A Unique Hotel In Ohio's 'Little Switzerland' Lets Guests Sleep In Old-Fashioned Train Cars

If you live in the United States and want to experience the charm of an Alpine-style village, you don't need to travel all the way to Europe. Swiss culture and architecture can be found right in the heartland of America in Sugarcreek, otherwise known as the "Little Switzerland" of Ohio. This might seem like a random pairing, but there is a reason for it. Many of the region's first settlers were Swiss families who brought their culture and cuisine with them. By the mid-19^th century, Sugarcreek became known as a hub for Swiss cheese production, a status it still holds today, with roughly half of American Swiss cheese coming from this region of Ohio.

Sugarcreek is located in Ohio's Amish Country, less than 20 miles east of Millersburg, home to America's second-largest Amish community. The railroad was key to Sugarcreek's early growth, as the current downtown area grew around the depot that was built in 1882. These two features of the region are combined at the Sugarcreek Village Inn, which offers some of the most unique accommodations you'll find in northeast Ohio: the opportunity to spend the night in what they call Victoria Station, a caboose and two train cars that have been renovated into charming and comfortable hotel rooms.

The Sugarcreek Village Inn is located on Factory Street, about a four-minute walk from the central square where the cuckoo clock's animatronic band plays a polka every half hour. The inn's main building has a tranquil farmhouse feel, with rocking chairs lining its broad front porch and what one visitor described as a "homey labyrinth of halls and stairs" leading to guest rooms. While the inn's vibe is old-school, the rooms are fully modern, with luxury features that you might not expect to find in a small Ohio town, like in-room massage chairs and bidet toilets.

But what really makes the inn unique is located across the parking lot from the main building. Here, you'll find seven rooms, one in a caboose and six in train cars, all of which offer similar amenities as the rooms in the house. The caboose is the largest, offering a kitchenette and breakfast nook along with a full bath and queen bed. The train car rooms offer a choice of king or queen bed, along with features like a private bath and an in-room fridge.

Lots of non-traditional lodging options charge a premium for their gimmick, but that's not the case at Sugarcreek Village Inn. Its train car rooms cost about the same as the standard ones, and all of them are quite reasonably priced. Guests consistently praise the rooms' cleanliness and comfort, too. One Tripadvisor reviewer noted that "everything is upgraded to the highest standards and in good working order." Another described their room as "impeccably clean" with a comfortable bed and quiet location that gave them the "Best night sleep I've had in a long time!!"

Swiss heritage is a main draw in Sugarcreek. Every fall since 1953, the town has hosted the three-day Ohio Swiss Festival, which features Swiss food, cheese-making demonstrations, and events like the Cheese Chase footrace and Steinstossen, a Swiss stone-throwing sport. Downtown Sugarcreek is chock-full of Swiss culture all year, with many buildings featuring Alpine-inspired architecture as well as landmarks like the Alpine Hills Historical Museum and the World's Largest Cuckoo Clock in the town square. Collectors Decanters and Steins is part museum and part antique shop, offering over 3,000 collectibles like cuckoo clocks, vintage bottles, and, of course, the namesake decanters and beer steins. 

You'll find other attractions in the area that make it worth the trip, too. Railroad enthusiasts will want to visit the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum, which is open for public tours on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from April through November. Along with a collection of railcars and locomotives, the museum has a functional roundhouse and hosts events like the free Fall Steam Festival. Sugarcreek also marks the start of the Amish Country Byway that runs for over 150 miles through scenic hills dotted with idyllic farms and quaint villages. It passes through historic towns like Winesburg and Berlin and offers beautiful views of the northern Appalachian foothills. This makes Sugarcreek an excellent home base if you're interested in exploring Ohio Amish Country towns like Dover, a charming small town full of unique museums, shops, and outdoor fun.

There are several larger cities within reach of Sugarcreek. It's about 90 miles south of Cleveland and a similar distance from Columbus, Ohio, or Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. All three cities have international airports, making them easy transportation hubs for visitors who live outside driving distance.