Waldo Emerson Inn
 a Romantic Bed & Breakfast

Kennebunk/Kennebunkport, Maine
 The Oldest remaining house in Kennebunk and home of Mainely Quilts
(877) 521-8776 or (207) 985-4250

Waldo Emerson Inn

108 Summer Street (Route 35)
Kennebunk, ME  04043
Toll Free (877) 521-8776
or (207) 985-4250

"Just wanted to thank you for our lovely stay at your beautiful inn.  Your hospitality was exceptional..."

Inn's Special

Pairing Palates and Palettes, June 3-7, 2009. 5th Annual Arts In the Inns Festival

For details of this annual event go to www.artsintheinns.com.  Tickets for exclusive events like the Grand Tasting and Twilight Soiree will be available at the inn.

$375.00 - Two nights at the Inn, early Friday check-in, with a full three-course gourmet breakfast each morning, Saturday night dinner (for two) included. Tour the participating inns (12) and meet the artists on Saturday and Sunday with afternoon tea.

Kennebunkport named 2nd most exciting Christmas City of the year by House and Garden

Click here to View the Details

Just for you, The BEST resource for the New England Classical Music, Opera and Dance enthusiast

Classical Voice of New England

Waldo Emerson Inn is a colonial style inn listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

A restored shipbuilders manse located next to the Kennebunk river with all the latest amenities including working fireplaces for a relaxing romantic getaway. Let us pamper you with our terrific Dutch breakfast and afternoon tea in the Inn's historic parlor or in the shade of our large oak trees. 

Take A Video Tour Of The Inn

The Inn is the oldest remaining house in Kennebunk and has had several famous owners.

The original Dutch gambrel was constructed by one Waldo Emerson in 1753. Waldo, great-uncle of Ralph Waldo Emerson, the poet/essayist, made a tidy profit building clipper ships on the river behind the house. 

It was inherited through marriage by Theodore Lyman, who made a fortune building ships on the site and added the enormous addition in 1784 as a wedding gift for his second wife.

"Many thanks for your hospitality.  It is a shame that we only had a short time to stay in such a beautiful guest house."

Spring flowers anyone? The most refreshing time of the year

Spring is in the air – tulips and daffodils are coming through and next will be the rhododendrons and forsythias - spring is great for those quiet walks in the woods and on the beach followed by some nice hot chocolate next to the Inn's warm fireplace 

See our Spring Specials

Theodore Lyman sold the home in 1804, to build the now-famous Lyman Estate and Greenhouses in Waltham, Mass. The house was purchased by John Bourne, father of 15 children, one of whom was George Washington Bourne, the builder of the famous Wedding Cake House next door. When George moved out with his new bride in 1826, he sold the home to his brother-in-law, Henry Kingsbury, and it remained in the Kingsbury family until 1979. George and Henry teamed up to form the Bourne Kingsbury Shipyard. They ran a West India goods store and built 33 vessels behind the house between 1820 and 1850.
Waldo Emerson Inn is a wonderful recollection of the past. You enter directly into the 255-year-old keeping room with its hand-hewn oak timbers hung with dried flowers, pewter, and copper. 

The Inn offers four guest rooms each with handmade quilts, antiques, working fireplaces and private baths with heated marble tiled floors. During your stay, please stop by Mainely Quilts located in the carriage house next to the Inn.

“A very relaxing time and wonderful hosts.. ..” Frank and Jody. 

"Thank you for all your hospitality - you made us feel very welcome and we had a great time...the inn is very beautiful and we will recommend it to all of our friends."

"Thank you for a very warm and friendly place to stay, away from home.  Your hospitality will always bring fond memories of our trip to Kennebunk and to Maine.  We have all returned home safely and will again plan to visit our new friends in Kennebunk." Jonathan, Kelly, Virginia and Trudy

"We had a great time, great food, and great company... we will be sure to return."

The guests' parlor is a spacious, comfortable room with sofas and wing chairs. You're welcome to kick back and relax with a good book in front of the fire, watch cable TV, or enjoy a game of chess. Complimentary coffee, tea, soft drinks, and snacks are available.

"Thank you so much for such a wonderful experience. The food was outstanding and the hospitality, superior!" The  Kellys

"What a marvelous retreat here in Kennebunk!  We thoroughly enjoyed the leafy-green quiet and lovely quaintness of your inn."
The breakfast room is unchanged since it was built the year that George Washington was inaugurated, with a handsome fireplace used every morning during the autumn and winter months. The signatures in the windowpanes were scratched with diamond rings by many of the inhabitants who lived here between 1800 and 1850. A massive oak table seats all of our guests for a bountiful, three-course gourmet breakfast served between 8:30 and 9:30 each morning with the menu changing daily.
"What a marvelous retreat here in Kennebunk!  We thoroughly enjoyed the leafy-green quiet and lovely quaintness of your inn."
The Waldo Emerson is truly a four-season inn. In spring, the inn and the town are abloom with tulips and daffodils. The air is brisk, the shops and restaurants are open, and the crowds are light. In summer, flowers abound in the inn's gardens. We are just moments from the beach with parking permits and chairs provided. There are dozens of excellent restaurants nearby. In autumn, the Kennebunks put on a spectacular show of fall colors followed by lots of winter activities nearby. Enjoy a mug of fresh-pressed apple cider beside a roaring fire in the parlor.

"Thank you for a lovely stay in Kennebunk and your fine Inn. Your hospitality was superb and we award you five stars for your delicious three course healthy breakfasts." Fondly Annie and Tony

The Inn has complementary Wi-Fi access and all rooms are wired for cable - LCD TVs are available upon request at a minor fee.

We offer plenty of free - parking, beach parking passes, bikes and high speed (wireless) web access from all rooms.

Copyright © 2004 Waldo Emerson Inn Bed & Breakfast
Website Design by: AfterFive by Design, Inc.
Last Modified: 05/27/2009

"Doctor" Nicole, you are the best!!