We offer five different buildings for sleeping accommodations, each with its own charm and rich history.

The Inn has 20 mission-style bedrooms and 52 beds (sleeps 68 maximum), 16 rooms have private baths, 1 room has a 1/2 bath, and 3 rooms share 2 bathrooms. The Inn also features a spacious living area, large stone fireplace, and long porch with rockers overlooking the valley. There is a 35 person minimum to reserve the Inn.

The Farm House and Mission House are popular with smaller groups, each featuring a meeting room, fireplace, and front porch. The Farm House has 16 beds (sleeps 18 maximum) with 2 full baths and 2 half baths. The Mission House has 20 beds (sleeps 27 maximum) with 3 full baths.

The Annex and Bunkhouse are more dormitory-style accommodations, and are perfect for youth groups. The Annex has 32 beds (sleeps 35 maximum) with 3 full baths, and the Bunkhouse has 30 beds (sleeps 30 maximum) with 2 full baths.

	Bishop Robert H. Johnson Hall Floorplan (PDF, 174K) (2 pages)

Bishop Robert H. Johnson Hall
During the Valle Crucis Conference Center's Board of Directors strategic planning sessions the need for a new meeting space building emerged. Construction began in August of 2002 and the building was completed in April 2004 and dedicated in August 2004. It is named after the fifth Bishop of Western North Carolina, Robert H. Johnson.

The building consists of two floors each having one large meeting area. While there are no interior stairs (to save space as well as money) each floor is completely van accessible for our guests. The view of our sacred valley from each of the two porches and deck is breathtaking as well as inspirational. There is plenty of parking a short distance from the hall which is located behind the kitchen/dining room off the trail to the waterfalls.

Each floor has two uni-sex accessible restrooms, a hospitality area with microwave, refrigerator w/ice-maker, coffee maker, sink and counter space. We provide coffee, sugar, cream, cups, stirrers and hot tea bags with groups providing any additional needed snacks or beverages.

Each floor also has its own podium (made by our staff from our beloved catalpa tree), a 70" x 70" projector screen, an overhead projector, an assortment of round and rectangular lightweight tables, and plenty of chairs. In addition each floor has ceiling fans and accessible water fountains. The two porches and deck can be used as outdoor meeting space weather permitting.

The meeting room downstairs can be semi-darkened, so please plan your AV presentations accordingly. We also have plans to add a sound system and computer hook-ups but at this time these are not available. Wireless DSL service is available on the porch of the building and we are working hard to increase its range at this time.

We ask each of our groups to do their own meeting setup and breakdown and to return all the equipment, tables and chairs to their proper location, turn off coffee pots and lights after your meeting.

	Apple Barn Floorplan (PDF, 33K)

The Apple Barn, located on the grounds of the Valle Crucis Conference Center at the Historic Mission School, has a long and varied past. The barn was built in approximately 1911 as the first dairy barn in the area to have a concrete floor. The dairy cows were housed in the basement and could stick their heads out the windows on the side and eat hay out of the stone trough located there. Hay was stored in the upper floor and a cheese "factory" was also located in the basement. In this area excess milk was turned into cheese which could then be stored in a "vault" which has cork walls and ceiling about 6" thick and was used to keep a constant temperature for the cheese stored there. Across the road was a "tea room" which also took excess milk and turned it into ice cream which they sold along with other goodies and of course tea was served every day. This building, owned by the Taylor family, still stands today and is called "The Bark House". A silo and another barn stood next to the dairy barn as well and served other farm functions.

The Apple Barn was actually never a barn for apples which were graded and stored next door in what is called the "Bunk House". The Bunk House basement has a dirt floor and cork walls and ceilings so that the apples could be stored at a constant temperature all year long. In addition there are 4 large vents located in the basement which could be used in conjunction with the outside vents cut in the basement walls to regulate the temperature and humidity in the basement. The apples were graded and packed for shipping in the upper floor of the Bunk House.

At one time over 12,000 bushels of apples a year were picked, packed and shipped to Banner Elk which was at that time a major shipping center for the local apple industry through Johnson City Tennessee.

Since the 1970's the Apple Barn as it became known has been used by the community and Conference Center guests as a place for square dances, contra dances, wedding receptions, meetings, plays and labyrinth walks.

