Mennonite Life

   Who We Are

First started in 1958 as a permanent home for archival materials related to the Lancaster Mennonite Conference and its congregations, Mennonite Life now welcomes tens of thousands of guests to our three sites each year. Under the Mennonite Life umbrella you'll find the Mennonite Life Library & Archives; Mennonite Life Museum; Mennonite Life Visitors Center; the Biblical Tabernacle Experience; and the 1719 Museum.

   Our Vision

Our vision is diverse communities connecting across boundaries by knowing and valuing their own and each other’s stories of life, faith, cultures, and histories. We understand ourselves to be conservers of the historical and ongoing stories of diverse Anabaptists with connections to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. We understand ourselves to be learners, actively pursuing new information and mutually beneficial relationships across boundaries. We understand ourselves to be communicators, interpreting Lancaster Anabaptist-connected stories for interested audiences.

   Your Impact

Your donations help us reach across traditional boundaries and partner with other community organizations at intercultural events.

Mennonite Life strives to be a place of belonging. As a learning organization, we seek to learn from partners who have previously been overlooked as rich resources of talent and insight. 

Your donations help us tell dynamic stories.

Mennonite Life prioritizes responsible collecting, preservation, appropriate collections housing facilities, and community access to our museum objects, and to our stories. We prioritize the stories of our local community members and our guests.

Your donations help us collaborate and educate.

We're committed to a conscious, sustained effort to instill the values of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion throughout the fabric of the organization. We're dedicated to improving the accessibility of our locations, and the range of our programs and educational materials.