Staying at the Beard and Lady Inn is like stepping back in time. Surrounded by the Ozarks, this 130+ year old building was restored in 2020 keeping its historic charm. There are 11 guest rooms themed around a human fear or experience, a dining hall, kitchen, mercantile store, and convention hall with stage. It sits in the peaceful town of Chester, AR across from the blue water of Clear Creek, minutes from Lake Fort Smith, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, a passenger train ride and UTV trails.
The inn has 11 cozy private rooms upstairs which are furnished in antique décor. The rooms include one suite with its own private bathroom and a large second suite with a kitchenette. All rooms have shared access to 8 toilets (6 upstairs and 2 down) and 6 showers. Downstairs is a dining hall, kitchen, mercantile store, convention hall with stage, outdoor patio, stream with two bridges, and outdoor patios.
The booking includes access for up to 24 guests. These guests can access the 11 rooms, up to 8 baths, the dining hall, and patios. The dining hall is approximately 1300 square feet and can accommodate up to 75 guests. The dining hall is included for use in this booking, but it is an additional fee if an event will be held with more individuals using the space beyond the guests staying.
The Convention Hall is a 2,200 sq. ft. space that includes the 700 sq. ft. apothecary shop/mercantile store. The convention hall with stage, sound equipment, and projector with screen is an additional fee. The mercantile styled apothecary shop is where you’ll find Beard and Lady goods, our own line of apothecary-inspired personal care and grooming products, as well as handmade products made by local artisans. The apothecary store can be accessed by guests when open.
The convention hall provides 1,500 sq. ft. of space to host weddings, events, and conferences. A 10X12 foot stage is included with speakers, subwoofer, microphones, and a Yamaha 16MGXU 16-channel mixer that can facilitate speaking and small musical performances. The hall is lined with original wooden merchandise shelving shipped by rail from St. Louis in 1887 and has hard wood floors. The room is lit with vintage style lighting and has twenty windows for additional natural lighting. The hall has three entrances, the front door opens through the apothecary shop, the side door was the original saloon door, and the back door opens directly to the back covered bridge and rock bridge. The saloon door makes an excellent bridal entrance and a wedding party can take wonderful pictures at the bridges.
The inn is famous among locals, travelers, and Hollywood directors for its supernatural past, endurance through disaster, and history of American railroad grit.
* Beware! You might be challenged with the task of writing a post card or letter and sending it.
The inn is in Chester, Arkansas which is located along the A&M railroad between Fort Smith and Fayetteville, AR right off I-49 and not far from I-40. The inn is walkable to Chester Country Café, a community park, Clear Creek, and Chester Cemetery. The Beard and Lady mercantile store and apothecary are connected to the inn and can be visiting during opening hours. Book the conventional hall and stage with projector, screen, and sound equipment for your event. Reserve the dining hall and kitchen for a private dining experience for your event.
UTVs and Side by Sides can ride 6 miles from the inn to the Buckhorn OHV Trail to ride side by sides in the Ozark National Forest where there are creek crossings, rocks to climb over, lots of mud, occasional waterfalls, swimming holes, and many picnic opportunities. Parking is in the front and east side of the building. Tickets for the A&M passenger train excursion can be purchased on A&M Railroad’s website ahead of time. The hotel can be opened with an electronic key code as well as the individual rooms. Fishing can be done at Clear Creek, hunting in the Ozark National Forest as well as bird hunting at Quail Mountain Hunting Preserve is on the adjacent mountain.
Is it haunted?
"Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. And lo, no one was there." This quote was carved into a mantle of another historic Inn. I first read it the night that my husband proposed to me. I have learned and lived by this. When fear creeps up and knocks I muster all my courage, sometimes I really am still really scared however I have found that when I simply open the door by faith darkness and fear are dispelled. This has taught me so many lessons but one big one is that we are haunted by many things all kinds of things. We are terrified of what someone may say about us on the internet, the opinions of our neighbors, taking in the stranger, we worry about our children or evening having children, and then we worry about growing old and our children growing older- the list goes on. These fears are not a physical monster on the other side of the wall or walking down the hall, but they are ideas that we let hide in our minds that we allow to keep us keep us scared.
Here at the Beard and Lady we have decorated our rooms inspired by fears we have faced or are overcoming. We ask each guest to join us bravely. One of the ways I have faced my own fear is simply by saying it out loud, writing it down or even confessing to a friend. While you stay, we ask that depending on your room you would dive into the full experience with us. Each room will have a writing prompt and stamps. Please be prepared for our ask of sending a letter or post card. Sounds scary right? Are you ready to be totally freaked out?....... Leave your phone at the door and face your inner fears.
