Built in 1867 by Civil War veteran Charles Cushing, Minnesota's oldest continuously operating hotel sits along the St. Croix River with named spirits including Margaret, a boy in old-fashioned breeches, and former innkeeper Eric Erickson
3291 St Croix Trl S, Afton, MN 55001
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Room rates vary by season; fine dining restaurant on premises with separate pricing
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic frame hotel; spiral staircase crafted by Eric Erickson is a feature of the building
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1867 · Oldest continuously operating hotel in Minnesota · National Register of Historic Places (1985) · Earliest surviving workingman's hotel above Point Douglass
Charles Cushing returned from the Civil War and built a hotel in the river town of Afton in 1867, targeting the growing traffic of railroad workers, lumbermen, and travelers passing through Washington County along the St. Croix River corridor. The building is a timber-frame structure that has been modified over more than 150 years but retains much of its original character.
The inn is recognized as the oldest continuously operating hotel in Minnesota and, more specifically, as the earliest surviving example of a modest workingman's hotel above Point Douglass — the confluence of the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
In 1907, Mary Pennington acquired the property and ran it for years, hosting fried chicken dinners that became a local institution. The Jarvis family later purchased the inn, with the current owner Dan Jarvis continuing operations. A notable interior feature is the spiral staircase crafted by former innkeeper Eric Erickson, along with other woodwork he produced during his tenure. The inn includes a fine-dining restaurant that has its own following independent of the lodging operation.
Sources
The Afton House Inn's haunted reputation has been covered by FOX 9 Minneapolis, KSTP, and several regional publications. The inn does not market itself aggressively as a paranormal destination but management has acknowledged ongoing reports from staff and guests.
Three named entities are commonly cited. The first is Margaret, a woman whose name appears consistently in accounts but whose historical identity — when she lived, what her connection to the building was — has not been established in available documentation. The second is a young boy described in breeches consistent with late nineteenth or early twentieth century clothing, seen in corridors and stairwell areas. The third is Eric Erickson, called 'The Builder' by staff, who served as innkeeper and left a tangible legacy in the spiral staircase and woodwork that remain in the inn.
FOX 9 documented staff accounts including forks repeatedly found turned at unoccupied dining tables, furniture moved in Room 23 with a bed pushed against a wall, and a framed photograph of the old inn found shattered across a room with no visible cause. Guests have reported a baby crying in hallways at night. A psychic engaged by the inn reportedly identified the presence of 'a man named Charlie' in the hallway — possibly a reference to founder Charles Cushing, though that connection is speculative.
The scent of phantom tobacco and cold spots are reported throughout the building, particularly near the staircase.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
The Afton House Inn offers rooms and suites in Minnesota's oldest operating hotel, along the St. Croix River. Room 23 and hallways have drawn the most paranormal accounts. The inn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and retains original woodwork including the spiral staircase built by former innkeeper Eric Erickson.
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