Romantic Inn Located in the Heart of Historic Independence

In 1919, future president Harry S. Truman and his wife settled into a white two-story home on 219 Delaware Street in Independence, Missouri. Truman’s grandfather built the house in the late 1800s, when the town was a popular frontier outpost. With its clapboard siding and charming crimson shutters, the Woodstock Inn Bed and Breakfast blends in with the historic district’s classic-looking homes, including Truman’s former residence just a few blocks away.

Pam French, Woodstock’s cheerful innkeeper, aims for old-fashioned hospitality. She bakes chocolate-chip cookies for guests, who can sip tea in the common area or play parlor games in the library. In the morning, you’ll be treated to a full hot breakfast—french toast, sausage, omelets, fresh fruit, and coffee are served on the roomy french trestle table in the dining room.

Each European-style superior queen room at Woodstock Inn Bed and Breakfast features dramatically different decor that plays on subtle themes. For instance, the Scottish room comes decked out in linens and curtains bearing the crisscrossed pattern of traditional Scottish tartan. There’s a romantic feel in the lacy Victorian room, which has floral wallpaper and gauzy white curtains.

Independence, Missouri: Oregon Trail History near Kansas City

The city of Independence, situated five miles east of Kansas City, was the defined starting point of the Oregon Trail. The frontier city boomed as its businesses outfitted pioneers for their journey west in the mid-19th century. Independence Square, a half mile from Woodstock Inn Bed and Breakfast, was a meeting place for groups getting ready to head out on the trail as well as for streetwise software programmers hoping to adapt the experience into a computer game. Today, restored storefronts dot the square, including several top-notch restaurants and a soda fountain where Harry S. Truman once worked.

Artifacts and journals from settlers heading west are on display at the National Frontier Trails Museum. At some of the exhibits, visitors can listen to recordings of voice actors who bring the stories of the pioneers to life. The inn is also situated about six miles from the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium, and for abundant shopping and dining, guests can take a short drive to downtown Kansas City.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.