How to Vacation in the Amana Colonies, Iowa

Visit the Amana Colonies in central Iowa and you are liable to hear “Willkommen!” (Welcome!) in seven different towns. Settled in the 1850s, these small villages became a religious communal society made up of German immigrants. Residents moved away from communal life after the Depression and, today, the colonies remain steeped in history, with an eye toward the future. Here’s how to vacation in the Amana Colonies.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Get your bearings. The seven villages are Amana, West Amana, East Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, South Amana and Homestead. The communities were settled on either side of a valley along the Iowa River about 15 miles south of Cedar Rapids.
2. Find a place to stay. You can find anything from a Holiday Inn water park resort hotel to a quaint bed and breakfast or a restored 1890s hotel in or near the colonies. An RV campground is nearby, as well. Visit the Amana Colonies website (see Resources below) for a listing of accommodations.
3. Go shopping. You won’t see an Old Navy, Liz Claiborne or Wal-Mart here, but you will find enough specialty shops to keep you going for at least a full day. “Handcrafted” is the buzzword here, from Amana furniture to the 150-year-old Woolen Mill, Iowa’s lone operating textile mill.
4. Fill up on German food. Gone are the more than 50 communal kitchen houses, but what remains are the recipes the original settlers brought with them served up in Amana’s famous “family-style” dining. Try the Colony Inn, opened in 1935 after the kitchen houses closed and still run by the same family.
5. Soak up the history of the Amana Colonies. Named a National Historic Landmark in 1965, the colonies include seven heritage sites. Among them are the Amana Heritage Museum in Amana, the Communal Kitchen in Middle Amana and the Communal Agriculture Museum in South Amana. All heritage sites charge admission; visit the Amana Heritage Society website (see Resources below) for more information.
6. Take a tour of the colonies. All seven of the villages are linked by the Amana Colonies Trail (Highways 6, 151 and 220) and a CD audio tour is available at the Visitors Center in Amana. Others include a tour of barns that are more than 100 years old, a monthly tour of the local artisans’ studios and galleries and a GPS adventure that begins at the Amana Heritage Museum.

Tips & Warnings

• The Amana Colonies host numerous special events such as the Iowa Renaissance Faire and Gathering O’Celts or God’s Grand Garden Walk throughout the year. Check the calendar at the Amana Colonies website for specific dates.