More details about the Inn
- The inn is among the oldest in North Carolina’s mountains. Construction began in 1905 and was completed in 1908.
- Modeled after the Saratoga Inn in New York, the Balsam Mountain Inn features neo-classical architecture.
- The three-story building has 46,000+ square feet and 225 windows.
- A hallmark is our 100-foot, two-tier porch offering splendid views of the Balsams.
- The inn was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in July 1982.
- Several native woods were used in construction, including poplar, hemlock and chestnut.
- The 10-foot wide hallways, designed to accommodate huge steamer trunks of guests arriving by rail, are now filled with art and crafts of more than 75 local artists.
- Period furnishings are used throughout the inn, including wicker in the lobby and guest rooms, antique iron beds and original dining room furniture.
- Victorian trim accents the inn’s interior. Almost 900 gallons of paint were used during the inn’s restoration, which began in October 1990.
- A modern sprinkler system was installed as part of the inn’s restoration.
- The 23 acres on which the inn is situated is marked by seven springs, sparking it’s former name, Balsam Mountain Springs Hotel.
- The land’s elevation exceeds 3,500 feet. Several short trails fan out into the surrounding forest. A wide variety of wildflowers grow along the trails.
- The Inn’s 157 hot-water radiators were a gift from Western Carolina University, contingent upon the inn removing more than 200 from a dormitory under renovation.
- The inn’s library contains more than 2,000 titles, including fiction, non-fiction and regional works.
- Currently there are 50 guest rooms & suites, each with private bath and each very different.
- The inn and it’s restaurant – both accessible to the handicapped – are open year round. The restaurant serves dinner seven days a week for both guests and outside customers. Lunch is served on Sundays.
- A variety of songwriters and musicians now perform on a monthly basis.
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