Guests love our restored 1920s heart-pine bungalow in the heart of southeast Georgia. The Inn's atmosphere is that of casual elegance -- decorated with an eclectic mixture of antiques, oriental, and modern furnishings. This delightful Inn is comfortable and inviting, a place where one can totally relax. Enjoy the library, the common living area, or the solitude of your room. Relax on our sunny deck or on our shaded grand verandah furnished with wicker, rockers, and a relaxing, spacious hot tub.

For the romantic, couples wishing to elope can get married in a day. The Sarah Jane English Garden Room is a favorite for honeymoons, anniversaries and for those who appreciate the finest in accommodations.

The Inn at Folkston is ideal for the pleasure or business traveler who appreciates the warm, friendly hospitality of a bed and breakfast and the security of a private home. The Inn offers four distinct, comfortable guest rooms with feather beds, private baths, luxurious robes, fresh flowers and central heat and air. A full breakfast and afternoon refreshments are served.

Because the innkeepers want families to enjoy the Okefenokee, children of all ages are welcome in the company of parents who are thoughtful of the innkeepers' goal of offering a peaceful and tranquil environment for all guests. Check with the innkeepers to see if they can accommodate your family.

Location, Location, Location

If you are driving through Georgia for business or pleasure, The Inn at Folkston is a perfect stopover. Folkston is just a 20-minute drive from I-95 (Exit 3) and for travelers on I-75, Folkston is easily accessed from Tifton and Valdosta in Georgia, or I-10 in north Florida.

The Inn at Folkston is a short distance from major destinations such as Savannah, Charleston, Jacksonville, St. Augustine and other locations in the southeast U.S. The Inn is a perfect stopover when traveling to or from south Florida -- for instance, Miami, Naples, Ft. Lauderdale, or The Everglades. For those wanting to travel shorter distances, The Inn at Folkston is only 3 hours from Orlando and 4 hours from Tampa/St. Petersburg.

From The Inn at Folkston, visitors can explore the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, only a ten-minute drive from the Inn. Folkston is an ideal home base for day-long trips to experience other nature-based recreational opportunities in south Georgia, from canoeing and kayaking on our rivers and coastal shorelines to visiting Georgia's coastal islands, including Cumberland Island and Jekyll Island, and other cultural, historical and recreational sites.

Folkston is a Mecca for train watchers who gather at the Folkston Funnel Train Viewing Platform or the Historic Train Depot. Folkston's Mr. Cookie Williams and The Train Viewing Platform have been featured on NPR, in magazines like Southern Living, and in many newspapers. In spring of 2006 Folkston and the Folkston Funnel were highlighted by Turner South Network's Blue Ribbon Georgia Getaways, and by CBS Sunday Morning.

Inn guests will find numerous other activities offered in the area, including sporting clays, local and regional golfing, Jacksonville Jaguars football, and famous artist performances at Jacksonville's theaters and stadiums. Roller coaster enthusiasts will want to ride "Swamp Thing", the newest addition to Wild Adventures theme park in Valdosta, Georgia.

The Inn

The Inn is an example of the bungalow style of homes built in the early 20th century. The bungalow was said to have originated in India as a cooling rest stop for weary travelers. Adapted by the British, this long, low building with a wide verandah found its way to Britain and then to North America. The Inn is a classic example of the first floor plan of many bungalows, sleeping rooms on one side of a long hallway and family rooms on the other. The Inn had five bedrooms on the left as you entered the house and living, dining, and kitchen rooms to the right of the hallway. This floor plan used the long hallway as a funnel to move fresh air from the front door through the house and out the back door. The original plan of the house followed this plan, although it has been modified over the years by additions and changes.

Guests are always amazed at the size of the Inn's interior --it looks deceptively small from the exterior. Inside, the space seems to expand, going on and on down a long, winding hallway to the Inn's final bedrooms at the back of the structure.

The wide verandah of the Inn is a typical bungalow porch, with deep overhanging eaves and high walls. The size of bungalow porches, usually across an entire facade, made them perfect to shade one side of the house. Because these porches were usually long and wide, the entire family could use them. Tables and chairs were set up for eating, card and board games. The broad steps were the perfect spot for children to bounce a ball. Although the bungalow was the last American house type to offer the large front porch, we are lucky enough at The Inn at Folkston to have a wonderful version of this marvelous design. In addition to rockers and wicker, the Inn's verandah has a more modern amenity, a six-person hot tub for guests to enjoy.

