Inspiration House: cozy haunted retreat

Superhost

Entire home hosted by Elyria

7 guests
4 bedrooms
4 beds
3 baths

Dedicated workspace

A private room with wifi that’s well-suited for working.

Self check-in

Check yourself in with the keypad.

Elyria is a Superhost

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Come nourish your spirit at Inspiration House! Located in a quiet neighborhood blocks from town, you're walking distance to everything Oberlin.

Inspiration House features four comfortable bedrooms, a luxurious library, a clawfoot tub, a well-stocked kitchen… and ghosts!

Featured on Netflix's Amazing Vacation Rentals, Inspiration House is home to a uniquely cozy haunting. Michelle Belanger (Portals to Hell, Paranormal State) confirms it: the ghosts, mostly past residents, are friendly.

The space
Built in the 1870s, Inspiration House was acquired in 2018 by Michelle Belanger, a paranormal researcher featured on shows including Paranormal State and Portals to Hell, and author of over 35 books (fiction and non-fiction). Michelle confirms that the ghostly residents of Inspiration House are friendly!

Inspiration House has been lovingly maintained over the last 150+ years, but please note that it is a very old house. We put many hours into cleaning before each visit, but with old ductwork and old seams, there's always a little dust around, and we get occasional conventions of ladybugs around the stairs. We take health and safety very seriously, so we never use cleaning agents (inside or outside) that are toxic to living creatures, and all laundry is washed with scent-free and allergen-free detergent. Our pandemic precautions include extra disinfecting wipe-downs, and completing cleaning at least 24 hours before your arrival.

If you're most comfortable sleeping in a spotless, modern place with clean right angles and bright lighting in every corner, we highly recommend staying at the new Hotel at Oberlin just a few blocks away! But if you're looking for that authentic, cozy, unique experience of a hand-built small-town house, and you don't mind low lighting in the rooms where overhead lights were never installed, Inspiration House is right for you.

Time permitting, Michelle offers public classes at Inspiration House on psychic development, sharing tools that help attendees understand and learn to harness their subtle perceptions. Recordings of those classes and many more are available online at MichelleBelanger (dot) com.

Whether you visit to investigate Inspiration House's haunting or to visit Oberlin College, our mission is to provide a space that renews and inspires you. Over the past few years, we've worked to create a restful space that encourages connection with self, family, and friends. There are no TVs onsite at Inspiration House, but there are plenty of ways for you to connect with the people you travel with, including board games, spirit communication prompts, practice decks of Psychic Aptitude Cards designed by Michelle, and more.

We use Inspiration House as a personal creative retreat, and we love sharing our home away from home with travelers from all walks of life. We’re excited to share Inspiration House with you!

Where you'll sleep

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What this place offers

Garden view

Park view

Kitchen

Wifi – 19 Mbps

Dedicated workspace

Free parking on premises

EV charger

Central air conditioning

Window AC unit

Bathtub

Security cameras on property

Accessibility features

This info was provided by the Host and reviewed by Airbnb.

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Guests

1 guest

4.93 out of 5 stars from 105 reviews

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Where you’ll be

Oberlin, Ohio, United States

Our neighborhood is a quiet one, about 4 blocks from the center of charming Oberlin, Ohio. We're right across the street from a community park and rail trail that's great for walking, bicycling, and jogging. The local CVS and a fast food joint are just a block away, but we strongly recommend trying out some of Oberlin's downtown restaurants - they're delicious! Cleveland is just 25 minutes away.

Hosted by Elyria

Joined in July 2013

225 Reviews
Identity verified
Superhost

I'm an artist with an adventurous streak that occasionally turns practical! I got into hosting with AirBnB almost ten years ago, and I absolutely love it. I've hosted in four states now, and met people from all over the world.

My current listings are all in Oberlin, Ohio, and they're part of a wonderful project my partner and I call Inspiration House. This 1870s brick home is walking distance to downtown. Staying there feels like stepping into another era.

Inspiration House serves as retreat space for folks who need a screen-free getaway to reconnect with their creativity — or their traveling companions. It's also home to a cozy haunting, and occasionally serves as a space where my partner, Michelle Belanger, offers classes and workshops on psychic development, energy work, spirit communication, and more. (All of Michelle’s teaching is online right (Email hidden by Airbnb) - including an amazing community of paranormal enthusiasts - check it out, you’ll have a great time!)

My life goal is to help create a more sustainable society, where people and the planet thrive and are enriched together. I love that AirBnB helps move us closer to that world, by using spaces more efficiently -- not to mention making traveling more affordable and more fun! I also love getting outdoors, and I'm happy to share nearby adventure spots with you -- not to mention a great selection of Oberlin restaurants like 1833 and the Feve!

If you have any questions about Oberlin, the house, or the area before or during your stay, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to give you a hand!

I look forward to hosting you at Inspiration House, or the Creator’s Suite.

Happy trails!
Elyria

I'm an artist with an adventurous streak that occasionally turns practical! I got into hosting with AirBnB almost ten years ago, and I absolutely love it. I've hosted in four state…

During your stay

I'm generally available between noon and midnight if you have any questions, or if anything isn't working around the house. I always do my best to reply as promptly as I can -- when I'm traveling, I know how much those quick replies can give me peace of mind.

There's always a chance, especially if you're sensitive, that you might interact with our ghostly residents. Guests have reported hearing footsteps, murmured voices, and music; several have seen full-bodied apparitions, and it’s common for the music boxes in the home to play by themselves. Over its 150-year history, at least four people have died in Inspiration House (all of natural causes), and they appear reluctant to leave the home that they loved so deeply in life. Check the black binder in the parlors for some of the history we've been able to find about Inspiration House and its residents!

I'm generally available between noon and midnight if you have any questions, or if anything isn't working around the house. I always do my best to reply as promptly as I can -- whe…