GEHLEN HOUSE INN AND BARN
Experience your heritage
We are proud to partner with the Gehlen House Inn and Barn in St. Donatus, Iowa, one of the most impressive Luxembourgish historic sites in the United States.
Go Back in time
Nestled in the rolling hills of northeast Iowa 20 minutes south of Dubuque, the Gehlen House Inn, listed on the National Register of Historical Places, offers year-round accommodations for a unique getaway or an experience of life in an authentic Luxembourgish stone house.
The Gehlen House was established in 1848 by Peter Gehlen, an immigrant from Olm, Luxembourg, and a founder of St. Donatus. The house is built from native limestone and over the years it served travelers and the local community as a post office, road-side tavern and a doll museum. The Gehlen House was restored in the 1990s under the guidance of Luxembourg’s Services of Sites and Monuments.
In its current capacity, the Gehlen House offers six private bedrooms, a shared living room, kitchen and upper deck. There is also a separate one-bedroom apartment with private access..
The old stone Gehlen Barn behind the inn is home to Beer in the Barn Brewery, open April through December, serves beers brewed on site, along with other local craft beer and wine. The Barn and outdoor pavilion host local and traveling musicians. The Gehlen Barn hosts events such as Oktoberfest, craft fairs and trivia events.
Kevin said the Gehlen House and Barn offers the authentic experience of being in a traditional Luxembourgish stone house and barn.
“I’ve stayed at the Gehlen House numerous times, and it feels like being transported back in time to our ancestral land.”
Peter Gehlen,
a founder of St. Donatus
