Amana Colonies

The Amana Colonies are a National Historic Landmark comprising seven villages in Iowa County, established between 1855 and 1932 by German Pietist immigrants known as the Community of True Inspiration. The communities operated as a religious communal society for nearly 80 years before transitioning to a joint-stock company in 1932 — a moment residents called 'The Great Change.' Today the seven villages — Amana, East Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, South Amana, West Amana, and Homestead — preserve a rare intact example of communal-era brick and stone architecture on the Iowa prairie, located about 20 miles west of Iowa City via I-80 Exit 225. The Amana Heritage Museum documents daily life during the communal period through period furnishings, photographs, and artisan tools. Walking the main street of Amana village, visitors pass communal kitchen houses — large stone buildings where residents once ate communally — alongside operating woolen mills, furniture workshops, and the Millstream Brewing Company, which occupies a 19th-century granary. Handcrafted Amana furniture, locally made wines from the Amana Colonies Winery, and smoked meats from the Amana Meat Shop and Smokehouse are distinctive products unique to the colonies. Restaurants along the main street serve traditional German-American dishes including sauerbraten, schnitzel, and apple strudel. The Maifest in early May and Oktoberfest in mid-October are the two major annual events. Most shops open by 9:00 AM and close by 5:00 PM; a village map available at the Colonies Visitors Center on 220th Trail orients first-time visitors efficiently.