BEHALT

The center was established in 1981 as the Mennonite Information Center. In 1989 the current facility was built on County Road 77 to adequately present the Behalt Cyclorama and provide the adequate support space for the Bookstore and Gift Shop. In 2002, the center officially adopted the present name to more accurately reflect our community and mission.

Now in operation for more than 30 years, the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center annually receives visitors from all 50 states, most Canadian provinces, and from about 60 countries – from Australia to Zimbabwe.

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A different kind of attraction... A 10 foot by 265 foot circular mural, called Behalt.

Since the beginning of the Reformation in the early 1500s, the people who later came to be known as Amish and Mennonites have been a puzzle to the rest of the world.

Who were these people who upset the European religious community, both Catholic and Protestant, by teaching about adult baptism? Why, in the face of trials and persecution, did they choose non-violence as a response?

A unique educational experience awaits you at the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center. Witness the history of the Amish, Mennonites and Hutterites on Behalt - one of four cycloramas in North America.

Behalt is a 10 foot by 265 foot circular mural. The painted oil-on-canvas cyclorama uses unique artistic techniques of line and color to illustrate multiple stories within a vast time-line. 
The name Behalt, means "to keep, hold, remember."