Tom Milligan has been a working theatrical professional for the past 45+ years, working as an actor, director, scene designer, producer, and writer. Originally from Des Moines, companies credited to his resume include Charlie’s Showplace Dinner Theatre, The Drake Opera, The Drama Workshop, The Old Creamery Theatre Company, The Iowa Theatre Artists Company, as well as many other arts groups around the state. Deb Kennedy has been working professionally for the past 25 years, working throughout the Midwest onstage, offstage, touring, and occasionally onscreen. Deb & Tom’s career paths crossed in 2005, where they quickly realized they were a Read more...
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The Amana Colonies Visitors Center is located in the village of Amana, in a restored corn crib. Make it your first stop for information about the Amana Colonies. Pick up a visitors guide, map or brochures for area businesses. Menus for Amana Colonies restaurants are also available. The Visitors Center also houses the offices of the Amana Colonies Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACCVB). Founded in 1965, the ACCVB is the oldest organized Convention & Visitors Bureau in Iowa. Lodging The Visitors Center can assist you in planning your overnight accommodations. Information for local bed & breakfasts, inns, motels, and hotels Read more...
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Amana textiles express the heritage, value, and essence of the original Amana community. The Amana Woolen Mill is the oldest business in the Colonies and Iowa’s only remaining working woolen mill. It has been in continuous operation since 1857 and can be traced back more than 300 years to Germany. Textiles were critical to Amana’s beginnings. In addition to producing goods for the community, the mill helped support the colonists’ communal living. Selling textiles across the country gained Amana a national reputation for superior quality. Now, with updated designs, colors, and materials, we want to ensure they’re a part of Read more...
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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 Read more...
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The tradition of the Amana Meat Shop & Smokehouse began when the seven villages were a communal settlement and families enjoyed meals together in kitchen houses. Each village had its own meat shop and smokehouse where ham, bacon, and sausage were cured the old-world way with long-held recipes and a commitment to quality. Today the tradition of quality continues. Each year thousands of visitors come to Amana to visit our historic shop, sample our products, send gifts through our catalog, and take home the flavors of another century. Enjoy the personal service and great selection of mouthwatering steaks, chops, and bratwurst from our fresh meat Read more...
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Amana furniture, designed and hand-built in the Colonies since the 1850’s, has an enduring reputation for high quality and timelessness. The Amana dierence is a focus on craftsmanship, using century-old building methods that have been passed down for generations. Today, these standards are still applied to our exceptional heirloom-quality furniture, clocks, and home décor. Meticulous care is taken in matching wood grains, testing durability, and expert finishing to enhance the wood’s natural beauty. Many locally made gifts also available. Our craftsmen are both designers and builders, and turn their experience, passion, and know-how into pieces that expertly blend heritage craftsmanship with modern insights. Enjoy our workshop viewing gallery and learn more Read more...
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The first Amana Colonies Gravel Bike Routes are ready for use. The routes each begin in Middle Amana, separating into Route A going to High Amana and Route B going to West Amana. While on the gravel routes, the riders will experience historical points of interest in Middle, High and West Amana. Route A begins in Middle Amana at the entrance to the Amana Colonies Golf Course and takes riders on a scenic gravel route through native hardwood timberland to High Amana. This route is moderately easy and approximately a 7 mile round trip. High Amana features the historic High Read more...
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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. 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. Read more...
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The Kolonieweg, or Colony Way, is a 3.1-mile trail connecting the villages of Amana and Middle Amana. Most of the trail is paved, but a small portion is gravel. The trail offers scenic views of Lily Lake, the Millrace, pastures, farmland and the surrounding countryside. The trail is also home to numerous plants and animals. The village of East Amana and the Amana Colonies Golf Course are also accessible via a marked bike route. Parking is available at two locations along the trail: along Highway 220 between Middle Amana and Amana where parking and picnic spots are available at the Read more...
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Situated along the Iowa Scenic Byway, patrons of family-owned Fireside Winery can unwind while sipping wine under the vine-covered veranda, stroll through beautifully landscaped grounds, or chat with new friends in the tasting room all while enjoying a glass of their favorite handcrafted Fireside wine. At Fireside Winery, there is a wine to please every palate and an experience for every taste. When you long for a quiet break from the hectic pace of life or an upbeat Friday night with music, we invite you to discover everything Fireside Winery has to offer. #ourfiresideoryours Read more...
