Brisbane House: Add'l Rooms, Historic Stone House

Entire home in Arena, Wisconsin

  1. 10 guests
  2. 5 bedrooms
  3. 7 beds
  4. 2 baths
Hosted by Samantha
  1. Superhost
  2. 14 years hosting

Listing highlights

Top 10% of homes

This home is highly ranked based on ratings, reviews, and reliability.

Self check-in

Check yourself in with the lockbox.

Unbeatable location

100% of guests in the past year gave this location a 5-star rating.
Featured in Madison Magazine, this twice award-wining stone house and summer kitchen accommodates up to 10 guests! Enjoy this gem of a historic home on 18 acres. Lovingly restored, it's about inclusivity, great comfort, beautiful scenery, extraordinary style. Built in 1868 by an abolitionist from South Carolina, we've restored it so you can enjoy your down time, celebrate with friends, family, and feel emboldened by the spirit of Brisbane to create positive change in the world!

The space
This extraordinary house, listed on the Wisconsin State and National Registers for Historic Places, has been fully restored in 2021. We can't wait to host you here! Stay at this twice award-wining country stone house (2022 Preservation Award from the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation and the 2023 Board of Curators Restoration Award from the WI State Historical Society). We invite you to follow our adventures in restoration on IG and FB.

The Brisbane House is a blend of modern comfort and historic appointments. As it was built over 150 years ago by an abolitionist from South Carolina, we're honoring his legacy by showcasing original contemporary art by nationally-known Black artists. William Henry Brisbane was outspoken in the cause of human rights. Come here to celebrate, appreciate, and recharge. Let the spirit of Brisbane's courage inspire you!

There's plenty of room for ten altogether. The main house sleeps six. There is a new full kitchen and living room on the first floor. On the second floor, there is one bedroom (queen bed), a full bathroom, and a den. On the third floor, there are two bedrooms (one queen, two XL twins). It's a tall, skinny house so the stairs are steep! The HVAC system is newly configured and is very comfortable. Great "work-worthy" wifi, too. We just added a gas fireplace in the living room to make the winter months extra festive!

The "summer kitchen" sleeps four more. It's attached to the main house by a connector that also has a full bathroom in it. The summer kitchen is not actually a kitchen, it's a gorgeous new bedroom (queen bed) surrounded by windows. This is all on the main level. Above this bedroom is a loft. A loft ladder leads to two more beds (XL twin) and a sitting area upstairs. Go gather up ten of you and come and stay!

During the summer, there is a three night minimum on weekends. Please inquire if this really will not work for you.

There are several restaurants within 10 miles either west to Spring Green or east to Mazomanie. Madison is a 35 minute drive to the east. If traveling through Madison to arrive at your destination, note there's a terrific local grocery store, the Willy Street Co-op, on your way out. We've got a great house manual with restaurant recommendations. We can send it to you ahead of time.

Soaps and cleaning products are either unscented or contain organic essential oils. We don't use synthetic fragrances or fabric softeners. Environmentally friendlier bath towels are "quick dry." Most sheets are of organic cotton. We participate in Alliant Energy's "rush hour" to conserve energy during the warmer months.

Explore the 18 acres around the house. There is a small fire pit in the yard with plenty of firewood (feel free to gather dry kindling from the woods or grab some from a designated box in the garage). There's a gas grill in the garage for your use. There is a pine barrens and trails in the hills leading all the way up to the top of Rattlesnake Ridge, a restored prairie. Maps are in the house. Dogs (additional $100 fee) can be off leash on the property BUT MUST BE ON A LEASH if walking down the gravel road. No dogs on Rattlesnake Ridge (on neighboring properties and please pick up after your dog). In the winter, help yourself to the snowshoes in the garage.

Guest access
The drive to the Brisbane house is through some beautiful farm land. Once you arrive, you can park in the two-car garage or in the driveway. There's a lockbox on the front (east) door. Enjoy the house and grounds.

Other things to note
Bringing a dog/s? Please disclose and respect no dogs on neighboring properties. Interior stairs to the second and third floors of the main house are a bit steep. The loft ladder in the summer kitchen is just that--a loft ladder. As the property has been recently restored, we'd advise against bare feet in the yard just around the house as there may be small stray construction debris--but the property is enormous so lots of room to play and explore! Our plumbing is serviced by a septic field system that can't take grease or coffee grounds down the drains or anything but TP down the toilets. Please respect the speed limits on the roads as others are enjoying country life, too! Thank you for treating this historic gem kindly!

Where you’ll sleep

1 of 3 pages

What this place offers

Valley view
Kitchen
Wifi
Dedicated workspace
Free parking on premises

Select check-in date

Add your travel dates for exact pricing

Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 23 reviews.

Guest favorite
This home is in the top 10% of eligible listings based on ratings, reviews, and reliability

Overall rating

  1. 5 stars, 100% of reviews
  2. 4 stars, 0% of reviews
  3. 3 stars, 0% of reviews
  4. 2 stars, 0% of reviews
  5. 1 stars, 0% of reviews

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for cleanliness

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for accuracy

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for check-in

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for communication

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for location

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for value

Guest reviews mention

Where you’ll be

Arena, Wisconsin, United States
This listing's location is verified and the exact location will be provided after booking.

Neighborhood highlights

Beautiful farmland and forest surrounding our property and 18 acres for you to explore. There are paths for walking and hiking and a grove of pine trees. Bring a hammock and put it up someplace! Dogs can be off-leash on our property but must be leashed or are not allowed in some areas due to sensitive nesting habitats. Signs are posted so you'll know. The Wisconsin River is five miles away and there are other world class trout streams great for fishing nearby. In the winter there's lots of cross-country skiing in state and county parks as well as ski resorts nearby.

Meet your host

Superhost
588 reviews
4.96 out of 5 average rating
14 years of hosting
Born in the 60s
My work: Arts Administration
I can't live without travel and cooking and eating great, local food. I love all things Italian and I play tennis and pond hockey. I'm a native Wisconsinite (so that means I love up north, too). Bruce loves the ocean and mountains, having grown up in Southern California. I run a chamber music festival and Bruce is a visual artist. We LOVE Airbnb and welcome you to our home. We can give you advice OR space! LGBTQ and BIPOC embraced.

Samantha is a Superhost

Superhosts are experienced, highly rated hosts who are committed to providing great stays for guests.

Host details

Response rate: 100%
Responds within an hour
To help protect your payment, always use Airbnb to send money and communicate with hosts.

Things to know

Cancellation policy
House rules
Check-in after 3:00 PM
Checkout before 12:00 PM
10 guests maximum
Safety & property
Exterior security cameras on property
Carbon monoxide alarm
Smoke alarm