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Welcome to the Circle S Ranch and Country Inn. The history of the inn started many years ago and has become part of the local landscape. We are happy to have you here to share a part of Midwest heritage with us. |
The Ranch was originally homesteaded as an 80-acre tract purchased from a railroad company in the 1860's. It has been owned, expanded and operated by cowgirl/innkeeper Mary Cronemeyer's family through five generations. Today the ranch encompasses more than 1,200 acres, including tall grass prairies and picturesque stands of timber. It is home to small herds of bison, longhorns, Herefords and Angus cattle, as well as indigenous wildlife.
Chapters of its rich history are told in long-abandoned stone foundations, rock fences, hand dug ponds, an apricot tree planted by Mary's grandmother and a schoolhouse built in the 1870s which was attended by three generations of Mary's family.
The country inn opened in May 1998 as a romantic bed and breakfast, corporate retreat and destination-dining establishment. In 2001 we were selected as one of the 12 most romantic bed and breakfasts in the United States by bedandbreakfast.com. And in 2002 we were named one of the top 10 destinations for business travelers by Arrington's Bed and Breakfast Journal.
Designed to resemble a Kansas barn and homestead, the 11,000 square-foot inn allows visitors to experience the once-vast tall grass prairie that extended from the Mississippi to the Rockies, Canada to Mexico. The inn was built by Mary's husband, Jack, a fifth generation Kansas carpenter, who used many traditional construction methods. For example, the eight-person hot tub, which is housed in the Inn's silo, was constructed of 2x4's, authentically replicating the way Jack's grandfather, Will Cronemeyer, built Kansas silos in the early 1900's. |
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The Great Room, otherwise reminiscent of a cozy mountain lodge, reflects touches of the ranch's life - boots, duster and sweat-stained cowboy hat belonging to Mary's Uncle Millard and a show saddle from the 1950's decorate the inn. Stained glass belonging to her Aunt Marty is incorporated in transoms on the second floor. More of the intertwined histories of the ranch and the Kansas prairie are reflected both factually and whimsically in the Party Barn.
The 3,000 square foot Party Barn is a refreshingly different venue for a wide variety of functions. Architecturally, it complements the country inn's rustic, weathered-barn exterior. Inside the air conditioned and heated reception area is appointed with spacious old style plaster walls, and with a 24'x30' covered entrance and adjacent cabana. Urban buckaroos may test their horseback riding skills on a 1950's era grocery store horse - for 10 cents a ride.
When you are trekking across our 1,200 acres, you may discover our "line shack," traditionally a retreat from the weather for cowboys out checking fence. Or perhaps you'll come across our pond, which is full of goldfish. We urge you to come discover our ranch on your own, whether from the rustic cattle trails or the front porch.
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Congratulations are in order!
Mary and Jack are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Dakota!
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