Visiting Amana Colonies in Iowa by RV

The Amana Colonies, in the heartland of Iowa, offer a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. For RV enthusiasts, embarking on a road trip to this charming destination can be an unforgettable adventure. Join us as we take you through the experience of visiting the Amana Colonies by RV, highlighting the must-see attractions and providing essential tips for a seamless journey.

The Amana Colonies: A Historical Overview

Before we hit the road, let's delve into the history of the Amana Colonies. Established in the mid-19th century by German Pietists seeking religious freedom, these seven villages are a testament to communal living and self-sufficiency. Today, they offer a glimpse into a bygone era, with beautifully preserved architecture and traditions.

The Amana Colonies consist of seven villages, so make sure to allocate enough time to explore each one. Route 151 is a scenic highway that will take you through the heart of the colonies.

Interestingly residents of the Amana Colonies lived a more communal lifestyle with houses not having a kitchen. Instead, food was prepared and served in communal kitchens. One of these communal kitchens is still intact and is one of the many historic things you can tour. 

Camping at Amana Colonies - Amana RV Park and Event Center

We camped at Amana RV Park and Event center. Essentially this is a large, flat open field with well-graded roads and campsites. There are few trees in the campground which makes it a great place if you’re toting a Starlink dish. The campground features 450 sites on 80 acres and includes an event center. 

Check out our article on how we mount and use our Starlink dish. 

There are a variety of sites at the park and, depending on circumstances, they do honor the Passport America discount program. We booked a site with full hook-ups as we wanted to fill our fresh tanks and dump our holding tanks. 

Attractions in the Amana Colonies

The Amana Colonies really looks like a time machine to before the days of electricity and cars. In fact, we only found one gasoline station in all seven colonies! As always, we suggest starting in the Visitor’s Center which is well done and is housed in an old barn, but has been meticulously updated. 

Amana Heritage Museum:

• Begin your journey with a visit to the Amana Heritage Museum. Explore exhibits showcasing the colonies' history, craftsmanship, and communal way of life.

Local Craftsmanship

The Amana Colonies are known for their craftsmanship. Don't miss out on shopping for handcrafted goods, including furniture, quilts, and pottery.

Where to eat

We found everything from a large store full of fancy yard art to the Chocolate Haus where you can get both good coffee and an incredible array of house (or is that Haus?) made confections.

Since the town has a German heritage, as do I, a trip to Ox Yoke Inn was definitely a must. 

They offer American and German food served “Family Style.” Hearty and light portions including chicken, hand cut steaks, roast beef, sauerbraten, wiener schnitzel cutlets, Amana brats, ham, catfish, shrimp, sandwiches, salads, homemade soups and desserts including rhubarb custard, chocolate & coconut cream pies. 

Another absolute highlight was the Millstream Brau Haus. I had a flight of beers and not one of them was anything but exceptional. Usually there are some duds, not here. We also ate a pretzel (of course) but the beer was fantastic. In fact, as I write this, there are still several six packs left in my fridge as I bought all I could with the cash I had on hand. 

They normally accept credit cards but their system was down the day we visited. 

Amana Cultural Society

The Amana Heritage Society maintains a group of arts-and-culture museums that display and interpret artifacts and photos of the history of the Amana Colonies.

The Amana Heritage Museum is comprised of three 19th Century buildings, set in spacious grounds. The Noé House, built in 1864, was originally a communal kitchen and later a doctor’s residence. Recently updated exhibits in the Noé House trace the history and development of Amana, include stories about Amana residents, and display the varied crafts and industries of the Inspirationists. Temporary exhibits and special programs focus on particular aspects of Amana’s culture. The Schoolhouse was built in 1870. An audio visual presentation on Amana’s history is shown regularly in the Schoolhouse auditorium.

The original washhouse/woodshed, an integral part of communal Amana, houses wine-making and gardening displays.

With an intact communal-era kitchen, cooper shop, blacksmith shop, a well-preserved church museum, a research library for scholars and a working General Store, we preserve and make available to the public all aspects of Amana’s history. We also have a museum bookstore that has many great books for both adults and children on topics ranging from Amana history to cooking and knitting.

High Amana General Store

This was one of my favorite stops on our tour of the colonies. Essentially this is a traditional general store as you might have found in most small towns years ago. But it hasn’t really been updated significantly, yet it has remained open. 

Established back in communal days in 1857, the store’s exterior and interior have remained virtually unchanged all these years. The original tin ceiling, wooden floor, and glass-topped display cases still remain. 

What I was told was that the same family has owned the store for many years. As the Colonies started to change the ownership and patterns at the store didn’t and now it’s a true throw-back to decades past. 

Throughout the store are charming reminders of the good old days, of a simpler time, of the past preserved. They just don’t make stores like this anymore, and there sure aren’t many of them left in existence! 

The store is truly a “museum” and an authentic general store in one. We have stocked the shelves with an interesting variety of hard-to-find trinkets and unique treasures from days gone by. They offer a wide assortment of gift and food items, toys, books, housewares, handmade soaps, and much more, all reasonably priced.

International Christmas Market

Located within the Amana General Store, the International Christmas Market is a year-round place for anything and everything Christmas. 

Discover a magical world of scents, colors and light. Browse through our extensive array of ornaments, fabulous tree displays, and unique home decor.

From world-imported items to hand-crafted gifts, the appeal of the International Christmas Market is simple: stress-free shopping in a beautiful, festive environment featuring unique gift ideas for everyone no matter the season…including you!

Getting around

The Amana RV Park and Event Center is about a mile from town and the entire area is very, very bicycle friendly. In fact we jetted around the area on our Lectric eBikes and found it was a very bike-friendly place. It might even be easier to get around by bike although there is a lot of hidden parking lots behind the main stores. 

Conclusion

A journey to the Amana Colonies by RV is a trip back in time, offering a chance to immerse yourself in history and experience the warm hospitality of its residents. As you explore the picturesque villages, you'll discover a place where tradition meets modern-day charm. So, pack your RV and hit the road for a memorable adventure through the Amana Colonies, where the past comes to life. Prost!