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The Grand Anne Bed & Breakfast

Perched on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in The Grand Avenue/Park Place National Historic District, The Grand Anne Bed & Breakfast sits on between one and two park-like acres and is the centerpiece of Keokuk's beautiful Grand Avenue, often referred to as the 'Miracle Mile' for its abundance of beautiful historic homes.

While 'in earlier years admission to the sacred precincts of the Avenue was through family name and achievement,' The Grand Anne welcomes visitors from near and far to this beautiful boulevard.

A leisurely six-block stroll brings our guests to Rand Park's gardens, lakes, fountains, beautiful green hills and new outdoor amphitheater. Developed in the 1880's, the park boasts one of the most scenic overlooks of the Mississippi and hosts a variety of activities include the April Civil War Reenactment and the December “City of Christmas” with nearly 100 displays and over a million lights. Also nearby is plenty of sightseeing, fishing, boating, bicycling, golf and antiquing as well as the Midwest's largest historic preservation site in nearby Nauvoo, IL.

Designed by the prominent Victorian architect George F. Barber for Clyde Royal Joy, The Grand Anne is a 22-room 1897 mansion that stands as one of the best preserved examples of the Queen Anne Revival style of domestic architecture. Individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the elegant mansion sits on a bluff 200 feet above the Mississippi River in the middle of The Park Place-Grand Avenue Residential Historic District that is also on the National Register.

George Barber was a pioneer in mail-order house plans and his catalogues reached thousands of potential clients throughout the U.S. and abroad. His homes are typically described today as “unique,” “fascinating,” and “distinctive.” When you ordered your house plans they would come with several sheets of graph paper and the following instructions: “If you would like to make a change in the plans, sketch it out, and return to us to draw it to scale.” In addition to the plans, Mr. Barber could supply the materials and/or labor. Mr. Joy ordered it all and so The Grand Anne was essentially put together from a mail-order kit. No expensive was spared and the total cost was $12,500 at a time when a skilled carpenter earned two dollars a day.

The Grand Anne exterior is all original and features beautiful stone on the first floor, enameled brick on the second, crushed stone and glass on the third and a slate roof. The mansion boasts curved glass in the turret on all three floors and the Barber trademark stained glass window in the chimney.

The beautifully restored interior combines the original finely detailed quarter-sawn oak, cherry, pear and birds-eye maple woodwork with period brass and crystal light fixtures, ornate ceiling medallions, stained glass, and Bradbury & Bradbury hand silk-screened art wall coverings. Beautifully furnished with fine antiques, Persian rugs and other elegant appointments, the Grand Anne is the perfect escape into a by-gone era.

We invite you to enjoy the delightful four-course gourmet meals served in an elegant candlelight setting. Menus range from The Grand Anne's own Butter Pecan French Toast to The Grand Anne's various egg casserole recipes served with sweetened or mustard bacon, buttered and peppered ham or homemade sausage. Various choices of muffins, along with yogurt bowls, fruit bowls, coffees, teas, hot chocolates, and The Grand Anne's own special orange juice blend complete the breakfast cuisine. Guests from around the world enjoy the many topics of conversation during the nostalgic and peaceful breakfast hour.

We believe that your stay with us should be more than just a place to stop and rest on your journey; it should be part of your journey. To that end, we have a variety of tour experiences, all tailored to meet your interests and time constraints.

The Grand Anne Tour, including the 'The Story of the Bullet Hole.'

Historical Homes of Keokuk Tour, including homes purchased by Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and the five homes of Howard Hughes' extended family.

Mormon History of Keokuk Tour, including Keokuk's role in the Mormon pioneer trek west.

Mississippi Area Tour, including U.S. Lock & Dam No.19 at Keokuk, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and, when completed in 1913, was the largest electricity generating plant in the world.

What do Mark Twain, Howard Hughes, Robert E. Lee, William Worth Belknap (Ulysses S. Grant’s Secretary of War) J.C. Hubinger (the inventor of spray starch), professional baseball, Younkers department stores, five Civil War hospitals, a national cemetery and much, much more have in common? They all called Keokuk home (at least for a time).

Nestled away from large metropolitan areas, The Grand Anne's location is just a few moments away from everything you might want to discover in Keokuk or Nauvoo, including:

The Civil War Reenactment: Rand Park is home to not only reenactments of 'The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou' and 'The Battle of Champion Hill,' but includes family friendly activities such as competitions, contests, presentations, Military Balls, musical performances and more. April 27-28 2013

Bald Eagle Appreciation Days: Keokuk is the winter home of a large concentration of bald eagles on the Mississippi River. Come view eagles up close and in their natural habitat and enjoy a variety of seminars, exhibits and other activities. January 19-20, 2013

International L-Bird Fly-In: Come for three days of flying, food and fun, including spot landings, bomb drops, formation flying school and more with warbirds, liaison planes, military trainers and enthusiasts. October 11-13, 2012. 2013 Dates to be Announced.

Rollin’ on the River Blues Festival: Come celebrate live blues music on the banks of the Mississippi River under the bridge in Victory Park. August 17-18, 2012. 2013 Dates to be Announced.

Nauvoo Pageant: “Don’t miss this spectacular outdoor display of music and dancing with the dramatic backdrop of the Nauvoo Temple that shares the story of Nauvoo, how it came to be and what it meant to those who lived there in the 1840’s. July 9-August 3, 2013.&No.65279;

Historic Nauvoo, Illinois: Nauvoo (“The Williamsburg of the Midwest”) was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Visitors today can explore more than 40 restored homes and businesses, experience two visitors centers, take wagon rides, participate in multiple hands-on activities, watch movies and attend live theatrical performances all free of charge. Open Year Round.

If you are not up for exploring the town, just stay home at The Grand Anne and enjoy the beautiful setting and grounds. Relax on the elegant front porch or screened-in side porch and look over the park-like grounds toward the Mississippi River.

Or take a short walk across the lawn to our formal gardens and stroll past the white picket fence to the raised bed gardens and quaint pergolas.