It is available first to our Conference Center groups staying on the property and the Boone Country Dancers for their Contra Dances. After that time it is available to outside groups for meetings, rehearsal dinners, weddings and other functions. The building is rented as is and now has heat so it can be used year-round. However, because of parking constraints, we can only allow weddings from April 1st through December 1st. There are two restrooms in the barn and a number of old church pews (from the Patterson School in Lenoir) arranged around the inside walls. These pews can be moved to suit your group but cannot be put outside for any reason. There are a few old tables in the barn for your use but the availability of these cannot be guaranteed. We do have tables and chairs for wedding rentals.

Due to the historic nature of the building there is no smoking permitted inside the barn and no indoor fireworks may be used. Candles can be used as long as they are votive type candles or in a glass globe. Smoking is permitted outside the barn and ash cans are provided for your use. We would request that your guests do not throw their cigarette butts or other trash on the ground around the building. All caterers who use any type of open flamed grill must have an approved fire extinguisher with them at all times.

We advise all interested groups to come out and view the barn and review our contract which must be signed before use of the barn is permitted. A $100 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve the barn and the remainder of the payments are due 90 days in advance of your function. A security guard is required for all functions at the Apple Barn and the minimum time required is for six hours. Any part of an hour over the six hours will be charged at an hourly rate. A damage deposit of $200 is also required and will be returned after your event if everything is left in good order.

Please call for current pricing on the Apple Barn as this may change from time to time.

Each group is responsible for cleaning the barn after each event and disposing of any trash. All rental chairs and tables from an outside rental company need to be removed after the event as well as flowers and other items used by your group. The only exception to this rule is if we do not have another group using the barn after the event but this must be arranged and approved in advance by the Director. There will be no early entry to the barn unless this has been arranged in advance with the Director.

We ask that you tell all florists to please not use staples or nails in the barn for their displays. You may use push pins. We would also remind you that there are no dressing rooms available for your band members and that they must abide by all rules such as the non-smoking rule in effect for you and your guests. The other buildings located near the barn are reserved for the exclusive use of our guests and must not be entered or used in any way by you or your guests.

Parking is regulated by the security guard and is limited to the Apple Barn yard. There is no parking on NC 194 or Lower Crab Orchard Road unless approved by the guard. Under no circumstances can your guests park so as to block any roadways. This is a fire hazard and could impede the progress of fire trucks needing access to one of our other buildings on the property.

Because of our neighbors all music must be turned down by 10:30 pm and your function must end by 11:00 pm so that you can have time to break down and clean up the barn. Clean-up time will be counted in your six hour time limit for security purposes including time spent by the band or the caterer in breaking down their equipment.

Please review the Rental Agreement and Regulations for use of the Apple Barn (PDF, 34K) carefully before signing and make sure you understand all the rules and regulations for use of the Apple Barn for your function.

	Crab Orchard Hall Floorplan (PDF, 5K)

Each of our buildings do have a meeting space that is large enough to accommodate groups using each building. If your group should need a larger meeting space, we also have Crab Orchard Hall available for you use.

Crab Orchard Hall has a long history at the Conference Center. It was built in the early 1900's as the classroom building for the missionaries who were housed in the Mission House and brought to this area by Bishop Cheshire. The original Holy Cross Church was located next to it but when the new stone church was built in 1925, that part of the building was torn down. The classroom portion then became a storage building, a hay barn, a chicken house, and a day school for 16 years before we renovated it in 1998 for use as a meeting space.

Crab Orchard Hall consists of two rooms. One room houses our library and can be used for small break outs and the other room is a large open space that can accommodate up to approximately 80 people, theatre style. We have plenty of folding tables and 80 metal folding chairs for your use in whatever configuration you choose. You do the setup and the break down. The building also has a piano, a moveable altar, a TV/VCR/DVD, an overhead projector, and two flip chart easels. There is also a hospitality kitchen containing a microwave, a coffee maker with hot water tap for tea, a refrigerator with ice maker, and a sink. We provide the coffee and assorted tea bags for your meeting. On the front of the building, there is a large covered porch with rocking chairs that can be used for break outs and for just relaxing and looking at the view of our sacred valley.

Crab Orchard Hall is available on a first come basis, so please let us know if you will need this space for your group when booking your retreat.

Please Note - Room configurations are subject to change. Please call to confirm that no changes have been made prior to your arrival.

All of our buildings date from the turn of the century to the 1920s and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. And though our accommodations are simple, they are comfortable, cozy, and clean.

Our affordable rates, ranging from $55-$70, are per person, per night, and include three meals and linens.