Since the 1960’s The Whaler’s Inn has been home to guests looking to see the New England sites, escape from the 9-5 grind (or the house full of kids), catch up and catch their breath, or create a lifetime of family memories. While the establishment has operated as a hotel for over 50 years, however, our staff has more than 100 years of service at The Whaler’s Inn.
With that much time invested, suffice it to say, we’ve got this whole “weekend away” thing down to a science. While there have been some ownership changes during the past 5 decades, one thing has never wavered, and that is our commitment to making sure you fall in love with Mystic and The Whaler’s Inn as much as we have. From fires to movies to making what’s old new again, our crew and guests (some visiting with us continuously for over 20 years) have seen a lot over 50 years. Here are just some of the highlights:
1960 – The Great Mystic Fire
A fire on Stonington side of town (near where Mystical Toys now sits) destroyed more than a dozen buildings on December 12, 1960.
1974: Opening of the Mystic Marine Life Aquarium
What is now known as the Mystic Aquarium has been entertaining guests and aiding and rehabilitating ailing marine life for over 40 years.
1988 – Mystic Pizza (the movie ) released
In 1988 Julia Roberts became Mystic’s best advertising campaign to date. To this day, locals visiting other areas are still greeted with “You’re from Mystic?
Is that where Mystic Pizza was filmed?”. Of course, the answer is Yes!
1990’s – Amistad filmed in Mystic
In keeping with the Hollywood meets Mystic theme….in 1997 Steven Spielberg filmed parts of the movie Amistad. Over 250 extras, bundled in period clothing, gathered at the Mystic Seaport Museum with hopes of grabbing a bit of screen time.
2002 – The Whaler’s Inn rebuilds on the original site of “The Hoxie Hotel”
While much of the Inn dates back over 100 years, The Hoxie House was built in 2002. It may not technically be historic, but it is part of history as this building stands on the original site of The U.S. Hotel (c. 1818) and later The Hoxie Hotel (c.1858). Learn more about the history of the Inn!
2015 – Mystic welcomes the new owners of The Whaler’s Inn
In 2015 our current owners purchased the Inn. Constantly moving forward with updates and renovations, we still strive to offer the same personalized and friendly experiences for all our visitors.
In an industry that is historically transient, we are proud to say that a combined 100+ years has been invested into The Whaler’s Inn by our crew. It’s been a wild ride, and we’ve packed a lot into those years. Here is to 100 more!
