Hurley's Local Attractions

Winter
Spring & Fall
Summer

If you've never stayed in a bed & breakfast inn before, the Anton-Walsh House is like a small hotel where attention is paid to your personal details. It's your home-away-from-home with the warm ambiance of a small town wrapped with an abundance of natural wonders, outdoor activities and colorful heritage. To make reservations, use the handy email form at the bottom of the Rooms & Reservations page, or call us at: 715/561-2065.

So whether you're aiming for Hurley, Wisconsin or Ironwood, Michigan, you'll find yourself right in the middle of things here. Our small sister cities are surrounded by vast hardwood forests, many waterfalls, hidden canyons, little mountains, abundant wildlife and the south shore of the largest freshwater lake in the world.

Consider some of the wonders surrounding the Anton-Walsh House:

	Lake Superior (containing 10% of the world's fresh water), including Saxon Harbor that features a 4 mile sandy beach (a favorite of agate hunters), Little Girl's Point, and Black River Harbor at the end of the Black River National Scenic Byway;
	Sparkling inland lakes, including the Gile Flowage and Pine Lake, rated A-1 for Musky fishing;
	More than a million acres of county, national and state forests; rich areas open to public exploration weather you're just hiking or maybe you're looking for exceptional populations of birds ... birding is growing rapidly here with our permanent populations and the migratory birds ... just passing through at various seasons.
	30+ waterfalls - one cascades 110 feet and two have drops of 90 feet - all within less than a half hour's drive;
	Copper Peak Ski Flying Hill; the largest ski jump ever constructed in the world;
	Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Area and Lake of the Clouds just an hour to the northeast for a great day-trip. And while visible from the shore here, it's another short daytrip to visit the Apostle Island National Lakeshore just northwest of the inn.
	Wildlife, from deer and song birds to bear, moose, loons, and bald eagles, and even elk;
	Native American cultural activities as well as casino gambling;
	Live theatrical productions in an old, restored vaudeville theatre - our area boasts two great theatre companies as well as many traveling productions of music, drama and more;
	Historical museums in an old court house less than two blocks away and railroad depot museums nearby;
	Hundreds of miles of wooded trails for mountain bikers, Nordic skiers, snowmobilers, and ATV riders (with 200+ miles of ATV trails, we boast one-seventh of the state's warm weather all terrain vehicle trails ... and you can ride right from our parking area!);
	A variety of Alpine ski resorts, making this the best skiing in the Midwest, including The Whitecap Mountains, Indianhead, Big Powderhorn and the Porcupine Mountains.

Winter spring summer or fall, you'll discover fairs and festivals ... or strike out on your own for a memorable, rejuvenating time. To learn more about activities specific to the seasons, view the pages available through the links on the upper left side of this page.

A Rich and Colorful Heritage

The city of Hurley (on the border with Ironwood, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula) made a name for itself as a wild and woolly outpost during the region's iron mining and lumbering days in the late 1800s. That reputation continued well into the twentieth century when Hurley was known for the highest number of liquor licenses per capita in the U.S., along with gambling houses and bordellos.

Hurley barely noticed Prohibition and some locals even warred with federal agents south of town in 1920. Brothers Al and Ralph Capone, John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and even Frank Sinatra all made Hurley night life a little more exciting when they vacationed here to cool down from Chicago's heat. From the 1890 murder of the exclusive prostitute, generous local philanthropist, and entertainer Lotta Morgan -- immortalized in Edna Ferber's Come and Get It -- to the quiet 1974 passing of Ralph "Bottles" Capone in a Hurley nursing home, the community earned its title, "The Most Infamous Little Town in America."

Hollywood's Samuel Goldwyn adapted Ferber's novel -- where Hurley was known as "Iron Ridge" -- into a major motion picture in 1936. Directed by Howard Hawks, it starred Edward Arnold; Joel McRae; Frances Farmer as Lotta Morgan; and Walter Brennan, who won an Oscar^® for his performance.

Your innkeeper serves as the president of the Iron County Historical Society and is a great resource about local history.

Genealogy

Your innkeeper is also a genealogist. Besides studying his many roots to Poland, on his mother's mother's side of the family he has discovered and had 7 lines certified by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants as well as lines certified by the Sons of the American Revolution, General Society for the War of 1812 and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

Hurley 2009 - Four Seasons of Fun

Today Hurley is best known for the glorious waterfalls that can be discovered nearby on the Montreal River and others leading to Lake Superior. The area is famous for its "silent sports," as a nightspot for snowmobilers & all terrain enthusiasts who flock to the area to take advantage of hundreds of miles of trails, and the skiers who enjoy the Midwest's best Alpine skiing. With an average annual snowfall 200+ inches, the area is known as Big Snow Country.

Seen from our guest rooms, the old courthouse is now a great museum.

Anton-Walsh House offers you a great central location to rest your head ... and start your day with a great breakfast before exploring our wilderness, waterfalls and wildlife.

The Anton-Walsh House Bed & Breakfast Inn is Travel Green Wisconsin certified.