Franconia Inn

Nestled in the heart of the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire, the Franconia Inn is a full service B&B Country Inn, where casual elegance and exquisite cuisine are just waiting to welcome you. We have a whole array of on-premises amenities and entertainment, and to tickle your adventurous spirit, the picturesque Franconia Notch offers a wealth of outdoor activities and sports.

"In the land of big mountains and small villages"

Situated on over 100 sprawling acres in Easton Valley, the Inn affords a breathtaking view of Mount Lafayette, Franconia Notch, and the Franconia and Kinsman Ranges of the White Mountains. Our prime New England  locale provides easy accessibility to the small villages of Franconia, Sugar Hill, and Easton, as well as to the serene charm of the more quiet country life.

Our lovely 3-story white clapboard colonial style Country Inn includes twenty-nine beautifully appointed cozy guest rooms, three luxury suites, a living room, library, two dining rooms, a Ratheskeller Lounge, and two spacious verandas.

Franconia Inn's newly renovated guest rooms are decorated with refined simplicity where comfort is foremost. All 32 have private baths. Most are outfitted with double beds and some are appointed with queen and king size beds.

Franconia Inn also offers The Kinsman Cottage, the newly renovated farmhouse cottage nestled beside the Inn. The loft has a great view of Mount Kinsman and is equipped with a full kitchen, master bedroom with a queen bed, living room with sleep sofa, TV and air conditioning. The ground floor of the cottage boasts a king size bed in the master bedroom, 2 person bubble tub, sitting area with TV and sleep sofa, a guest bedroom with a queen and single bed, and air conditioning.

Our staff is professional, friendly, knowledgeable, and courteous. It is our goal to ensure that each one of our guests enjoys gracious hospitality and excellent service. We offer a distinctive personal touch in a comfortably elegant yet informal atmosphere.

Tastefully appointed, Franconia Inn's decor is comfortable, inviting, and elegant. Handsome fireplaces add a warm ambiance to our oak-paneled private library and spacious living room. Two dining rooms, one quaint and intimate, with its own fireplace, and the other airy and cheerful with a Bermuda ceiling, offer fantastic views of the White Mountains. Our front veranda faces east to greet magnificent sunrises over Cannon Mountain, while our back veranda faces west to catch the setting sun behind Sugar Hill.

Franconia Inn's dining room is the evening centerpiece where casual elegance is enjoyed by all. Here, the stage is set for a delightful dining experience as guests gather around intimate candlelit tables and take in a spectacular view of the White Mountain landscape as seen through dozens of small-paned windows. The soothing and classical sounds of Mozart and Bach grace the air as does the exquisite aroma of gourmet at its finest. Our award-winning "Elegant American Cuisine" is sure to please even the most discriminating of palates!

Franconia Inn Features..

• Four clay tennis courts
• Heated outdoor pool
• Bicycles, croquet, badminton
• Outdoor Jacuzzi
• Ice skating rink
• Soaring center
• Cross country ski center
• Big screen TV movie room

• 107 acres in the beautiful Easton Valley
• Exquisite European & American cuisine
• Honeymoon & family suites
• 5 min. to Franconia Notch & Cannon Mountain
• Walking distance to Robert Frost Museum
• 5 golf courses within 20 min.
• Riding stables & sleigh rides
• Ping-pong table, video & pinball games

The local residents of Franconia and the surrounding areas are some of the most warm, friendly, and interesting people you will meet. You are sure to feel right at home at Franconia Inn, so come join us and discover why our guests from all over the world keep coming back!

Alpine skiing at nearby Cannon Mountain, Loon Mountain and Bretton Woods is always a blast and we can arrange our ever-popular special ski and stay packages. Much more than a scenic winter ski resort, the Franconia Inn is an enchanting getaway for all seasons. In winter, spring, summer, and fall, you are sure to find plenty of activities to please.

New York City (6 hours):
New England Thruway (I-95) to New Haven, CT, left on I-91 North (225 miles) to the Wells River/Woodsville exit. Right on Rt. 302. East through Woodsville to Lisbon, NH. Two miles past Lisbon on 302, go right on Rt. 117 to Franconia, crossing the bridge into town. Then go right and at the Mobil Station, take another right on Rt. 116S, 2.5 miles to the Inn.
Boston (2 1/2 hours):
I-93 North, thru Franconia Notch. Take exit 38 (Franconia/Sugar Hill), left off exit. Cross road to Rt. 116S, 2.5 miles to the Inn.
Montreal (3 hours):
Rt. 10 to Rt. 55 and cross the border at Derby Line. I-91 to St. Johnsbury, VT. then take I-93 into New Hampshire and south to Exit 38 (Franconia/Sugar Hill), right off exit. Cross main road to Rt. 116S, 2.5 miles to the Inn.

