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...
2021 Village Voyage Update
Join us for the Village Voyage Van Tour, a two hour guided tour of key historic sites in the Amana Colonies. Our 14-passenger, climate controlled tour van will take you to see four historic sites in the Amana Colonies to learn about our unique heritage and our journey from Germany to Iowa. You will our communal life before 1932, including our gardens, agriculture, religion, and way of communal living. Space and times are limited, so reservations are recommended. Please call the Visitors Center at 319-622-7622 to arrange; reservations cannot be made online.
Season: Van tour season runs from May-October each year. Tours are offered* Monday-Friday at 11am and 2pm, and Saturdays at 11am. Tours will run in rain or shine, but will be cancelled in cases of severe weather.
Accessibility: The historic sites and tour van are not accessible, so please let the Visitors Center know if you have questions or need accommodations, and we are happy to plan accommodations when possible.
Price: Adults 16 years and older are $20 per person; ages 12-15 are $18; 11 and under are $15. We are unable to accommodate children who require car seats or booster seats. Groups of 8 or more receive a $2 discount per person when booking as a group.
*Some dates and times are reserved for private events, so please call ahead if you would like to take the tour on a specific date to be sure one is offered. Reservations are recommended.
Self-Guided Tour Options
You can find our free app by scanning the QR code available here at this link, or by searching “Amana Colonies” in the app store on your smartphone. On the Amana Colonies App, you’ll find two self-guided tour option: an historic driving tour and an historic walking tour. You’ll also be able to see driving maps, site information, and contact information for the Amana Colonies Visitors Center. If you don’t have a smartphone or would like any help, we are available at the Visitors Center from 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday and 10am-5pm on Sunday to get you more information and be sure you see everything that the Amana Colonies has to offer.
The Amana Colonies Visitors Center is located at 622, 46th Ave. in Amana, sharing a parking lot with Price Creek Event Center, Heritage Designs Quilting & Needlework, and the Festhalle Barn. We can be reached at 319-622-7622.
Wheel chairs and strollers are available to rent at the Amana Visitors Center. Please visit us or call us with questions.
Large Group of 15+
If you are traveling in a large group or by motor coach you’ll definitely want to arrange for a step on guide. The Amana Heritage Museum can be contacted directly to at 319-622-3567 for inquiries about step-on guides. You can also contact the Visitors Center with any questions at 319-622-7622.
Village Voyage Tour Sites:
- The first stop is at the main campus of the Amana Heritage Society. An award-winning video that helps explain our history and the communal era (1842-193) will set the tone for your tour. You will have some questions about life during this time or how things have changed or not change and your guide will gladly explain.
- The second stop is in Middle Amana at the only surviving intact communal kitchen. Here you’ll learn about shop street and then enter the kitchen and discover how 40 people were fed 5 times a day, what the meals were like, and how nothing was wasted. It is a fascinating look at something we all take for granted, dinner time.
- Our third stop is to the High Amana General Store. This is a trip down memory lane. The store seems frozen in time, tin ceilings, old display cases, in fact, it’s like walking back in time 100 years. Everything is original except the products that are sold and the clerk.
- The final stop is at the old Homestead Church. Each village had its own church but today the Homestead Church is no longer used for services and has been given to the Amana Heritage Society. You’ll be able to enter the church and learn about the Amana Church Society religion. Sit on the plain pine benches that are still used today and learn about the beliefs of the church members and how it is different or similar to your religion.
Reservations can be made by calling 319-622-7622.
