Iron Horse Hotel

We had a great time booking the whole place for our wedding party, especially for the great price. The building is beautiful and full of things to look at, and communication was fantastic. Everything worked out really well.

There’s plenty to browse along the strip, including boutiques and an antique shop, though on Sunday the town gets very quiet and the shops are closed. There’s also a small diner, but it’s closed that day too. The place used to serve dinner before COVID shut that down. The town inspired the creators of Red Dead Redemption 2 and appears in the game with a little storyline, which I thought was interesting. The stay was well worth it. The rooms are all decorated differently, and each has a claw-foot tub. Ground-floor rooms are available. There aren’t TVs, fridges, or microwaves in the rooms, but an upstairs lobby has those things. I was surprised by how much traffic there was for such a small railroad town.

There’s plenty to do nearby if you want a little outing: Blackwater and Arrow Rock are both good for local jaunts, and Arrow Rock State Historic Site is close by for anyone interested in history. But Iron Horse Hotel is a place to slow down and stay in. I enjoyed the guest lounge with coffee or tea, the second-floor deck in warm weather, and just curling up for another nap. You can sit in an antique chair with a novel too. The accommodations are relaxing and made for low-key downtime. It’s a special historic place, and the staff, management, and owners take good care of it. KUDOS!

The property is fabulous, and even though we checked in remotely and never saw staff that evening or the next morning, we felt welcome. My husband and I arrived late and had pizza from a gas station about 10 miles away, plus a couple of beers, in the peaceful, beautiful back courtyard. It would be a lovely spot for a wedding. The restored historic hotel is beautiful, and Blackwater is charming. Food options seem sparse, at least on a weeknight, so plan ahead.