This place is like a Cracker Barrel on super steroids. I've never seen so much stuff in one shop. And be sure to go downstairs because there's a different shop down there; and you can meander through the various rooms on the lower level. It was a bit overwhelming to walk through. If you're looking for a present for someone this might be a good place to go. On the other hand, if you're claustrophobic, you might want to hang around the front door. read more

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First time coming here. This place is such a throwback to much simpler days. It's a general store and features everything practical you would want to find at a store from gifts, food, treasures, etc. Staff here wasn't too friendly though they also operate the Christmas store next door. Even though there's bathrooms here, they're blocked off and not meant for the public which was a bummer. Entertaining store none the less! read more

It's been years since I stopped into the Amana colonies, but I have to tell you it's only gotten better! The General Store is located in the middle of town offers you a little bit of everything produced in the area from handmade knives to confectionaries, jams, Jilly's, cheese, sausage, and the number of German influenced food products A wonderful place to go gift shopping or just treat yourself. I was able to pick up gifts for a number of different people do the wide selection of products offered at this establishment. The staff was exceptionally friendly and eager to help me build a pile so I didn't have to carry anything and continue my shopping experience! Reasonably priced and high-quality you can ask for more these days. Highly recommend that you stop in and check out the General Store in the Amana colonies. read more

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We make it down the the Amana Colonies two or three times a year from the Des Moines metro. Sometimes it's intentional and sometimes we are down in Williamsburg at the outlet mall and main Amana is just a few more miles down the road. The General Store is a must stop location for us. If you want to take home a momento of your visit or want to find something Amanda Colonies centered this is the place for you. Hard goods, food items (refrigerated, jarred/canned, dry), souveniers, some locally sourced goods, and a wide varitety is seasonal holiday items are available at The Christmas Room (connected but technically next door). And don't miss the teas and coffees downstairs at Amana Coffee & Tea... If you can't make it to the individual shops throughout main Amana you can find a lot of the same goods here like a small selection of meats and cheeses from the Amana Meat Shop & Smokehouse. So if your time is limited... The General Store is your spot! Service is always fantastic, the shop is clean and well organized, and it usually smells wonderful in here. It seems we always walk out of here with something! And I can almost guarantee that once you'v been in the General Store, like us, this will be store you venture into every time you come back to the Amana Colonies. read more

Huge selection of Iowa products, souvenirs, gifts, and Christmas items! Fun to walk around and look at everything. Ended up going home with some bottles of soda. Attentive service and well maintained building with lots of history. read more

General Store - Gift Shops Near Me - Amana, Iowa

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This is a general store for tourists. Amana is an actual, residential village but the general store serves tourists seeking boutique home decor, specialty foods (jams, jellies, cheeses, candies), souvenirs, and nostalgic gifts. It's an interesting spot to browse, but if you were staying at the nearby RV park and needed dish detergent or dog food you'd be out of luck here. Connects to the Christmas store next door. Downstairs, the Amana Coffee Co. sells whole beans and ground coffee and smells wonderful. read more

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Stopped at the Amana General Store for the first time in MANY years on Tuesday, Nov. 1st. Always nice to see their offerings of seasonal gifts and decor (that came from my wife). We took home a few things, but only 2 of them made it in the pic shown. The Italian Bread Dipping Seasoning is fantastic. And, I cannot say enough about their coffee (located on the lower level of the store.) I brought home a bag of the Amana Private Blend Decaf, and folks ... this is some of the smoothest decaf coffee I've ever tasted. Doesn't have that "acidic" flavor. So, If you've just stuffed yourselves at any of the fine dining places in Amana, walk around a bit, burn off some of those calories, and stop in. read more

General Store - HUGE supply of seasonings - GREAT coffee - and of course ... nice decor for the home! - Gift Shops Near Me - Amana, Iowa

It's been 7 years since my last review of the Amana General Store and not much has changed. We brought some family along with us on this visit. They're from out of town and had never visited Amana before. We saved the General Store for last. They were very impressed. We visited on the Saturday before Christmas, so it was a little tricky navigating around everyone. There's a lot of merchandise for sale, not many people wearing masks, so it was just an unnerving, cramped, cramped space. I love the coffee/tea shop located in the basement of the GS. Expect tourist prices, but not outrageous. I suggest visiting when a major holiday isn't in the near future, unless you love large crowds. read more

I absolutely loved this establishment ! The whole Christmas Store and this place was just amazing. They even had a basement. The staff went out of there way to help us. I highly recommend this place. read more

Simply put, I like this place. Sure, it can seem a bit touristy (and busy when there's any sort of event) as a main stop in Amana, but there are a lot of good items and it's fun to look around. They have a large selection of jams, honey, sauces, candies, etc. along with some Millstream drinks and Amana Meat Shop products if you want to make it a one-stop-shop instead of trying to stop by each individually. The shelves are so packed with all sorts of different goods you could spend a lot of time browsing to find the right trinket, food item, or gift. In the bottom floor, be sure to check out the coffee and tea selections. When I'm in the area, I typically make a stop to pick up a couple different varieties of loose tea. Make sure to check out the Christmas room, even if it's not the holidays - it's a unique spot, fully of cheer on any day. read more

A great store to go in during Christmas time because they have all sorts of tree's with ornaments and decorations that you cant find other places. I'm sure its a curated collection from over the years but they seem to have much more selection then anyone else this year which is nice. They also have table decorations, food, and all sorts of kicknak type things that you could probably spend a couple hours and not see it all. Overall, its a must visit during Christmas time if you are in the area. read more

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Cute store with lots to look at. Visited on Black Friday, store was busy but staff was friendly and helpful. Will definitely be back!

