The Red Lion Inn of Stockbridge, Massachusetts is about to celebrate two and a half centuries of hospitality in the quaint holiday storybook Berkshires town! The inn was built in 1773 as a small tavern and pitstop for commuters between Boston and Albany. It houses the country’s “largest collection of colonial China and antiques” that were sourced by the one of the inn’s former owners.
The tavern is also one of America’s top 15 oldest. That is why you’ll find antique memorabilia like 1940s lunchboxes used as chandeliers in the tavern entry. This unique collection of antiques has endured nearly two centuries and a devastating fire in 1896. The inn was rebuilt and reopened in 1897, and its famous outdoor heated pool installed in the 1960s.
The pool has been a refuge for visitors who can enjoy a dip from the heated deck floors to the warm blue waters while ironically looking out at snow dusted Berkshires mountains! It’s like living in a Hallmark film.
The Red Lion Inn among the Historic Hotels of America
As one of the longest continually operating inns of America, there are several unique quirks throughout The Red Lion Inn that amplify the charm.
Upon entering you’ll be welcomed up a 126-year-old gold antique elevator with intricate metal working. Don’t worry, there is a modern elevator and stairs if you prefer.
Keeping with the old school holiday charm, the inn is notorious for its farm-to-table offerings crafted by Executive Chef Jon Sterrett. The food here is so delicious, that even locals who live in Stockbridge come in for breakfast, lunch and dinner by the roaring fireplace. Don’t skip the corned beef hash and home fries!
Guests also have access to Harney and Sons Teas and fresh-brewed coffee every morning. While enjoying your meal by the festive wallpaper (the inn has an entire room dedicated to rolls upon rolls of wallpaper) and poinsettia decorated space, you can admire the massive gingerbread house replica of the inn at the back dining room.
The pet friendly hotel also has some feline friends of its own. Jack and Jane are the Red Lion Inn’s cats-in-residence! They’ll merrily guide you to the two local gift shops attached to the inn where you’ll find everything from plants to gloves, locally made crackers and more! The Red Lion Inn ranked the 23 in the Northeast in the Condé Nast Traveler 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards!
Holiday happenings in Stockbridge
Make sure to visit the Naumkeag Winterlights while you’re there! The light show shuttle picks you up outside the hotel and drives to Winterlights held at Naumkeag, a Gilded Age mansion in Stockbridge!
And of course, you can’t skip the famous Norman Rockwell Museum where you can explore the famed illustrator’s 323 magazine covers and his other works so inspiring Directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas feud over them! For New Year’s Eve, The Red Lion Inn will host a Gatsby inspired “Roaring into 2024 Extravaganza!”
Find The Red Lion Inn at
30 Main St, Stockbridge, MA 01262
Just over 2 hours west of Boston