Public tours are now available at the historic Spring Park Inn in Travelers Rest.
Mark Garrison, president of the Travelers Rest Historical Society, said the Spring Park Inn is a cultural and education destination that offers a rare window into the past. The 19th-century inn and residence sits along the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail at 301 Old Buncombe Road.
According to the Travelers Rest Historical Society, the Spring Park Inn was built in the 1820s as a private residence. It was converted into an inn and later expanded in 1850. The Travelers Rest Historical Society spent the last several years restoring the inn to its late 19th- and early 20th-century appearance.
Read more about the Spring Park Inn
Those visiting the preserved Spring Park Inn can learn about its original residents and historical significance in Travelers Rest. Nell Anderson Gibson was the house’s final owner who donated the land and building to the Travelers Rest Historical Society in 2020.
Public tours of Spring Park Inn are held Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with scheduled guided tours at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Visitors can also explore the inn’s free public exhibit rooms featuring authentic furnishings and artifacts Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Through these tours, we hope to connect visitors with the stories, structures and spirit that shaped Travelers Rest,” Garrison said.
Visitors can purchased tickets for the guided tours online or on-site at the Spring Park Inn. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for students ages seven to 17. For group tours and educational field trips, contact Deanna Houston at events@travelersresthistoricalsociety.org or 864-483-8554.
