The INN
The vibe
Though “bed and breakfast” might conjure images of lacy old Victorian mansions and delicate antiques, The Birdhouse Inn certainly isn’t that. We’re casual, cozy, and eclectic - part forest farm, part hilltop lodge with an eco-minded sensibility. You won’t find flat-screen TVs or whirlpool tubs, but a two-story library, an assortment of puzzles and board games, and beautiful winding hiking trails will keep you entertained.
We offer self check-in starting at 3 pm, and your resident innkeepers are available in person or by text give you the scoop on the very best the Spring Green area has to offer. You’ll find a well-stocked coffee and tea selection available around the clock, freshly made baked goods and fruit waiting for you on weekday mornings, and a delicious farm-to-table breakfast served at 9 am every Saturday and Sunday. We’re constantly thinking of ways to reduce our carbon footprint and responsibly manage this little piece of paradise. Come visit!
the inn
From our hillside perch, our unique multi-level home welcomes you to the Driftless Area. Come enjoy our two huge stone fireplaces, solarium, and an incredible, expansive western view over the Wisconsin River Valley. In our efforts to bring you a true taste of the region, we’re collaborating with several nearby farms to bring you a breakfast as fresh and local as you can get. If that weren’t enough, we’re less than two miles from both the American Players Theatre and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin studio estate (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and five miles from downtown Spring Green. The Birdhouse Inn is your perfect retreat or launching pad for a long weekend away.
The farm
Hazel Hill Farm is in a transition period from its original form as a diversified market farm on rented land to a perennial-focused forest farm with longer-term goals.
Hazel Hill Farm started in nearby Avoca growing vegetables, heritage breed pork, eggs, heirloom garlic, mushrooms, and handmade old-fashioned soap to sell at local farmers markets. When we moved to Arena in 2019, we brought our pigs, hens, and mushroom logs with us and continued to sell at the Spring Green Farmers Market. The pandemic threw a wrench in many of our plans, including the feasibility of small-scale pork production for local markets (long story involving butchers and feed prices).
On the same day we dropped the last load of pigs off at a friend’s farm a few miles up the road, we picked up a few goats to serve as a brush clearing crew (and keep Bogey the guardian dog employed and living his best life!). They spend the green months chomping down on invasive honeysuckle and poison ivy in the woods, using electric netting for targeted grazing. After repeated grazings and a little help from loppers or a chainsaw, the understory is open enough to re-establish native species or establish a planting of edible perennials. Most of our efforts will take several years from seed to harvest, but we look forward to incorporating the eventual fruits of our labor into delicious breakfasts.
In early fall 2018, we first set eyes on what would later become the much anticipated new permanent site of Hazel Hill Farm and the home of The Birdhouse Inn. That winter was for scheming, planning, sketches, spreadsheets, inspections, meetings, and at long last a closing in May 2019. Then, the real work began…
We dismantled, moved, and are rebuilding Hazel Hill Farm. (No small feat!) We also set about fixing and furnishing the house that had once been a family’s home but which had waited, vacant, for almost 10 years for its next life and owners (us).
We have been steadily making our way through the needed repairs and improvements - some more visible than others. Our priorities for the Inn are your safety and comfort, which have driven our project planning. The large westward deck was completely dismantled and will be under construction and inaccessible to guests until at least fall 2026. The southern porch and all the balconies are rebuilt and sound, and offer you plenty of access to the landscape. You will of course also see farm equipment, supplies, and livestock on the grounds, as we are a working farm.
the beginning
Accessibility & Stairs
The Birdhouse Inn, due to its one-of-a-kind design and ridgetop location is regrettably not wheelchair accessible. The bedrooms and the common areas are elevated from the parking level, and you must climb a flight of at least 12 exterior steps to enter the building. Two of our rooms, which make up the Solarium Suite, have private exterior entrances, and they share a small interior stair of 6 steps to the main level, while the Treehouse Suite is accessed by a flight of interior stairs from the main floor. We recognize that the staircases may present a physical challenge or barrier to our prospective guests with mobility impairments, and we urge you to take this into account when deciding to book your stay. We have installed automatic lighting for gentle illumination of these stairs at night, and all stairways have handrails for your comfort and safety.
If you have any questions about our house or if you’d like to inquire about specific accommodations, please reach out to us and we’ll be happy to answer to the best of our abilities.