Welcome to Milford Schoolhouse Stays!
Our beloved 'Story Suite' has been affectionately named after the county we've called 'home' since coming to ISU in 2007. This large suite boasts a king-sized bed, sitting/living area, small dining area, kitchenette, and a beautiful bathroom. Note the small details that remain from Milford's Schoolhouse days...chalkboards, staircase railings, original wood floors, the school bell...as well as many unique design elements incorporated by the previous owners.
The space
The Milford Schoolhouse, Iowa's beloved 'Prairie Castle,' is located just two minutes off I-35, and 10 minutes from Downtown Ames; Iowa State's campus; and Duff Avenue restaurants. This incredible piece of history has been transformed into a beautiful residence, with spacious guest suites available to the public on the second floor. Surrounded by Iowa cornfields, this quiet country school combines art and architecture for a unique Airbnb experience.
The Milford Township Consolidated School was built in 1923 and children began attending in the fall of 1924. The original structure excluded the gym addition, which was built in the 50's. Milford was an operating school, in some capacity, until the 90's when Nevada further consolidated and there wasn't a use for the historic country school.
The school building + property were sold in the 90's and unfortunately fell into disrepair (pictures of this can be found in the Jensen Conference Room). It wasn't until 2007, new owners bought the school with a renewed sense of vision for what it could be...a piece of history brought back to life with a lovely third-floor residence; second floor space for suites, a conference room, a modest ballroom; and a basement with space for whatever an imagination could conjure up (it's previously been used as a working woodshop, pottery studio, drawing room, etc.).
Milford School was finished in 2012 and finally became home to to the family who spent five years renovating. Milford quickly became 'the talk of the town' and was showcased to the community in 2012 during the Ames Christmas Tour of Homes...it was during this tour the current owners fell in love with the idea of owning a historic school, but couldn't imagine when/how/why it could ever happen.
...and then, Milford came up for sale in the fall of 2023 and the rest is history! New owners with a love of hospitality now reside on the third floor, opening the second floor to suite guests and small groups who need a space to gather.
Milford is a beautiful mix of art and architecture...history and modern design elements...unique in every way. Come experience it for yourself!
Guest access
Please park in the parking spaces provided to the right/east side of the school, and enter through the coded main/front doors.
Guests will receive a unique door code to access the property at 3pm, for the duration of your stay.
Guests will find your suite key on the nightstand, please just return this key to the nightstand upon checkout.
Doors lock between the hours of 10pm and 7am, guests will need your door code during those hours.
As this is our first month hosting guests at Milford, you will have the entire second floor to yourself during your stay. Please be respectful of our quiet hours (10pm-7am), and treat the space with care.
Other things to note
Our outdoor space is available for guests to explore and enjoy...we love walks on the gravel road; soccer games on the lawn; rocking on the front porch; and fire-pitting in the fall. We'd love for you to take advantage of these outdoor activities during your stay!
Suite guests are also welcome to our complimentary coffee bar; collection of DVD's + games; secluded work space in the conference room; and use of the full kitchen. A pool table, foosball table, and small air hockey table are all available to suite guests in our 'Game Room,' as well.
In the spring and fall, we occasionally host tractor hayrides for our guests. If you're interested in this, please make sure to ask about it at the time of booking. Tractor hayrides are only available upon request and as our schedule permits.
If you'd like to rent the larger spaces for actual events, please contact me directly via phone or email to go about doing that!
This listing says its capacity is '2 guests' but we also offer two twin-sized rollaway beds, as well as ample space inside the suite for travel cribs, Slumber Pods, or even a queen-sized air mattress (though we're only able to provide the rollaway beds at this time). The full-sized couch could also sleep another guest, sheets for sleeping on the couch are available upon request.
