The Red Lion Inn is a historic landmark on the Main Street of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It’s name is synonymous with the Berkshires. Whether you stay here, have dinner in the main tavern or sip a drink from a rocking chair on the front porch, a stop here should be at the top of your list.
The Red Lion is located right on the Main Street of Stockbridge. It is so picture perfect, it is in an actual Norman Rockwell painting. There are cute little cafes and boutiques on the main street or you can head down to the children’s chime tower which is about a 10 minute walk.
I booked a queen suite and it was the perfect size for our family. We had two queen size beds with a separate sitting area. This set up is hard to find in historic hotels, but makes life so much easier when traveling with kids of various ages. We have a baby who goes to bed early, a boy who stays up late and a third who wakes up before the sun. With the separate area, everyone can get a good night’s sleep.
It is also just nice to be able to spread out and not be on top of each other all the time. I had a desk area to do work and the kids had a play area to do their legos.
The kids were so excited that there was an outdoor heated pool on the property, we literally dumped our bags and headed out. It was the fall, but the water was nice and warm. There is a hot tub as well, but it was closed due to covid. There were also no towels at the pool, so make sure to bring some. We had to run through the hotel sopping wet.
Back in the room, the kids warmed up in the big soaking tub. We also had a shower in our large marble bathroom. While there are modern amenities, I loved the old fixtures and hardware.
It was such a nice night, we decided to eat on the porch. The food was amazing and even my picky eaters finished every bite. I decided to relax with their signature drink aptly called the Front Porch.
Since we had just come from The Mount and heard a lot of ghost stories, they wanted to know if this old hotel had an ghostly visitors of it’s own. Since this hotel opened in 1773 it’s walls could probably tell quite a few stories.
Our waitress said that there was one room in particular that was haunted. The boys were obsessed with finding out where it was. We asked at the front desk and the man said that he wasn’t aware of a haunted room but another employee laughed and whispered 301. You can stay in that room, although we didn’t get any more stories out of anyone. If you have any insider knowledge, let me know! We walked by the room, but didn’t see anything that wasn’t living.
We had a big hearty breakfast in the Main dining room before we headed out the following morning. There are many dining options. If you are without kiddos, have a drink in their rustic tavern. There is also a pub in the basement called the Lions Den (currently closed) which offers pub fare and live entertainment.
Be sure to peek at the guest book. Just days after Henry Longfellow pulled up in his stage coach during the summer of 1860, Henry Melville checked in a few days later. The Red Lion Inn has been an icon for just that long.
Have you stayed at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge? If not, add it to the bucket list. There is so much to do in The Berkshires. Click here to read our ultimate guide to planning a trip to the Berkshires.
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