In addition to being a B & B, Ghost Rails Inn is available as a quilt retreat center* from the beginning of October through the end of April!

Ghost Rails Inn is a 100 year old former railroad hotel situated in Alberton, MT 30 minutes west of Missoula on I-90 and 2 1/2 hours east of Spokane, WA.

Brief Background Information: Owning and operating a quilt retreat center had been a pursuit of Thom and Grace's for a long time. They looked at property from Darby to Drummond before stumbling upon a treasure in Alberton! We think you'll agree, this former diamond in the rough is now a jewel!

Grace started piecing and hand quilting in 1976 and has been a longarm quilter since 1994. From 2001 to 2006 she ran a custom quilting business in Hamilton and Twin Peaks Quilt Studio in Darby, MT. And by his own admission, Thom knows far more about quilting than the average guy. (There will be a test! In fact, you can quiz him at retreats to win fat quarters and more! Can he really use the word, "Olfa" in a sentence...

*or scrapbookers, knitters and other groups

Accommodations: (Sure, quilters sleep...after just one more row...)

Ghost Rails Inn Bed & Breakfast can accommodate 15 guests in individual beds; 22 guests in shared beds. The rooms and bed configurations are listed below. You can also see them on our website

Click on our VIRTUAL TOUR link at the top of this page to see more details of each room

The Big Sky has 1 queen bed w/ pillowtop mattress; shares hallway bathroom with Room 3.

The Conductor 1 Full Black four poster Bed; private bath w/shower. Decorated with a Rail Fence quilt and historic railroad memorabilia.

The Bunkhouse is reminiscent of the Outlaw Days of Montana. 1 full size vintage iron bed plus a twin roll out trundle; shares bath(tub/shower) with The Big Sky.

The Clark Fork is inspired by Montanans love of rivers and flyfishing; 2 Twin Beds; private bath with shower.

Wild Horses where shadowy horses adorn the walls. 1 Queen Bed; private bath with shower.

Where the Buffalo Room 1 Queen Bed; private bath with shower. Decorated with bison art and a dramatically mounted bison skull. Boogie with the Bison in this room!

Montana Summer 1 Queen Log Bed; private bath with shower. The walls are a cool summer green, with photos of playful bears and a quilted wall-hanging

Montana Autumn 1 Queen bed; 1 twin bed; private bath with tub/shower. The brass bed is surrounded by walls the golden colors of autumn and Montana wildlife. The quilt is a Hunter's Star, one of Grace's most popular!

Montana Winter 1 Full white canopy Bed; 1 day bed with trundle bed (for 2 people); private bath w/tub & shower. The cool hues of winter and alpine wolves give this room its breathtaking appeal. The only thing left to complete is the double nine patch quilts in indigos and whites. (...yup, unfinished projects...)

The Work Area

Whether you are a mini-group in our main floor room or a larger group in the community center directly across the street, you can sew from sunrise to the next sunrise if you wish. Each work station has the following:

• Individual work table
• Adjustable office chair with lumbar support
• Full spectrum daylight lamp
• High quality power strip designed for computerized equipment

• Large Olfa cutting mats
• 3 extra wide ironing boards and irons

Mini-groups:
We can accommodate up to six on the main level of the inn, making us the perfect location for your mini-group or gathering of quilting/scrapbooking/knitting friends. Mini-groups have a great deal of flexibility and can be accommodated from September through early May almost any days of the week.

Larger Groups:
For larger groups (up to 15), we have a partnership with the Alberton Community Center, a safe and secure facility directly across the street. We check out the key and are the only occupants of the building for the duration of the retreat. It's so close you can easily walk across in jammies. This is Alberton, after all. A traffic jam is a golden retriever, a lab and a lone Ford. With this option, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night stays work the best; although TH, F, SAT night stays can be scheduled.

Other Amenities and local sites

• Wireless internet throughout the hotel
• Day trips to area quilt shops if you wish. Numerous quilt shops in Missoula are 30 minutes east. And if you run out of just the right fabric, Grace probably has it in her private stash!
• Valley Bookstore with over 100,000 books!
• The Knitting Depot and Expresso Coffee (as in Railroad Express!)
• The Antique Depot
• Chances are if you forgot to bring it, Grace has it. Extra rotary blades, thread, fat quarters to complete your project if needed are available at very reasonable prices. She is also working on having area quilt shops bring a "mini-store" to our retreat in the evenings.
• Massage Therapist. With prior arrangement, a massage therapist will be available one afternoon of your retreat to give neck, arm, back, shoulder and foot massages at a very reasonable price! She has been the highlight of our retreats and is awesome!

Three Night Retreats: We can tailor your retreat to be Thursday through Sunday or Friday through Monday; call us to discuss these options.

Three Night Package $ 155.00 per person, all inclusive

• All lodging
• Evening meal the night of your arrival
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner each day
• Scrumptious brunch on the last day of your retreat

Two Night Package $ 125.00 per person, all inclusive

• All lodging
• Evening meal the night of your arrival
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner each day
• Scrumptious brunch on the last day of your retreat

No Frills Retreats
If your larger group would like an inexpensive option, we offer a No Frills Retreat. With this plan, your group pays a flat fee per night and receives lodging plus table and equipment set-up and use (see work area section). You provide food/prepare your own meals utilizing the handy Community Center kitchen. The larger your group, the lower the cost per person under this plan.

• 7-9 people $300.00 total per night
• 10-15 people $350.00 total per night

"Each retreat concludes with an official, 'Hanging of the Quilts' to admire the wonderful completed UFO's!"

Coffee, juice, tea and other beverages and assorted snack foods available throughout the day.

What to Bring:

• UFO's and projects
• Basic sewing and rotary cutting supplies
• M & M's (Isn't this a rule at all retreats...or is that just me?)

Note: When registering as a group, please have a designated contact person handle all registration details. He/she will submit the groups' registration forms to Ghost Rails Inn B & B after verifying the availability of your requested dates 25.00 deposit per person due at time of booking. Balance due two weeks prior to your event. No refunds given, but you can send someone in your place.

Group Quilt Retreat Registration Form