Amana Colonies Iowa Travel Guide: Top Attractions, History & Things to Do

Amana Colonies are the collections of the multiple villages in Eastern Iowa. It is famous for its unique history and best museums to the visitors. The best thing about Amana is that it conducts events for the kids. Most of the events of the Amana Colonies are free of cost and every month has an event and the festivals. It provides unique shops, including wool mills, luxury hotels and furniture shops. Traveling by charter bus is one of the most convenient ways for groups to explore the area comfortably and enjoy the scenic surroundings together.

In this blog you will see about the Amana Colonies, scenic beauty & walking tours, best things to do, festivals and events, best time to visit and travel trips of the Amana.

History of Amana Colonies

Amana Colonies is the longest society of America that consists of seven numbers of villages and it was founded in 1855 by German Pietists seeking religious freedom.

Origins in Germany & New York (1714–1855)

It was founded in the German state around 1714 and the people were the Pietists who believed in direct divine inspiration of prophets and rejected state church rituals. They first settled near Buffalo after moving to America.

Migration to Iowa (1855–1861)

The reason to move the people to settle their life was because in 1855 New York was becoming too crowded, noisy. People were finding a quieter place to spend their whole life. Residents provide work for the people they come here.

Communal Life (1932)

In 1932 people voted to separate its religious organization because of the Depression and internal pressures. The residents of the amana shared the jobs and the work and property to the people.

Popular Attractions in Amana Colonies

We will discuss here about the attractions of the Amana Colonies such as restaurants, shops.

Amana Furniture Shop

Amana furniture shop provides many types of high-quality furniture and locally crafted furniture and woodworking. In Amana furniture shops use traditional, century-old woodworking methods to produce durable, heirloom-quality pieces. It offers repair and refreshment of the old items.

High Amana General Store

High Amana General Store is famous for its unique attractive gifts and offers traditional goods, locally made products, and antiques, featuring original floors and a tin ceiling. This store shows the old products that define the history of Amana.

Amana Woolen Mill

It is the oldest business of the Amana Colonies that produces high quality blankets, bedsheets,  throws, scarves, and cotton products. 

White Cross Cellars

The purpose of the White Cross Cellars is to change the way our visitors think of wine from the Amana Colonies. White Cross Cellars is a fruit wine that is made using a mix of classic old-world grapes.

Best Things to Do in Amana Colonies

Amana Colonies is a perfect palace to visit where visitors can do many types of activities.

Explore local artisan Shops and Goods

Visitors can explore the many types of the local artisan shops of the Amana.

Furniture 

The focus of the furniture  on handcrafted solid wood furniture with clean, simple, and functional designs. It provides luxury items such as rockers, clocks, tables, chairs, and dressers.

Textiles & Quilts

They produce high quality woolen fabric and the blankets, and the quilts products that is the oldest business of the Amana colonies. 

Attend seasonal festivals

Amana Colonies host many types of the festivals.

Winterfest

It is the annual lowa winter celebration that is held in the late January. Winterfest is the family-friendly festival in which you can enjoy music, local brews, and community cheer.

Maifest

Maifest is the annual spring festival that offers a parade, Maypole dancing, live polka music, local wine/beer, and German food. Maifest festival provides many types of activities for people of all ages.

Festival of the Arts

It is a public art festival that describes the creativity of the public that is herald in the village of Amana. Festivals of the arts provide Hand-woven baskets, tinsmithing, rugs, woodworking, and paintings.

Take guided tours

Amana Colonies offers a full guide for the visitors with full safety. It offers a van tour from May to October but the historic sites and the tour van are not accessible. 

Amana Colonies Restaurants & Local Food

There are many types of cheap and costly food available in the Amana Colonies.

Local food is also available in the Amana Colonies. Here we will discuss the food and the restaurants of Amana.

Ox Yoke Inn

It is a historic restaurant that is famous for or serving traditional, family-style German-American cuisine. Chicken schnitzel, and Amana pork sausage are the famous food of the Ox Yoke Inn. They served food with good manners.

Indigo Room

Indigo Room is a luxury restaurant that provides comfort food and fresh wines. It is a restaurant that provides a comfortable bed and furniture that is relaxable. 

Millstream Brau Haus

The Brau Haus comes with the word “Brewing House!” and the  Giant Soft Pretzel is the famous food of the Millstream Brau Haus restaurants. The taste of the Giant Soft Pretzel is malty, buttery, and salty treat with a soft, airy inside and a firmer outer crust.

The Chocolate Haus

The chocolate hose is hand made chocolate with a good design and taste.

German Cuisine

German Cuisine is the group of food that provides traditional dishes that are made with the help of potatoes, bread, and cabbage. Pork is the famous food of German Cuisine that is made with beef.

Shopping in Amana Colonies

Amana Colonies offers unique items for the shopping that describe the history of the Amana. Visitors can purchase handcrafted local products and can explore many types of shop such as traditional furniture and hand-woven rugs.

