Brookside Inn and Retreat Center, Aurora West Virginia

Come, enjoy the clear, cool mountain air and prepare to be pampered in the timeless tradition of an Allegheny Mountain lodge where relaxation, pleasant conversation and good food are paramount.

Originally part of a 19th Century resort complex, Brookside Inn & Retreat Center is a unique early Arts and Crafts, shingle-style building and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The first floor great room features golden oak wainscoting and a coffered ceiling. A wood stove takes the chill off the cool mountain evenings and a grand front porch wraps the house. The second floor also features a great room surrounded by the guest rooms. All guest rooms feature large windows, comfortable furnishings and have private baths.

Meals at Brookside are intended to be unrushed and simple yet distinctive. Well prepared and often created with local, organic produce, the menus are seasonal and planned daily. All accommodations include a full breakfast. A private dinner can be arranged for a group of 6 or more with advance reservations. With prior arrangements, boxed lunches can be prepared for picnics and accommodations can be made to meet specific dietary needs.

Coming in the spring of 2009, a fully equipped small private lounge, opened in the evening and available only to Inn guests, may be easily accessed from the interior or from the porch. Wine, beer and soft drinks will be available.

There is so much to keep you entertained, you will return again and again…

From the peaks and ridges to the valleys through which our untamed rivers flow, the Allegheny Mountain highlands of West Virginia remain one of the east’s paramount four-season vacation areas. Directly across the road from Brookside is one of the best kept secrets in West Virginia – Cathedral State Park, a National Landmark old growth forest of virgin hemlock, rhododendrons and mountain streams. Rural but not isolated, Aurora is located equal-distance between Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County, MD and Canaan Valley in Tucker County, WV. About an hour’s drive will have you in Morgantown, Elkins or the Ohiopyle area of Pennsylvania.

Our ridge tops are breathtaking when fall colors reach their peak in late September or early October and native rhododendron light up the forests from early to mid July. Antique shops, weekend parades and festivals abound. Enjoy local cultural activities including live theater and music, fine crafts and exhibitions. Or, research your family’s history at local genealogy centers. Be alone with your daydreams on one of Brookside’s front porch rockers or in the hammock hidden in the lilac grove. For those cooler days, bundle up with a good book in an easy chair or curl up in front of the wood stove. Then, to shake out the kinks, you can take another stroll through Cathedral State Park.

To help you plan your professional, educational or wellness retreat or your family reunion we are able to provide wireless internet connection, a business center, a fully developed three meal menu, meeting spaces and reservations for activities such as guided tours, white water rafting and hiking. A TV is available with a DVD player. In addition to the use of the first floor great room, lounge and porch, the second floor has a large central parlor that can be easily converted for a conference space.

The intimacy of Brookside and the special attention to details and menus makes the Inn a distinctive place to hold your wedding and/or reception. We can accommodate up 16 for a seated dinner and up to 50 for a reception.

Please call for details and information about our group rates.