Amana Colonies

Understand

In 1855, a group of German settlers decided to buy some 30 square miles (70 km²) of land in eastern Iowa. These settlers, whose spirituality was marked by a strong belief in mysticism and communal life, sought to practice their religion in isolation. The Great Depression made it impossible for the villages to continue their isolation, and the Amana people voted to end their communal life, convert their shares in the common property into a formal business corporation, and build economic ties with the outside world. To this day, residents still maintain some of the traditional industries—woolen textiles, meats and cheeses, furniture—that their ancestors brought over from Germany. Some of the largest businesses and farms in the area either are or were previously owned and operated by the Amana Society, the for-profit corporation that was created when the businesses were separated from the church.

The entire set of colonies was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1965, and there are hundreds of historic buildings still in use across the seven villages, mostly as homes for the approximately 1,200 permanent residents or as small businesses that cater to tourists.

Climate

Get in

The nearest airport with scheduled passenger service is the Eastern Iowa Airport, between Cedar Rapids and the Amana Colonies.

Get around

There is no public mass transit service, no bike rental, and no car rental service within the colonies. Transportation is by car, by joining a bus tour, by biking, or by walking.

Each of the small villages is a couple of miles away from the next, which means it is about an hour's walk from one to the next. However, few people routinely walk or bike between villages now, except to follow the bike trail between Middle Amana and Main Amana. Within each small village, however, walking from one shop to the next is often the best choice. The colonies were modeled after German farming villages, so they generally have a single main street with smaller residential streets branching off from the main street, and most shops are on the main street or very close to it.

Place Amana (Main Amana)

Maps☆ Want to go

Place South Amana

Maps☆ Want to go

Stay safe

The Amana Colonies have a low crime rate. Your biggest safety risks are likely car wrecks and severe weather, including flooding and cold weather.

The nearest hospital is the Compass Memorial Hospital at 300 West May Street in Marengo, about a 20-minute drive west on Highway 6. It is a small rural hospital with 25 beds and an emergency room, but no intensive care unit. The nearest large hospitals are all about a half-hour's drive away: Mercy Iowa City and the University of Iowa Hospitals, which are in Iowa City, and St Luke's Hospital, which is in Cedar Rapids.