Handcrafted Goods

The special shop offers handcraft goods such as furniture, baskets and traditional amana design painting.

Boutique and Gifts

The small boutique of Amana offers designing dresses and unique dresses. The look of the dress provided by the boutique is very attractive. The gifts provided by the small shops of the Amana Colonies define the history of the Amana.

Local Food 

Visitors can purchase the food of the Amana. There are many types of famous food such as Amana smoked meats  such as summer sausage, bratwurst, Sauerbraten, schnitzel, pickled beets, sauerkraut, and fresh-baked breads.

Wineries and Breweries

Amana Colonies is popular for its wine and beer. The wines of the Amana are made with the fruits and the grapes. A popular wine offering daily wine tastings.

Festivals and Events in Amana Colonies

Amana is a series of events and festivals around the year. There are many types of the festivals and the events of the Amana.

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is an annual festival. At the time of this festival people enjoy the Oktoberfest beer that is served in the one liter glass and people also enjoy the classic dishes such as roast chicken, pork etc.

Maifest 

The welcoming of the spring Maifest is held in May. People enjoy dancing, music, German beer, eating the popular food and soft pretzels, and the unique dress.

Wurst Festival

Wurst Festival is the unique annual festival that is celebrated in German culture with the ten days of the festivals. There are the many activities of the Wurst Festival: German sausage, beer, polka music, and traditional dancing.

Festival of the Arts

The purpose of the Festival of the art event is to celebrate creativity. In this event people show their activities.

Apfelfest 

Apfelfest is the annual celebration event that is a popular event in Europe . In Apfelfest events shops participate and offer apples and they conduct free activities for the kids.

Best Time to Visit Amana Colonies Iowa

Spring season is the ideal season to visit Amana Colonies because of its pleasant weather, harvest, and the popular Oktoberfest

Summer

We can say that summer is the best month to visit in the Amana Colonies because of its attractive view and ideal for the pictures. There are many types of activities of the summer time in Amana  such as art and  garden tours, Kinderfest for kids, and bike rides, cultural events, hand made gifts, and passport programs.

Spring

Spring is the best season to visit in Amana Colonies because of its pleasant weather and it is ideal for visiting seven villages. It is the best season for those visitors who want to enjoy events and avoid the summer crowd. The temperature of the spring is normal, not hot and not cold. It is the perfect season to visit.

Winter

Winter is the cool season of the Amana Colonies. It offers early holiday shopping, food, and wine tastings. But many types of festivals are held in the winter in Amana Colonies such as Amana pickle hunt, Beard contest, Tannenbaum forest.

Where to Stay in Amana Colonies

Amana Colonies offers many places to stay with comfort and safety. It provides a quieter place with less prices.

Hotel Millwright

It is the boutique hotel in the Amana Calories that has multiple features: it has luxury rooms and the comfort bed and the food. It is a hotel that has a number of guest rooms and one restaurant and two luxury bars that provide fresh wine. It is known for its high quality handcraft products and the beautiful rooms. They provide superb service of food with clean and fresh famous food of the Amana colonies.

Rawsons Bed and Breakfast

It provides a large hot breakfast and rooms with queen beds, private bath and tubs. They serve fresh and hot food at a time. Rawsons Bed and Breakfast provides wifi, tea/coffee, and is full of safety. 

Convenient Motels

Convenient motels is a budget friendly motel that is ideal for the family. It provides clean, fresh luxury rooms with comfort furniture and also provides free parking, high speed wifi. Convenient motel known for its clean and quiet rooms to stay.

Travel Tips for Visiting Amana Colonies

Amana Colonies is a group of seven villages that are famous. It is a very attractive palace that defines the history and the handicraft products.

Best season to visit

The best time to visit in The Amana Calories is spring because of its pleasant weather.

Amana Calories conducts the events in every month of the year and also conducts the festivals in every month. The annual festivals of the Amana Maifest (may), wurstfest(june), festival of art (august), model a day(september).

Photo Opportunities

Carhenge provides unique views in every season, it provides sunset views in the summer. So the visitors can carry the camera with them to take photos of the attractions and views of the Carhenge.

Plan Your Time

Before visiting the Amana Colonies, plan the best time to visit if you want to visit in the hot temperature you can visit in the summer and if you want pleasant and the cold temperature then you can visit in the spring and the winter season. Winter is the low crowd season and the summer is the more crowded season to visit in the carnage.

Why You Should Visit Amana Colonies Iowa

Amana Colonies is a perfect place to visit with family or single visitors who want to learn about the history then they can visit the Amana Colonies. It provides the luxury hotels to stay and the atmosphere of the Amana is quiet. Visitors can see the attractions of the Amana Colonies and can enjoy the many types of activities and enjoy the popular food. It is a unique tourist destination that provides relaxation to the mind of the visitors.

Conclusion