Tours of the Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center are offered Wednesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM each day. Tours on Monday and Tuesday are given by appointment; please call 540-438-1275 to schedule.

We operate on a donation basis for tours, and suggest $10 per adult and $5 per student, with children 5 and under free.

Visitors to the Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center enjoy the friendly and informative volunteer tour guides who help guests navigate the campus and share stories of faith from the Brethren and Mennonites of the Shenandoah Valley. Guides offer guests personalized tour experiences based on time available for the tour and interests of each guest. Each tour begins in the Welcome Center and can include:

  • Video overview, providing broad context for who Brethren and Mennonites are, their origins in Europe, and their place in the history of the Shenandoah Valley;

  • Interpretive panels, providing supporting context for the beginnings of Brethren and Mennonites in Europe and their subsequent migration to America;

  • Shoemaker shop, from the late 1790s;

  • Pre-Civil War log house;

  • Civil War-era brick farmhouse, with washhouse and garden;

  • Blacksmith shop;

  • Brooder house, with an exhibit that tells the story of Brethren and Mennonites in the local poultry industry;

  • One room school house, from the early 1900s, later used as meetinghouse for a rural Mennonite congregation;

  • and a tractor trailer used during revival meetings of the 1950s-80s with an exhibit inside the trailer.

Along the way, guests enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the Shenandoah Valley from our scenic hilltop. At the conclusion of the tour, guides are more than happy to share dining tips for those looking to check out the culinary scene in Harrisonburg, Dayton, or surrounding areas.