Guests find the verandah and the surrounding two acres of Inn property are excellent places to bird watch (Folkston is a designated bird sanctuary). Numerous sitting areas are situated around the Inn to read, relax, or bird watch. Try the deck for a sunny spot, or a relaxing chair or bench in the shade of the garden. The herb garden beside the deck provides fresh herbs for breakfast.

The Inn at Folkston has an elegant yet relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. The common living areas are decorated with antiques and collectibles that Janis and previous Innkeepers acquired both in the U.S. and abroad, including a collection of Persian carpets which adorn the heart-pine floors throughout the Inn.

The living and dining rooms have gas-log fireplaces, and there is an extensive library of books in the dining room and each guest room. The living room provides a TV/VCR for guests' enjoyment, including train videos and videos of the Okefenokee Swamp to view prior to a visit to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Additionally, abundant reading materials are available, including periodicals of varied interest and information on Georgia and local attractions. Guests can enjoy such books as Walking the Wetlands, A Hiker's Guide to Common Plants and Animals of Marshes, Bogs, and Swamps, Touring the Coastal Georgia Backroads, Exploring the Okefenokee, Letters from the Expeditions in 1875, Native Trees of Georgia, and many other choices.

In the hallway, guests will find a hospitality room providing snacks, cold drinks, a small refrigerator in which to store items, and a butler pantry with incidentals they may have forgotten.

Each of the spacious four guest rooms is uniquely decorated with an individual theme:

Folkston Funnel RR Room is newly redecorated with local railroad theme artwork. This room has been designed with the guest in mind who uses a wheelchair or has mobility limitations. There is ample space for wheelchair maneuverability in both the bedroom and bath. The bath has extra bars for stability and a barrier-free shower.

Lighthouse Room is a nautical room with a collection of lighthouse pictures and memorabilia, a private porch and entrance, as well as a secluded patio.

English Garden Room, with wonderful views of the Inn's two acres of land, has decor reminisent of an old English country inn. Doubling as our honeymoon suite, it features a bridal theme complimented with luxurious European linens, a gas log fireplace, and a two-person whirlpool hideaway.

International Family Room, a cool charcoal gray, white and vibrant red room highlighted with brass, copper and decorative fabrics from the Middle East, is light and airy and has extensive garden views.

Two bedrooms have gas log fireplaces. All of the Inn's bedrooms come complete with such amenities as clock radios, ceiling fans, central air, luxurious robes embroidered with the Inn's logo, hair dryers, dishes of candy, and bottles of spring water. You will find ample reading lights, including bedside lamps and easy chairs and rockers with floor or table lamps. Ample space is provided for storing guest's personal belongings. The Inn's hosts have tried to anticipate their guest's every need.  Janis and Bill welcome you to come and visit their beautifully restored and decorated Inn -- and Stop and Shop awhile in Folkston.

To help you discover Folkston's hidden treasures, pick up a copy of Folkston Then and Now, a self-guided walking tour of Folkston, from the Inn's Gift Shop. You will surely enjoy the friendly, small town atmosphere and the hospitality of the citizens of Folkston. Stop by Whistlin-Dixie Custom Framing & Unique Gifts and you'll get to meet Folkston's energetic former Mayor Dixie McGurn, at her new store. She greets residents and visitors alike with the friendliest smile this side of the St. Marys River, or ask to see the Clora Lee Roddenberry's quilt collection at Folkston Furniture.

Back at the Inn, Janis will have prepared a fit and healthy breakfast to fortify you for the day. Janis' meals always begin with good coffee and a hearty serving of seasonal fresh fruit, followed by one of her specialties, such as  Egg & Artichoke with 4 Cheeses served in individual ramekins, Waffles with Maple Fruit Compote, or delicious Omelets. Janis can accommodate most types of dietary requirements or restrictions. We promise you will not go away hungry.

The Inn at Folkston is featured in Best Recipes from American Country Inns & Bed & Breakfasts by Kitty and Lucian Maynard, Rutledge Hill Press, Nashville, 2004. The Inn at Folkston is one of nine Georgia bed and breakfasts having recipes from their Inn included in the cookbook. If you would like to order a copy of the cookbook, call the innkeeper.

Janis and Bill are members of the Okefenokee Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Nature-Based Tourism Association and the Georgia Wildlife Federation, and the Sierra Club to name a few.

Thanks to Robert Schweitzer, Eastern Michigan University, for his article "The Bungalow in Summer" on the web from which some of this information about the bungalow was obtained.