Zabriskie House
BUILT IN 1904, RESTORED IN 2019
Originally the home of Robert Zabriskie, grandson of E.B. Morgan, Zabriskie House was built in 1904 as the brother home to Rowland House.
Located in the heart of Aurora, Zabriskie House offers eleven guestrooms and a number of gracious gathering spaces: a double parlor with cozy fireplaces, a 22-person wood-paneled dining room available exclusively for private events, and a stunning three-story grand staircase.
A broad, columned front porch offers picturesque views of Main Street and one of Aurora’s grand Gingko trees, planted in 1856. The home’s private outdoor patio with a firepit serves as an ideal gathering spot on late summer evenings and crisp autumn nights.
Zabriskie House is best enjoyed in the company of other adults.
Please note that we do not accommodate children under the age of 12 without a private rental.
Premier
Superior
Zabriskie House Highlights
- Spacious parlors with fireplaces and games
- Butler’s pantry
- Elegant patio with firepit
- Comfortable porches
- Complimentary glass of wine each afternoon
- Morning coffee & homemade granola bars
- Access to resort activities & events
- Complimentary parking
- Plush robes
- Dedicated, on-site innkeeper
- Elevator access
- Hi-speed wireless Internet access
- In-room safe, ironing board, blow dryer
- Bedside charging stations
- Flat-screen televisions
- Spa-quality bath products
- Down duvets & pillows; Frette linens
- In-room bottled water
With the rental of all eleven guestrooms at Zabriskie House, guests may plan private dinners and events at the home. View our private rental packages and to learn more and contact us for pricing and availability.
Zabriskie House Premier
These guest-favorite rooms each offer one king-size bed—outfitted in fine Frette linens—along with a comfortable reading chairs, a writer’s desk, and charming views of the village. Each room features an elegant bath with heated marble floors, a walk-in shower, plush robes, and spa-quality bath products from William Roam.
Designer finishes and original, modern art complement the high-tech amenities in these rooms—including high-speed wireless internet, bedside charging ports, and a flat-screen television. In select rooms, a gas fireplace will transform your stay into a cozy retreat.
Your stay at Zabriskie House includes a glass of wine each afternoon; each morning, enjoy locally-roasted, organic coffee and homemade granola bars. For added convenience, each room is outfitted with a minifridge and complimentary bottled water.
As a guest of the Inns of Aurora, you have access to a wide range of activities and amenities, from yoga classes to our fleet of bicycles and kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddle boards and more.
Premier Room highlights
- 300 to 340 sq. ft.
- King bed
- Village view
- Comfortable reading chairs
- Marble bath with heated floors
- Wine & cheese hour
- Morning coffee
- Complimentary WiFi
Zabriskie House Superior
These sunny rooms each offer one king-size bed—outfitted in fine Frette linens—along with a writer’s desk, comfortable seating area, and charming views of the village. Each room features an elegant bath with heated marble floors, a walk-in shower, plush robes, and spa-quality bath products from William Roam.
Designer finishes and original, modern art complement the high-tech amenities in these rooms—including high-speed wireless internet, bedside charging ports, and a flat-screen television.
Your stay at Zabriskie House includes a glass of wine each afternoon; each morning, enjoy locally-roasted, organic coffee and homemade granola bars. For added convenience, each room is outfitted with a minifridge and complimentary bottled water.
As a guest of the Inns of Aurora, you have access to a wide range of activities and amenities, from yoga classes to our fleet of bicycles and kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddle boards and more.
Superior Room highlights
- 270 to 320 sq. ft.
- King bed
- Village view
- Comfortable reading chairs
- Marble bath
- Wine & cheese hour
- Morning coffee
- Complimentary WiFi
Zabriskie House Superior ADA
This spacious room offers one king-size bed and one twin-size bed—outfitted in fine Frette linens—along with a writer’s desk, comfortable lounge chairs, and charming views of the village. An elegant bath features an accessible shower with grab bars, heated marble floors, plush robes, and spa-quality bath products from William Roam. This room is ADA compliant.
Designer finishes and original, modern art complement the high-tech amenities in this room—including high-speed wireless internet, bedside charging ports, and a flat-screen television.
Your stay at Zabriskie House includes a glass of wine each afternoon; each morning, enjoy locally-roasted, organic coffee and homemade granola bars. For added convenience, each room is outfitted with a minifridge and complimentary bottled water.
