The Origin of the Bed & Breakfast

mooreacorrigan
Mar 18
1 min read

Curiosity #3

Reposted from Substack March 18, 2025

This past weekend, I scheduled myself a little writing getaway in Estes Park. The idea was to book a cute bed and breakfast, spend the days popping between coffee shops, and getting a ton of work done. Did I find out a few days before I left that the famous (and infamously busy) "Frozen Dead Guy Days1" were taking place that weekend? Yes. Shockingly, downtown Estes was not as busy as I expected, so I was able to stick by my plans.

Much of my writing was done in front of the adorable freestanding fireplace in my cabin, which got me thinking…what is the origin of the bed and breakfast?

My cute fireplace companion at Romantic Riversong Inn

My hypothesis was that they originated out of traditional inns and taverns, but it seems that the classic B&B was invented in the “wild west” 1800s as accommodation for traveling miners and pioneers2 on their way across the Rockies. As time went on, they were a cheaper option compared to local inns and hotels, and then reemerged in popularity in the later half of the 21st century3.