available in their store by the front desk.
You just grab what catches your eye, and pay at the front desk. You can either charge to your room if staying there or pay by cash or card.
Address: 175 N Van Buren St, Shipshewana, IN 46565
The Blue Gate Craft Barn is right in front of the Blue Gate Theater. Because they’re only open during business hours in the morning, I highly recommend going here before you grab dinner at the Blue Gate and watch a show.
You’ll find the same items as what you’ll see in the Blue Gate Inn. However, the Barn is a bigger space, so you’ll see more variety in items.
Quilting and hand-making clothes are still a highly sought-after craft in Lagrange County. Whether you’re a quilter, or crafter, or want to try your hand at making your own clothing, then Shipshewana is a great place to get fabric and quilting supplies.
Address: 225 N Harrison St, Shipshewana, IN 46565
Aisles upon aisles of fabric await you when you go to Lolly’s Fabrics. From cute designs that you’ll want to use for children’s quilts or blankets, to simple colored fabric, Lolly’s has them all. On a budget? Head to the boat and look for some rolled squares that are affordable. Occasionally, they have sales on the rolled fabrics, making the savings more!
Need a quilt pattern or a starter kit? Lolly’s also has them. Don’t miss the quilted Last Supper tapestry hanging in the store. Lolly’s Fabrics is located inside Davis Mercantile, a three-story shopping mall filled with cool stores and home to Jojo’s Pretzels.
For a town of less than 1000 people, Shipshewana has a thrift store and a consignment store on the main road of Shipshewana. Here are the thrift stores in Shipshewana.
Address: 960 S Van Buren St, Shipshewana, IN 46565
Hours: Open Monday to Saturday 9 am to 6 pm. Closed Sundays.
This is an excellent thrift store located within a quick walking distance or drive from the Blue Gate Inn. You’ll be able to find all sorts of items in store, from Amish clothing, toys, regular clothing, and so much more. The prices are reasonable for a thrift store, and as always, the thrill is with the find.
With every purchase, you’ll get a free eco-bag to take home. What a way to buy some souvenirs for cheap, and get a free tote too! I got some stuffed animals for my boy to take home, and
Arc of Lagrange does take credit cards! No need to bring cash!
Address: 350 S Van Buren St, Shipshewana, IN 46565
Hours: Tuesday to Friday 10 am to 4:30 pm. Saturday 10 am to 1 pm. Closed Mondays and Sundays.
This is a consignment store so the prices are a bit higher than Arc of Lagrange. However, expect better organization of items across the store.
We only had 20 minutes until the store closed, so a friend and I darted to different areas of the store to browse. I managed to get a $5 Columbia Jacket, a $9 Vera Bradley bag, and a $2 Herschel wallet. All of them are in excellent condition.
This consignment store also sells handmade clothing: dresses and traditional Amish clothing.
Graceful Threads Consignments accepts credit cards!
The store is close to the Visit Shipshewana Visitor Center, and there are plenty of parking spaces available!
Address: 345 S Van Buren St, Shipshewana, IN 46565
Hours: Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm. Closed Saturdays except on extended flea market days. Closed Sundays.
Spend a few hours at the Shipshewana Flea Market when you’re in town. It’s the biggest flea market in the Midwest, and you can spend hours just looking around. They sell everything in that flea market: from food, toys, clothing, furniture, books, and everything under the sun.
Since the flea market is so big, the market provides trails and maps for you to follow. It gives you a sense of which booths sell what, or you can just pop into every booth that catches your fancy. Every Wednesday, you can watch the Shipshewana Auction, which you can watch free of charge. Then there’s the swap meets, where you can buy from more sellers selling all sorts of things.
Bring cash to the Shipshewana Flea Market. Not all booths accept credit cards. Most of them are cash only. There’s also a $5 parking fee per car when parking in the flea market, cash only.
There are so many things you can buy in Shipshewana so hopefully, this little guide has helped narrow down your choices. I get analysis paralysis if there are too many things to choose from
A special thank you to Visit Shipshewana (Lagrange County) for hosting me on this trip. You can visit their visitor center at 350 South Van Buren St in Downtown Shipshewana to get more information on these sights, as well as pick up free USB or CD driving guides and walking guides for the city.
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