Latest News From Thornton House in Lansing Iowa
Thornton House was built in 1873 on the gentle slope of Mt. Hosmer, our city park.. drive or walk up and you will get to enjoy this spectacular overlook:
Whether you come for a retreat or other gathering or just by yourself or with your other half, you are within an easy walk of The Mt. Hosmer Park (with fantastic vistas of two states), The Mississippi as well as all of historic Lansing's downtown stores and 5 restaurants!
We invite you to come to Thornton House and enjoy your stay in elegant yet casual surroundings with large, comfortable rooms. In fact, we designed the layout of the B&B specifically with guest privacy in mind as the innkeepers quarters are on site but on a totally separate level from the guest rooms and common spaces. Some pictures of the common spaces are shown below. We also have another 'meeting room' complete with tables, wifi, outlets and bright lighting for just about any need.
In the morning, enjoy a full sized help yourself breakfast served daily by the owner and innkeeper between 8:00am-9:30am before you plan your day fishing, cruising the Mississippi, hiking, sightseeing or shopping. Our spacious, fully decorated guests rooms with queen-sized beds also offer a basket of shampoos, conditioners, soaps and even a sewing kit in each bathroom and many rooms also include TV's with cable, couches or sitting chairs. Complimentary Wi-Fi is also available. We also offer a double room suite with private bathroom with room for four- all at very reasonable rates.
What is in our help-yourself buffet style breakfast?
At the Thornton House Bed and Breakfast, what we call a 'help-yourself breakfast' consists of a main dish such as a spiral cut ham with brown sugar and sherry glaze or stuffed french toast in addition to rich croissants and butter with gourmet jam (We make our own), danish, muffins, sausage or bacon and fresh fruit. We also offer a selection of cereals and oatmeal and for a beverage, you can choose from orange juice or apple juice, tea, coffee and our own blend of rich cocoa . Nobody goes away hungry!
We are known for our great 'small batch' private label home made jams- flavors like Four Sisters Jam (which is our version of a 4 berry jam) and our house favorite 'Apricot with Vanilla Bean Jam' all of which are rich in flavor as we do not thin our jams with water and corn syrup as is done with many grocery store jams. In all, we make approximately 10 different types of jams in our 'Thornton House Reserve' line which we also serve to guests in the morning.
The innkeeper is also known for his hand carved Santas which are available in the gift shop as well as online. The Santas range in sizes from 6" to one foot tall and make perfect one-of-a-kind gifts for discerning collectors. We have a few in the collection listed for sale here .
Thornton House on the Upper Mississippi River Calls You Back
The Thornton House's luxurious 4800 square feet (3200 square feet on 2 main levels for guests with lower portion with a private entrance owner-occupied) invite you to stretch out and relax in grand style. An inviting open staircase leads to distinctively decorated bedrooms offering views of the beautifully landscaped yard or the Mississippi River valley. So go ahead- light a fire in the living room's marble fireplace. Dine in a large formal dining room. Step through time into the adjoining parlor and out onto the verandah to sit under the shade of the towering Tamarack pine planted by early settlers and experience the elegance and charm Thornton House offers today.
Where eagles soar...
You'll
find plenty to do in the scenic bluff area that surrounds Lansing Iowa. Lansing
Iowa and the surrounding Mississippi River valley provides an abundance of
water sports, hunting and fishing. Bald eagles are frequently seen soaring
over the Mississippi backwaters. And Lansing Iowa's Mount Hosmer summit provides
breathtaking views of Horseshoe Island, the Wisconsin bluffs and the Mississippi
waterway. Take a side jaunt to Effigy Mounds, Pike's Peak, historic McGregor
or visit the quaint area shops. The more adventurous will find gambling, golfing,
cross country and downhill skiing just over a half hour away.
