Amish Country Photography Tours

Illinois Amish Country and Arthur Illinois, offer some of the most photogenic scenery in Central Illinois.

ACM Tours, working thru the Villa Galleries in Arthur, provides guided photographic tours of the Central Illinois Amish community with creative photography tips and commentary.

We offer photo tours for people of all ages and skill levels. Whether you’re a novice, amateur, or pro photographer, or just want to learn about the Illinois Amish, you’ll enjoy seeing the local sites from a creative perspective.

For the tour, you can bring your favorite camera, plus a magnifying glass. Bring a high tech digital SLR or a disposable. Or you can choose to come with no camera at all and learn to "see."  The goal of each tour is for participants to learn how to see our countryside creatively, and in ways you haven’t considered before.

Villa Galleries photographer, Richard Herschberger, is of Amish background. He grew up in the Amish community, photographs for the Amish, is well accepted by the local Amish community, and has over 25 years of photography experience. He maintains an extensive display of his work in the Villa Galleries, in downtown Arthur. Richard has studied with prominent photographers, including Ansel Adams, John Sexton, & Sherman Hines. Richard enjoys guiding people into using their creative skills and teaches a simple but creative “TLC” method of seeing photographs as they open up before your very eyes.

Photo opportunities are everywhere around Illinois Amish Country. Capture amazing photographs of the Illinois Amish homes & gardens, country schools, barns, horse-drawn farming, cottage businesses and the simple beauty of the Amish countryside. So if you’re looking for that distinctive Amish photo or needing pictures to paint from, you’ll find it here.

Schedule: Photo Tours must be scheduled in advance, and are subject to Richards availability.

Duration: 90 minutes- Adults $40 / Youth (8-17): $25

Half day (4 hour) $100 Full day(8 hour) $175 per adult

Private tours,  customized or larger group tours are available by special request.

Tours start from downtown Arthur at the Villa Galleries.

Bring snacks or drinks. There are no scheduled stops on the tour, except full day tours, to buy food or beverages, but we will try to accommodate you as best we can if you are interested in doing so.
While these tours can be customized for wheelchairs.
Tours are only conducted in English with a little bit of Dutch thrown in.
Since we will be in private homes and businesses, pets are not allowed.

When scheduling please remember that cell phones and unhappy children may be a distraction to other participants.

An easy to do educational visit!

Let us help with your itinerary details.