America’s French Icarian Village

 

 

Step back in time to the 1800s and immerse yourself in the longest-lived non-religious utopian community in United States history at the Icarian Village just 3 miles east of Corning, Iowa. Born of a French utopian movement that swept through France in the 1840’s, Icarians arrived in Adams County in 1852 and developed a community about 3 miles east of today’s town of Corning. You can tour the restored Icarian Refectory (communal dining hall) and schoolhouse; visit the cemetery and library; and see the scaled diorama of how the original village was laid out.  Bring a friend or two or twenty and share in their annual events.  Depending on your group and type of tour, you can also make butter, participate in a spelling bee, or take part in a history lesson.  To learn more or set up a visit, call 515-321-9743 or go to www.icaria.net.