How can I experience the Amish culture first hand? I know it's a closed society but I really want to see?

Question

how they live, communicate... etc

Answer 1

go to peninsula in Amish town and ask. Lancaster penn.

Answer 2

Read existing sources, study German if you want to read their religious texts but it's not necessary to speak with them, go to an area where there is a large Amish population (or the Mennonites) and, using English, see who will talk to you about their religion and culture.  They do not proselytize and are fairly insular so you probably would have a hard time just showing up to talk.  If you are male, you'll have a harder time becuase it is mostly the women that interact with the tourists and if you get too chatty with the women, their husbands, brothers, or fathers will want to make sure you aren't up to no good trying to take advantage of the women.  Instead, you also might do well to learn trades that they find useful and begin a working relationship with them, especially to make friends with the men.  The women you might meet through quilting if not through tourism.  The men in the horse and buggy communities might have cause to talk with you if you are doing a study on their farming methods, if you work in the livestock breeding and trading industry or as a blacksmith, or if you are a carriage maker or repairer.  Keep in mind that not all the Amish are horse-and-buggy and the Mennonites are even more 'modern'.  If you have a particular project in mind, especially one about their work rather than their religion, such as writing a paper about horse-powered farming or living off the grid or 'lost trades' like traditional blacksmithing, you may also be more likely to get involved with them becuase a narrow focus on something tangential to their religion can be seen as less critical or threatening and in this study, you might learn about their culture as well.  Another avenue would be to join an organization that provides services to the Amish, usually medical care or transition and education for those young people who wish to leave.

Answer 3

Just follow and see their way of lifestyle by researching. Once you know what they do, just imitate their way of life

Answer 4

They arent monkeys in a zoo! Read up all the info and imagine the rest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish

Answer 5

Your best bet is to go to a part of the nation that has a large Amish population and start becoming a regular. Make friends with the local teenagers, if you are one yourself, as they will be the most open to talking to "The English" when they are over 16 and not yet completed their "Rumspringa." (I had a friend who was Amish when I was about 12) But since 99% of the Pennsylvania Dutch speak a completely different language most of the day (a dialect of German to be honest) and especially among each other, you will need a "man on the inside" to help you learn more first hand. The basics can be learned online and the in depth studies can be found in Enthographic books and Cultural Anthro papers.