We've stopped in here several times while wandering around Amana. These two levels, packed floor to ceiling with goodies, can often be hard to navigate or fully take in all that they have to offer. It's a popular spot, especially during festivals so it can be a little chaotic with all the additional traffic. That aside, there's something for everyone in this cute little place. Sweets and treats abound, even featuring a little cafe in the lower level. If you're looking for local honey, this is your place. You'll also find a wall of taffy and other baking items and confections throughout. Beautiful home decorations, themed novelty decor, tons of silk flowers, Iowa gifts, and more fill the rest of the shelves. This building also houses the Christmas Store year round. Definitely recommend making a lap or two through the General Store when you're in Amana. read more

Baby Boom alert! If you've seen the movie, you might expect Diane Keaton to appear from around the corner. For a general store, you will find a few specialty items like local dairy products (cheese curds...yum). I didn't see Country Baby applesauce, but I did see lots of fun dime store candy for more than a dime, a fantastic collection of cookie cutters for under $1, and lots of random Amana specialty products. But, the biggest component of the store consists of several rooms filled with Christmas decor. You'll find decorated Christmas trees with ornaments of all shapes and sizes, in addition to gingerbread house decor and all things that sparkle and glisten. Downstairs you can purchase specialty coffees and teas (yes, you can sample), and an entire section of fun camping outdoorsy decor. Cute stuffed animals hanging around, and a mouse house tucked under the stairs...so worth the visit alone. Why the 3 stars? For a general store I would have liked to see fewer gift items and more grocery-type goods. I think it was pretty overpriced for what it was, but it's nice to imagine what the shop was probably like before it became a commercial/tourist hub. Fun to browse. read more

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Stopped by this town randomly. Unfortunately for me, everything was closed except this shop. Pretty neat shop. read more

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Cute looking store: but very kitschy if you like that kind of thing. I recall thinking that because it's termed a "general store", it would maybe be like a step back in time, but no. It's just a huge gift shop. Everything from Christmas paraphernalia to smoked cheese, cutesy (but not really) sweatshirts to gardening swag....this is the place to get a gift for that person on your list that doesn't expect you to put a lot of thought into it. I don't want to totally bash it - there are some neat things. Old school cookbooks and a ton of weird, wacky, yet somewhat gourmet sauces, seasonings, jams and jellies and the like. A huge and respectable collection of teas and coffee as well. I got myself a bag of Amana harvested white popcorn kernels. Real Iowa popcorn! Humor me, ok? It's the little things that please me. read more

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Cute little general store on the Main Street in Amana Colonies. They sell tons of local treats, art, trinkets. They also have a coffee/tea bar on the lower level. Friendly staff! read more

In my opinion the whole Amana Colony is just a money maker. Went into the general store expecting to see goods made my the people of the Amana colony but was disappointed. A lot of the food products are imported from Germany. On all the jellies and other canned goods, it states on bottle it was made for Amana, not by Amana. There were some homemade blankets and socks, or were they? I don't know. read more

Every time I go to the Amana Colonies, the General Store is on the top of my list. I love picking out taffy and browsing the variety of food items they have there. The corn nuts are so addictive. My in-laws always request their pancake mix. They also have great coffee's - you have to try the Snicker doodle if you are a coffee lover. As for the gifts, I really do enjoy looking around because there's always something new. My daughter is in love with the Christmas section, she could be in there for hours. This store gives a warm and cozy feeling of nostalgia. I definitely recommend checking it out. read more

It's always a treat to stop in and browse all the specialty gifts and knick knacks. Half the store is a Christmas wonderland year round which is fun for holiday lovers like me. read more

I have gone in for a particular item several times,why oh why do I get the same disgruntled clerk who needs Dale Carnegie training for sure! I realize they dump the buses off,and the tourists keep the store afloat, but what about the locals in the off season spending their money? I spoke back,this time...and she sure did back-pedal well! May want to look elsewhere...I will be doing just that. read more

For years we traveled from Oklahoma to the Amana Colonies, especially Amana itself, where the full flavor of fall was enjoyed. The original shops there were fantastic. They used to have an enormous "Christmas Shoppe" encompassing two complete buildings, two floors each. The merchandise was of the highest quality and beautiful. Several years ago it was replaced with a 'new age' junk store. The wonderful candle shop had closed, along with several other equally wonderful and fun stores that no longer exist. Amana has truly declined during the past 8 years since its younger generation took over. And yes, many products will say 'made in Germany', because the Amana Colonies were founded by German settlers in the 1800s. read more