An 1882 Victorian mansion in Mendocino village featuring historic gardens, redwood-paneled rooms, and organic dining by Chef Alan Kantor.
MacCallum House Inn stands as a meticulously preserved testament to late nineteenth-century Victorian architecture in the center of Mendocino village. Built in 1882 by William Kelley as a wedding gift for his daughter, Emma Shirley 'Daisy' Kelley, and her husband, Alexander MacCallum, the white-gabled Victorian mansion features ornate gingerbread fretwork, a wide wrap-around porch, and steep rooflines. Daisy MacCallum, a prominent local matriarch and early member of the American Rose Society, cultivated expansive gardens on the grounds, planting thousands of heritage roses that still bloom alongside fuchsias and rhododendrons. Following the 1906 earthquake, Daisy had the entire structure moved to its current location on Albion Street, where she hosted salons for artists, writers, and intellectuals on the veranda until her passing in 1953.
Accommodations are spread across the main house, surrounding cottages, and a restored historic barn, totaling nineteen unique rooms on the main property. In the main house, six guest rooms feature original old-growth redwood paneling, sleigh beds, antique furnishings, and stone fireplaces, with some rooms offering views of Mendocino Bay. The historic barn has been converted into multi-level accommodations, where rooms like Room 15 in the North Barn offer private outdoor hot tubs, electric fireplaces, and comfortable sitting areas. For guests seeking more expansive views, the inn also manages the MacCallum Suites, a luxury mansion situated on a nearby hilltop overlooking the Pacific Ocean, as well as the Jedediah Smith vacation rental, a newly remodeled two-bedroom home.
The on-site MacCallum House Restaurant, led by Executive Chef Alan Kantor, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, is a pioneer in the region's organic, sustainable, and farm-to-table dining movement. Dinners are served in the mansion's former library, a rustic space warmed by two massive river stone fireplaces and lit by candlelight. Chef Kantor's menu highlights local ingredients, featuring signature dishes such as steamed clam and corn chowder, pan-seared Liberty Farms duck breast with a huckleberry Pinot Noir reduction, and pan-roasted Alaskan halibut. For a more casual atmosphere, the adjacent Grey Whale Bar and Cafe serves handcrafted cocktails garnished with herbs from the inn's own garden, alongside a lighter menu that includes a fried chicken sandwich on a Japanese milk bun with smoked paprika fries.
The Grey Whale Bar and Cafe serves excellent garden-to-glass cocktails. Order a drink featuring local Mendocino gin, garnished with fresh herbs harvested directly from Daisy MacCallum's historic gardens.
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