Shadywood Cottage was built by Susan Welker Adams in 1903 and has been owned by the same family through four generations. Take a trip to a more peaceful time in this charming, campmeeting community filled with many Victorian gingerbread-trimmed cottages and quiet walking streets. Mt. Gretna is a storybook lake community only 14 miles from Hershey, Pennsylvania. The town has a world-renown summer theater, an equally famous concert series, and is host to one of the best art shows of the summer.
This spacious Cottage has 5 bedrooms, 2 baths (1 upstairs / 1 downstairs), washer dryer on the first floor, and wifi. There is private covered parking for up to 4-5 cars and a gas grill. The cottage is not air conditioned, but has ceiling fans in every room upstairs and down, and on the wrap around porch.
The first floor has a fully functional kitchen with dishwasher, large living room and a dining room with seating for up to 10. The huge porch wraps around the cottage and includes a swing and many rockers to enjoy the sights and sounds of those warm Mt Gretna nights.
Upstairs has five rooms with a full sized bed in each, plus 2 sets of bunk beds and a crib. The cottage comfortably sleeps 14, perfect for large family gatherings. There are ceiling fans in every room. Towels and bed linens are provided.
The walls in the bedrooms only rise 7 feet so the old-time roof structure is exposed. Guests say they love lying in bed looking at the old wood and hearing the kids' conversations in the next room. Mostly all the cottages in Mt. Gretna have 5/8" old chestnut or hard pine interior walls (wood no longer available) so sound does travel freely. If you're bringing uncle George who snores like a freight train going up an Allegheny Mountain you might not want to stay in Mt. Gretna (or get him a hotel room) as all cottages were originally built as summer cottages from 1892 through 1915.
There are three restaurants and an ice cream parlor within walking distance. The Jigger Shop Ice Cream Parlor has been in operation since 1895. The Porch & Pantry is open from 8am to 1pm every day except Monday. The Mt. Gretna Pizzeria is open Wednesday through Sunday; closed Monday and Tuesday. There is also a nostalgic roller rink, miniature golf, and Mt. Gretna lake that are seasonally open.
Please make sure to check that you don't leave any of your belongings before you check-out. We are not responsible for anything lost or stolen, and do not ship any accidentally left items.
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Amenities
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi
Parking available
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Do not park in front of trash cans - trash is picked up every Monday
Trash must be put in trash cans, and the lid must close (otherwise animals get into the trash)
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
About the area
Lebanon
Lebanon is home to this cottage. Spooky Nook Sports is worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's popular attractions can visit Hersheypark and Hershey's Chocolate World. Looking to enjoy an event or a game? See what's going on at Hersheypark Stadium or Giant Center.
Clarence Schock Memorial Park at Governor Dick - 2 min drive - 1.8 km
Hersheypark - 24 min drive - 24.2 km
Getting around
Elizabethtown Station - 21 min drive
Lancaster, PA (LNS) - 27 min drive
Restaurants
Blue Bird Inn - 10 min drive
Ancestor Coffeehouse & Creperie - 10 min drive
Dunkin' - 10 min drive
Absinthe Garden - 9 min drive
Mick’s All American Pub - 10 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is Large Shadywood Cottage with Wrap Around Porch pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total).
How much does it cost to stay at Large Shadywood Cottage with Wrap Around Porch?
As of 3 Apr 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Large Shadywood Cottage with Wrap Around Porch on 13 May 2026 start from AU$362, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at Large Shadywood Cottage with Wrap Around Porch?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Large Shadywood Cottage with Wrap Around Porch?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Large Shadywood Cottage with Wrap Around Porch?
Checkout is at 11:00 AM.
Where is Large Shadywood Cottage with Wrap Around Porch located?
Situated in Lebanon, this cottage is within a 15-minute walk of Gretna Theatre, Conewago Lake and Mt. Gretna Lake & Beach. Clarence Schock Memorial Park at Governor Dick is 1 mi (1.6 km) away.
Reviews
9.8
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
This is a lovely home built in a different time. It was very nice experience being there. Everything was very clean and convenient for our stay. We loved Mt. Gretna and booked this lovely house on purpose.
Mt Gretna is the cutest place. We loved the cottage and the host provided everything we needed. The front porch was awesome and the cottage itself was beautiful
This old house was very neat. You can tell the family is trying to preserve the history of the place while also making it more modern. We loved the porch! Just a very nice place to stay. Would love to do so again.
We had a very relaxing time. It was very quiet and peaceful. The wrap around porch was really enjoyable. The whole family enjoyed eating and playing games. We spent almost all of our time out there.
The perfect place for our small group of families. The property was close to Hershey Park and hiking. The town of Mt. Gretna was quaint and welcoming. A highlight was playing games and building puzzles on the beautiful wrap around porch after a busy day. Adults and kids had a wonderful time.
Such a beautiful cottage. An original retreat. Absolutely loved to porch. Spent most of our family time there. Plenty of bedrooms for my family and the teens and lots of parking space. Kitchen and bathrooms had everything we needed. And the big refrigerator was a plus. Didn't need any coolers. We greatly appreciated all the fans and window screens. It was a HOT weekend.
The house, located in the charming Chautauqua community, was just a short walk to the Mt. Gretna Art Show. The house was just as described, a no-nonsense sort of place with a huge front porch. It felt like stepping back in time. Lots of fun.
This was such a comfortable, welcoming, and lovely place. Everything that you needed is there. It is so cozy yet open and the porch is amazing. Eventhough there was a heatwave while we were there, the house was comfortable temperature wise. The family pictures were cool to see. You can tell that this house is loved and cared for. We are already planning next years stay.
This was my second stay at this home. A few hiccups when we arrived but they were resolved. The front porch is a wind spot to catch up with friends and family. The fans do a nice job inside of cooling the home down. I would stay here again.
This beautiful cottage served our purpose well with 5 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, as we were a group of 8. Check-in and check-out process was very easy as we were given well explained communications. The location was good (close to Hersheypark) and it was in a quiet neighborhood. Kitchen was well equipped as well as well stocked with essentials. I thought maybe no air conditioning would be an issue, but it wasn't. The ceiling fans were plenty. Would stay there again.
Everything is exactly as posted. Plenty of room, kitchen had everything we needed, enough room for everyone around the dining room table which doubles as a game table and the Perfect Porch! Host was quick to respond to and resolve smoke detector issue. Our family favorite was all the seating and rockers on the porch, a great place for sharing all those old family secrets! Thanks you Holly for opening your home so others may enjoy!
The property was easy to access with instructions emailed by the owner. The porch had plenty of seating for the whole group. The bedrooms were as described. The kitchen and bathroom were fully stocked. There was even complimentary laundry soap.
This property has quiet hours similar to campgrounds but for approximately 6 weeks the quiet hours are 24 hours not just at night time. This did not affect our stay however is not listed in the description.
We stayed here with lots of family (14 of us!) and it worked perfectly for our needs. We spent most of our time at Hershey park, though we did get to walk to the Jigger Shop for ice cream our first night there.
Everything at the house was as described. It's an old home with a lot of character. Reminded me of our old family hunting camp, but much more charming. We loved the porch!
Definitely pay attention to the directions given by the host, because the community is made up of narrow roads, many of them walking paths only. GPS was useless.
Thanks for a lovely stay!
Our annual family reunion. Total of 10 of us were there.Great place. reminded us of were we grew up. Same style of house but with better finishes. great place to stay close to Hershey park and other events. Quite place to stay. very restful.