Napa Valley, California
Historic Inns & B&Bs in Napa Valley
Seven historic inns at either end of the valley: Victorian B&Bs and a riverside mill in Napa, and Sam Brannan’s hot-springs town of Calistoga.
The short answer
Stay in Napa for the most restaurants and tasting rooms within walking distance and the shortest drive from SFO and Oakland, or in Calistoga for a small hot-springs town at the north end. In Napa, book Churchill Manor, banker Edward Churchill’s 1889 mansion, or the Napa River Inn in an 1884 riverside warehouse. In Calistoga, the Brannan Cottage Inn is the last of Sam Brannan’s 1860s resort cottages on its original site. Most inns park you for free, and you’ll want a car for wineries.
Our top picks
Best overall
Churchill Manor
Built 1889
Banker Edward Churchill's 1889 mansion on Brown Street, which the inn says was the first Napa Valley home on the National Register.
Best small inn
The Francis House
Built 1886
James Francis's 1886 stone Second Empire house, later the Calistoga Hospital, empty for 52 years and reopened in 2018 as a seven-room…
Oldest
Brannan Cottage Inn
Built 1860
One of 14 guest cottages from Calistoga founder Sam Brannan's hot-springs resort, and the last, the operator says, still on its original…
Most haunted
Napa River Inn
Built 1884
Captain Albert Hatt's 1884 brick warehouse on the Napa River, later the Napa Mill; the rooms fill the original warehouse.
Compare them side by side
| Inn | Area | Built | Rooms | Type | Price | Haunted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brannan Cottage Inn | Calistoga | 1860 | – | Inn | – | Rates | |
| Napa River Inn | Downtown Napa | 1884 | – | Boutique hotel | – | Yes | Rates |
| The Francis House | Calistoga | 1886 | 7 | B&B | – | Rates | |
| Churchill Manor | Napa | 1889 | – | B&B | – | Rates | |
| Hennessey Estate | Napa | 1889 | 10 | B&B | – | Rates | |
| Cedar Gables Inn | Napa | 1891 | – | B&B | – | Rates | |
| Mount View Hotel | Calistoga | 1919 | – | Boutique hotel | – | Rates |
Price is a typical nightly rate: $ under $200, $$ $200–349, $$$ $350–549, $$$$ $550+. Rates vary by season; check the inn for exact prices.
Where they are
The neighborhoods
Where to stay, by area
Downtown Napa and the riverfront
Downtown is built around bends of the Napa River, from Jefferson Street to the Oxbow Public Market, with restaurants, tasting rooms and 19th-century landmarks like the 1879 Napa Valley Opera House. The Napa River Inn fills the 1884 Hatt Building of the old Napa Mill.
Napa’s historic residential districts
Victorian streets at the edge of downtown, including the Napa Abajo-Fuller Park Historic District, listed on the National Register in 1997. Churchill Manor and Cedar Gables Inn, built by Edward Churchill for himself and his son, stand back to back here, and Hennessey Estate is on north Main Street.
Calistoga
The small town at the valley’s north tip, known since the 1860s for hot springs and mud baths, founded by Sam Brannan around his resort. The Mount View Hotel is on Lincoln Avenue, the main street, and the Brannan Cottage Inn and The Francis House are a short walk away.
Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail
The valley floor between Napa and Calistoga is about 35 miles long and no more than 5 miles wide, with Highway 29 on the west side and the quieter Silverado Trail on the east. None of the verified historic inns is out among the vineyards.
The inns
Built 1860 · Classical Revival cottage · Calistoga · Inn
Brannan Cottage Inn
Why stay One of 14 guest cottages from Calistoga founder Sam Brannan's hot-springs resort, and the last, the operator says, still on its original site.
Built 1884 · Victorian brick industrial · Downtown Napa · Boutique hotel
Napa River Inn
Why stay Captain Albert Hatt's 1884 brick warehouse on the Napa River, later the Napa Mill; the rooms fill the original warehouse.
The ghost story According to hotel staff and past guests, as reported by Historic Hotels of America, Captain Albert Hatt's son Albert Jr. and his wife Margaret still roam the halls of the old mill. The friendly sightings range from a woman in a white dress and doors that move on their own to the sound of footsteps and the swish of a heavy dress.
Built 1886 · Second Empire (stone) · Calistoga · B&B
The Francis House
Why stay James Francis's 1886 stone Second Empire house, later the Calistoga Hospital, empty for 52 years and reopened in 2018 as a seven-room B&B.
Built 1889 · Second Empire with Colonial Revival remodel · Napa · B&B
Churchill Manor
Why stay Banker Edward Churchill's 1889 mansion on Brown Street, which the inn says was the first Napa Valley home on the National Register.
Built 1889 · Stick/Eastlake (Queen Anne) · Napa · B&B
Hennessey Estate
Why stay Dr. Edwin Hennessey's 1889 Stick-Eastlake house on Main Street: ten rooms, free parking and breakfast under the original tin ceiling.
