Amana, Iowa Campgrounds and RV Parks

Amana, Iowa

There is a large RV Park and campground near to the Amana Colonies.

The Amana Colonies consist of a cluster of seven villages, about twenty miles from Iowa City, near the Iowa River. The community was founded on values like craftsmanship, tradition, self-sufficiency, co-operation and shared faith and has had a sensible and flexible attitude towards growth and change which has kept it viable since settlement in 1859.

The origins of the Ebenezer Community of True Inspiration go back to a religious movement which was started in Germany in 1714, by Eberhard L. Gruber and Johann F. Rock. The stress on individual devotion resulted in a faith-centred community which did not promote itself but emphasized brotherly love. Communal life was a natural development and the community members exchanged services rather than money and shared labour, meals, and goods. Buying and selling with the outside world was necessary and eventually took its toll as families and members sought more individuality.

The creation of a joint stock company which would provide business opportunities and revenue to the society came in 1932. Taken over by the Whirlpool Corporation in 2001, Amana Refrigeration is the best-known name to emerge from this enterprise. This name is associated with the production of kitchen appliances, and stood for quality and craftsmanship. These appliances are sold in more than a hundred countries worldwide.

There is a certain fascination in realizing that the community, which still thrives in the present-day, began with a retreat from the persecution experienced in its native Germany and the worldliness which threatened its tenets when it was first established in the US. Through determination and idealism, it has continued to prosper. In order to maintain the purity of the movement, adjustments had to be made and these resulted in economic success and an enviable reputation for high-quality products. A visit to the colonies is a pleasant, slow-paced and peaceful event. Since everything is well-done, tourists can expect excellent treatment and diversion here.

widely-varied shopping in unique surroundings
two live theatre companies
metal works studios
at least 8 museums
sight-seeing tours
scenic trail
golf center