As a guest of the Inns of Aurora, you have access to a wide range of amenities and activities, from stargazing equipment to art kits, our New York Times bestseller library, and more.
Superior ADA highlights
- 355 sq. ft.
- King bed & twin bed
- Village view
- Comfortable seating area
- Marble bath with heated floors
- Wine & cheese hour
- Morning coffee
- Complimentary WiFi
Zabriskie House Deluxe
These gracious rooms each offer one queen-size bed—outfitted in fine Frette linens—along with a comfortable reading chair, a writer’s desk, and charming views of the village. Each room features an elegant bath with heated marble floors, a walk-in shower, plush robes, and spa-quality bath products from William Roam.
Designer finishes and original, modern art complement the high-tech amenities in these rooms—including high-speed wireless internet, bedside charging ports, and a flat-screen television.
Your stay at Zabriskie House includes a glass of wine each afternoon; each morning, enjoy locally-roasted, organic coffee and homemade granola bars. For added convenience, each room is outfitted with a minifridge and complimentary bottled water.
As a guest of the Inns of Aurora, you have access to a wide range of activities and amenities, from yoga classes to our fleet of bicycles and kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddle boards and more.
Deluxe room highlights
- 240 sq. ft.
- Queen bed
- Village view
- Comfortable reading chairs
- Marble bath with heated floors
- Wine & cheese hour
- Morning coffee
- Complimentary WiFi
History of Zabriskie House in Aurora, NY
Nicholas Lansing Zabriskie, or “N.L.,” came to Aurora in 1867 to be with Louise, his new bride and E.B. Morgan’s only daughter. N.L. (1838—1926) would spend the rest of his life in Aurora, raising a family with Louise and helping his new home thrive through innumerable acts and volunteer positions, including 50 years of service as a Wells College Trustee. A history of Cayuga County, published in 1908, eloquently summarizes N.L.’s impact on this tiny, treasured village: “Mr. Zabriskie has never held any public office except that of justice of the peace, but he has become so intimately associated with the best interests of Aurora that the public mind regards him and the village as inseparable. […] Business, education, religion—all find him an earnest and generous patron.”
N.L. and Louise lived with her parents, E.B. and Charlotte, in their home, now known as E.B. Morgan House, one of the Inns of Aurora. It was here that they raised their two sons, Alonzo (b. 1867) and Robert (b. 1872), sheltered in the comfort and safety of Aurora. As the boys grew into young men, the world took them on separate adventures: Alonzo traveled, fishing and hunting within his social circles, while Robert sought an education at Princeton, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1895 and an Electrical Engineering Degree in 1897. During their time away from home, both brothers found brides: Robert married Aubin Markham Wells in 1899 and Alonzo married Belle Loader in 1902.
Back in Aurora, their mother Louise began to suffer from failing health and wanted her two sons close to her. To this end, she built a grand home for each: the property now known as Rowland House for Alonzo and Belle in 1903, and the property now known as Zabriskie House for Robert and Aubin in 1904.
With their new families in tow, the two brothers moved back home to Aurora. Louise passed away shortly after in 1906, and while Alonzo and Belle moved to Connecticut in 1912, Robert and Aubin stayed in Aurora. That year, Robert became the acting President of Wells College. In many ways, Robert took on his father’s mantle of service to Wells and to Aurora, earning positions as an Aurora Trustee and Mayor, and as a Trustee of Wells for over 40 years.
As N.L. and Louise carried into the future E.B. Morgan’s benevolent spirit on all matters concerning Aurora and the college, so did Robert. When he passed away in March of 1949 at the age of 77, Wells College honored his legacy of philanthropy and support. “Robert Lansing Zabriskie, whose long and cheerful and active life closed on Saturday last, has so secure a place in the minds and hearts of the older members of the College and the residents of Aurora that eulogy from such a newcomer as I am is almost impertinent,” remarked President Richard L. Green, who had been at the college for only three years when “Mr. Rob” passed. He continued, “But undergraduate generations succeed each other swiftly and many of you who now pass in your strolls the big white house beyond Wallcourt may need to be told as I must do imperfectly, of the influence radiating from it through the college and the village for so many years. […] Those who have spoken to me of him have dwelt on his kindness, his genuineness and sincerity, and the hospitality in his big white house, both planned and impromptu.”
Now, after a meticulous restoration and renovation, Robert’s “big white house” is open once again for hospitality—a gracious gathering place bearing his family name in the heart of the special village he dedicated his life to supporting.