Good to know Breakfast: included · Parking: on-site free · No pets
Built 1891 · Napa · B&B
Cedar Gables Inn
Why stay Built in 1891 by banker Edward Churchill as a wedding gift for his son, directly behind his own Churchill Manor in Napa's Abajo-Fuller Park district.
Built 1919 · Mission/Spanish Revival · Calistoga · Boutique hotel
Mount View Hotel
Why stay John Ghisolfo's 1919 concrete hotel on Lincoln Avenue, built across from the 1868 railroad depot and a walk from Calistoga's hot-springs spas.
No inns match that filter.
Before you book
Planning your stay
Getting around
Downtown Napa is about 50 miles north of San Francisco: SFO is 58 miles away and Oakland 51, and Sonoma County Airport is about 30 minutes from Calistoga. Vine’s Route 10 bus links Napa and Calistoga via Yountville and St. Helena for $2, but most visitors drive, and popular tasting rooms need reservations.
Parking
Most inns park guests for free: the Napa River Inn, Hennessey Estate and Churchill Manor have lots, and the Brannan Cottage Inn has a free guest lot in Calistoga. Downtown Napa’s city garages are free for three hours most days, and Calistoga’s Lincoln Avenue has free 3-hour street parking. The Mount View Hotel relies on street parking.
When to go
Harvest, from late summer through fall, is peak season, and the vineyard leaves turn around November. BottleRock Napa Valley fills the Napa Valley Expo over Memorial Day weekend (May 28 to 30, 2027), when rooms book fast. Winter is rainy, and wild mustard blooms between the vines from January to March.
Accessibility
All Vine buses are wheelchair accessible. The Napa River Inn has rooms with roll-in showers, Churchill Manor lists a first-floor room, Cedar Gables lists an accessible king room, and the Brannan Cottage Inn is wheelchair accessible.
Before you book
Expect minimum stays on holidays, peak weekends and BottleRock, and adult-oriented policies: The Francis House takes no children under 16, and Cedar Gables says it isn’t suitable for children under 12. Cancellation windows run from about 72 hours at the Napa River Inn to 7 days at the Brannan Cottage Inn and 14 at Cedar Gables.
Things to do
Wine country tours in Napa Valley
Tours are sold by GetYourGuide and run by local operators. If you book one through these links, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Ratings and prices are GetYourGuide’s.
Questions travelers ask
What is the oldest inn in Napa Valley?
The Brannan Cottage Inn in Calistoga: its operator says the cottage was built in 1860 for Sam Brannan’s hot-springs resort and is the last of its cottages still on its original site. In Napa, the Napa River Inn occupies the 1884 Hatt Building.
Is it better to stay in Napa or Calistoga?
Stay in Napa for the most restaurants and tasting rooms within walking distance and the shortest drive from the airports; stay in Calistoga for a small, walkable hot-springs town at the north end. The valley is only about 35 miles long, so either works as a base.
Where do you park at a historic inn in Napa Valley?
Usually at the inn, for free. Downtown Napa’s city garages are free for three hours most days, and Calistoga’s Lincoln Avenue has free 3-hour street parking.
Does Napa Valley have historic bed and breakfasts?
Yes: Churchill Manor (1889) and Cedar Gables Inn (1891) near downtown Napa, Hennessey Estate, a 10-room B&B in an 1889 house, and The Francis House in Calistoga, an 1886 stone house that reopened as a B&B in 2018.
Do you need a car in Napa Valley?
Not to get around downtown Napa or Calistoga, but most visitors use one for wineries. Vine’s Route 10 bus links the two towns for $2, and tastings usually need reservations.
Keep exploring
How we chose these inns
Every place on this page is at least 50 years old, holds a credential we can check (National Register listing, a listed historic district, landmark status, or Historic Hotels of America membership), and takes bookings today. We verify each one against primary sources before it goes on the list, and last checked this list in October 2026. Read our criteria.
Planning details on this page (parking, transport, seasons and events) come from: brannanhotels.com, churchillmanor.com, en.wikipedia.org, hennesseyestate.com, napariverinn.com, napavalleyregister.com, npgallery.nps.gov, vinetransit.com, bottlerocknapavalley.com, cedargablesinn.com, cityofnapa.org, historichotels.org, mountviewhotel.com, thefrancishouse.com, visitnapavalley.com.
Sources (16)
- Brannan Cottage Inn: brannanhotels.com
- Brannan Cottage Inn: npgallery.nps.gov
- Brannan Cottage Inn: brannanhotels.com
- Napa River Inn: npgallery.nps.gov
- Napa River Inn: www.historichotels.org
- Napa River Inn: www.historichotels.org
- The Francis House: www.thefrancishouse.com
- The Francis House: npgallery.nps.gov
- Cedar Gables Inn: churchillmanor.com
- Churchill Manor: npgallery.nps.gov
- Churchill Manor: churchillmanor.com
- Hennessey Estate: npgallery.nps.gov
- Hennessey Estate: hennesseyestate.com
- Cedar Gables Inn: npgallery.nps.gov
- Cedar Gables Inn: www.tripadvisor.com.au
- Mount View Hotel: npgallery.nps.gov
Some links on this site may earn us a commission at no cost to you. It never decides which inns we include. Disclosure.