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Amana Colonies
The Amana Colonies refer to a group of settlements of German Pietists in Iowa. Amana comprises of seven villages, which call themselves the Community of True Inspiration or the Ebenezer Society. These colonies first inhabited the New York state near Buffalo. They later shifted to Iowa in 1855 and led a communal life until the mid 1930s. The Amana Colonies was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1965.
At present, Amana is a major tourist attraction, best known for its craft shops and restaurants. The main shops in the area include the wood-working shops, wine shops, and a brewery known as ‘Millstream’. The most popular business that emerged from the Amana Society is Amana Refrigeration, Inc., founded by George C, Foerstner. The historic Amana Church and the Inspirationaist cemeteries are an integral part of the Amana Community and are truly worth a visit.
The major places of tourist interest in the Amana Colonies include the Homestead Dwellings, the Blacksmith Shop, the Homestead Store Museum, the Community Church Museum, Amana Colonies Visitor Center, the Village Winery, Museum of Amana History, the Amana Furniture Shop, Colony Inn Restaurant, Ackerman Winery, and the Old Dietrich/Renaud House. The major tourist attractions in Middle Amana are the Lily Lake, Hahn’s Hearth Oven Bakery, and the Coopershop Museum. High Amana Farm Complex and the Amana Arts Guild Center in High Amana; Phillip Dickel Basket museum and the Michelle Maring Miller Studio & Gallery in West Amana; and the Barn Museum and Communal Agriculture Museum in South Amana are among other tourist attractions in the colonies.
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