The Amana Heritage Museum showcases exhibits and hosts programs detailing the history of communal Amana culture and home life. Visitors can tour the Noe House, which was built as a communal kitchen in 1864 before being turned into a doctor's house. Exhibits in The Schoolhouse offer glimpses into the everyday life of children growing up in Amana in 1870 through toys, dolls and the Christmas Room. The wash house and woodshed chronicle the techniques used by Amana gardeners and wine-makers through the tools made and employed and written accounts.
Amana crafts and handmade goods, such as baskets, brooms, wooden furniture and blacksmith items, are regarded for their consistent high quality craftsmanship and often unique designs. The High Amana General Store (amanaheritage.org/highstore) offers a wide assortment of Amana gifts and crafts for sale which visitors can purchase and is open daily from April to October. Visitors can also shop at working colony artisan shops, such as the Amana Furniture and Clock Shop (amanafurniture.com) or Broom and Basket Shop (broomandbasket.com), which allows them to observe workshops where the handcrafted items are being created.
Guided walking tours of the main communal village in Amana, Iowa, can be participated in by visitors. Some tours are free to visitors who have purchased entrance tickets to the Amana Heritage Museum while others charge an entrance fee between $3 and $5, as of April 2011. Tours highlight different historical and current aspects of Amana village life, such as wine making and vineyards in the colonies or kitchens turning out Amana recipe baked goods and smokehouse meats. Other tours focus on Amana industrial productivity by exposing guests to working woolen mills, a hydro-electrical plant and the calico factory.
The Amana Colony Golf and Event Center (amanagolfcourse.com) offers visitors a chance to really take in the thickly wooded Iowa river-basin landscape within the colonies by enjoying a round of golf on its 18-hole championship golf course built in 1989. Golf lessons and lodging are also available to guests on-site. Visitors staying overnight who prefer the outdoor recreation of camping can reserve a spot for an RV or tent at Amana RV Park and Event Center (amanarvpark.com). This pet-friendly park, with full utility hook-ups, modern shower house and swimming pool, is located near Amana's Lily Lake and holds music festivals and craft shows in its Event Center.
