Sleep in Class at a School House Inn

No homework or lesson plans. No uniforms and definitely no detention. These historic school houses have been converted into inns that invite casual relaxation in an unconventional setting. 

You can sip wine in the principal’s office, but please don’t smoke in the bathroom. Reminisce about childhood games while playing hangman on a chalkboard in your room at The Davie School Inn. Cafeteria food never tasted as good as the cuisine you’ll find in the pubs of McMenamins Kennedy School and Old St. Francis School. You’re allowed to sleep in class at the School House Inn and The Roosevelt Inn. Don’t worry; there won’t be any tests during your vacation. Just sit back, relax, and read a book (only if you want to). 

Gym class and even recess may have been a bore, but now you can relax in your en-suite whirlpool tub at The Davie School Inn. This Anna, Illinois, inn was a public school until 1996. The innkeepers restored and remodeled the building to include modern conveniences paired with original hardwood floors that saw 86 years of students. You’ll never be late for class, so stay in your pajamas and enjoy breakfast in bed.

Celebrate J.R.R. Tolkien, Beverly Cleary, or another favorite writer in an author-themed room at McMenamins Kennedy School. Twenty-two new rooms open in December 2012. The walls of this historic Portland, Oregon, elementary school are covered in original artwork and historic photographs. Troublemakers and teacher’s pets are both welcome in the Detention Bar or Honors Bar. The inn also has a restaurant, brewery, movie theater, soaking pool, and gift shop.

Uniforms are not required at McMenamins Old St. Francis School in Bend, Oregon. The first parochial school in Central Oregon is now an inn with a pub, brewery, bakery, movie theater, and event space. Admire the handcrafted mosaic mural of St. Francis while soaking in the semi-enclosed saltwater pool. Sleep comfortably in an old classroom or one of the four rental cottages. You don’t have to wait for show-and-tell day; pets are always welcome at this inn.

Study your favorite subject in the Reading, Music, or Arithmetic Room at The School House Inn. The historic inn was built in the early 1900s when Bisbee, Arizona, was a Wild West mining town. History and architecture buffs can review the original blueprints in the stairway. If snack time was your favorite part of the school day, you’ll be glad to know that tea, coffee, cocoa, and popcorn are available any time. Fodor’s Choice has given multiple awards to this four-star bed and breakfast.

The owner of The Roosevelt Inn liked his Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, school so much that he returned years later to open it as a bed and breakfast. Originally a four-room school house, the inn is now an elegant brick building. A two-course breakfast is served each morning in the mural-painted dining room. Spend the evening soaking in the hot tub or gazing at the lights of downtown as they reflect across the lake. This five-story inn has a handicap room and elevator.