December through March is an absolute winter wonderland here at our cozy B&B in the White Mountains! We offer ice-skating, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, and sledding. Our refreshing sleigh rides are always a favorite among the young and old alike. Sit back and enjoy a scenic ride in an authentic antique sleigh pulled by a 'gentle giant', our friendly Belgian Draft-horse!

As the spring temperatures melt the winter snows, a marvelous transformation at Franconia Inn takes place. Four striking red clay tennis courts and a large, sunny outdoor swimming pool emerge to once again invite eager tennis players and swimmers. Cross-country skis, boots, and poles give way to horses, saddles, and stirrups. Scenic bridle trails replace snow-packed ski trails, and our friendly ski instructor dons his equestrian hat as a skilled wrangler. Our ski shop reverts to the barn, and where heaping snow banks once towered, lovely gardens team with brilliant new life.

There is nothing like a Summer spent in the White Mountains! As warm weather approaches, our snowy airfield with its lone windsock reasserts itself as a bustling grassy glider port, catering to first-time passengers and experienced pilots alike.

May and June are fabulous months for hiking in the breathtaking North Country. Comfortable cool New England temperatures and peaceful trails make for an exhilarating experience. Experience the fresh clean New Hampshire mountain air that will invigorate your senses and rejuvenate your spirit.

If biking is your pleasure, we have bicycles freely available for you. Franconia Notch has a great and safe bicycle path where you can leisurely discover many scenic sites. The famous Old Man of the Mountain, the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, Profile Lake, the Basin, the Flume Gorge, and other wonderful hideaways are tucked here and there.

As September ushers in cooler temperatures, the entire vast landscape comes alive with magnificent hues of red, gold, yellow, orange, and purple. Considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the famed Autumn foliage in the White Mountains is a veritable feast to the eyes, an inspiration to the soul. September and October in northern New England make for a most invigorating time to visit!

For that special occasion, the Inn is available for small weddings or other family gatherings. Our main dining room (which seats up to 100 guests), or the area outside of the lounge near the pool, is where we set up tables and tent for a scenic and festive atmosphere. We are very flexible-from the casual barbeque to an elegant buffet-we can accommodate functions of up to 150. If reserved well in advance, all rooms at The Inn can be set aside for the use of guests so that they can make a weekend of their visit to the area. Call 603-823-5542 or 800-473-5299 for more information.

The history of the Franconia Inn is a story set against the larger events of American history when the North Country was an agrarian society. Shortly after the incorporation of the town of Franconia in 1772, Zebedee Applebee acquired the property upon which the Franconia Inn now stands and erected a homestead. President Jefferson was, at that time, contemplating the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, and the Lewis and Clark expedition into the West was about to get underway. Twelve years after it was built, the homestead would hold the first of an unbroken line of Town Meetings. Though undocumented, several generations lived at the Applebee site. We do know that subsequent owners, Mr. & Mrs. Zara Thayer, worked the land as a farm and then sold it for a modest price to Mr. Henry Spooner in 1865.

Meanwhile, General Lee had surrendered at Appomattox and though the nation's agony subsided, the war had managed to invade the very center of Franconia life. Cannons used in the struggle were made at the Franconia Foundry which later reverted to the production of peaceful goods such as the famous Franconia stoves, kettles, and nails. As America turned toward relaxation, a tradition was born. Mr. & Mrs. Spooner took in 'summer boarders' as did most other valley farmers. Each farmer/host had a private wagon with which to pick up guests at the Littleton railroad station, 9 miles to the north. These wagons also shuttled people so they could enjoy the beautiful scenery. Each June through mid-October, a steady flow of guests arrived and through the years Mr. Spooner and his son prospered. The automotive age augured well for tourism in the North Country. When Henry Spooner died, Edward and Gladys Mckenzie purchased the property. Their tradition of graciousness and hospitality drew not only the summer boarders but also the first mobile tourists. Despite the Depression, the popularity of Mckenzie's grew. The lovely farm-cum-inn was filled with charming old furnishings, but in January 1934, catastrophe struck. On a dreadfully cold night, a biting thirty-five below zero, Mckenzie's was consumed by fire. A new structure designed as a Country Inn was then built, and now it has grown to proudly welcome guests from all around the world!
In 1981 the Morris family acquired the Franconia Inn as their fourth vacation resort. Third generation innkeepers, Proprietors Richard and Alec Morris, have enjoyed a long-standing, solid reputation for their excellence in hospitality, and their remarkably high standards of quality.