Ashley-Drake Historic Inn & Garden

It feels like coming home....

This charming historic home is a comfortable refuge from the modern world. The place is tastefully decorated with period pieces but is totally in pretentious. The rooms are wonderful and spotless. The beds smell good.

The owner is a delightful soul who smiles constantly and laughs frequently. She has a habit of baking cookies as her guests arrive.

This is a perfect escape for a happy couple or for a family mini retreat. If you have business in town, especially at Franklin College, this is the best place to stay.

This is a great place to spend the night. The couple Craig and Kim Smith that runs it is highly accommodating and friendly. My wife and I had a chance opportunity to spend the night there while she was attending a conference. I found it clean and the rooms were decorated nicely with period furniture. It is an awesome B&B and if you are ever in Franklin Indiana you should check it out.

We were walking down the recently and beautifully re-paved thoroughfare of Jefferson Street today and took note of this bed and breakfast. The outside of the house looks to be in great need of major repairs and/or refurbishing. To be even more honest, the garden area in front is in horrific shape and in need of serious tending. If one can get past the outer first impression, we're sure the interior is as nice as the other reviews attest. Perhaps the owner could look into applying for a grant through the Franklin Re-development Commission to help finance some fixing up outside. Another possibility would be to contact the Franklin Beautification Committee or Johnson County Garden Club to inquire if they would be willing to tackle the garden area as a pro bono project.

My husband and I had a wonderful stay here to celebrate Valentine's Day and our "babymoon." It's a very cozy B&B with lots of unique antiques to entertain the eye. :) The family that owns it is very hospitable and eager to please guests.

We booked the dinner & a movie package, which included a gift certificate to a local restaurant of our choice and a pair of movie passes to the historic Artcraft theater in downtown Franklin. We ended up not going to the movie as planned because after we checked in, we just felt so cozy & at home that we decided we needed to take afternoon naps instead! :)

There are several different rooms to choose from at the Inn and you can select which one best fits your needs by viewing photos/reading descriptions online. Or just ask Kim, the owner, for tips. We stayed in the Heritage room and found it to be very spacious and comfy and every other room looked equally nice. In the evening, we enjoyed one of the two media rooms available and snuggled up to watch some TV. The inn offers a DVD library and a variety of board games as well.

Our breakfast was fantastic. I had waffles with strawberry topping, bacon, eggs and a fruit plate. My husband had a Western omelet, sausage, hash browns and toast. The servings were generously sized and freshly prepared. We loved the fact that there so many options to choose from for breakfast. You can check out their menu online.

We would definitely stay here again and will recommend it to family & friends! If you're considering a visit in the winter, it is really cozy inside, but if you go in the spring, summer or fall, you could enjoy the gardens in the back...everything was totally frozen when we went but it looks like it would be gorgeous when plants are in bloom!

The Ashley-Drake Historic Inn and Gardens is perfect in every way. The bedrooms are exquisitely furnished in 4 fun themes, there are plenty of rooms to relax in: the front room, the library, the video room, the back sitting room... They have games, books, videos, magazines- all for your use as a guest. Each morning they provide you with a phenomenal breakfast made to your specifications, when you choose it. I highly recommend coming here; this will always be our first choice!!

I purchased a gift certificate for a one-night stay here for my elderly grandparents. Having recently moved to Franklin, I wanted them to be able to come visit for the weekend (they live about 3 hours north) and have a comfortable stay without me having to rush out and buy guestroom furniture for my house. Kim (Owner/Innkeeper) was super helpful and beyond accommodating throughout the entire experience. This was my grandparents' first experience at a bed and breakfast, and they were, to put it mildly, a little skeptical ("Wait, so we actually stay in a room in someone's house?!"). However, as soon as they met Kim and toured the Inn, they were put completely at ease. She met us at the door, helped us in with their things, and proceeded to make everyone feel truly at home.

She and her family (Ashley and Drake are the middle names of the couple's two children) restored a beautiful historic home across from the Franklin College campus, and seem to have found the perfect balance between incorporating modern amenities and preserving historic charm and character. While my grandparents stayed in the first-floor "Liberty Room," Kim showed us the other rooms, as well, each with its own unique theme. All of the rooms were meticulously kept (this coming from a total clean freak) and spotlessly clean. The common rooms showcased lots of antiques, as well as books and informational materials about the history of the area, and of the house.

My grandparents said they had a full, peaceful night's rest, and were absolutely blown away by what awaited them the next morning! The breakfast menu (yes, there is literally an entire menu) is extensive, with options ranging from healthy to hearty, sweet to savory, and everything in between. Kim insisted that both my sister and I come back to the Inn the next morning to join my grandparents for breakfast. I couldn't believe the quality and of the breakfast, with everything being made fresh and from scratch. The whole family helped to serve us, and we finished with happy, full bellies and even with several to-go boxes!

Speaking with my grandparents a week or so after their stay, I let them know I wanted to leave a review for the Ashley-Drake Historic Inn & Garden, and asked them if they wanted me to say anything in particular. They said that even though they weren't staying at my house, they felt as if they were still staying with family at the Ashley-Drake. They are already planning a return visit, which is huge considering their initial fears about B&B's! My only regret is that the gardens were still frozen over from the winter, but I'm planning to send more family here over the summer and can't wait to see it all in bloom.

Julie and I lucked into a cancelation this past weekend and couldn't have been more pleased and satisfied with our weekend at the Ashley Drake! We arrived as guests and left feeling like old friends. Even the other guests we met made us feel welcome and at home. Where else can you have a cooked to order breakfast and spend hours chatting with folks you've just met. Kim and her family truly put their heart and souls into creating a home, not just a place to stay for the night. I felt like I was in a movie set in some forgotten time where people enjoyed meeting new people! If you have the opportunity, you must plan a visit!