Speckled Hen Inn — Hotel in Town of Burke

The Speckled Hen Inn was a wonderful weekend getaway in Madison! Booking was easy online and the host was gracious enough to allow us to add Sunday night when I contacted them via email. The Inn itself is close to downtown and Sun Prairie attractions but feels remote due to its location tucked down a side road surrounded by trees.

Heather welcomed us warmly upon arrival. She explained the Inn’s many amenities and had us choose our breakfast. It was a nice change from typical B&B breakfast in that each guest gets to choose their meal from a wide arrange of options including vegetarian! There were farm fresh egg dishes, home baked pastry items, and even salads. The food was prepared with ingredients straight from the farm and you could tell in the taste. Tom was an excellent breakfast companion and shared his knowledge of the area while also taking time to learn about us. Heather was even nice enough to share the recipe for the Inn’s cherry bread pudding!

The Inn had multiple amenities that made the stay like a home away from home. There were snacks, tea, and coffee in the kitchenette that was designated for guest use along with a mini fridge for any leftovers or drinks you may want to store. They also sold wine from local wineries for you to enjoy. The bed was very comfortable and had amazingly soft sheets. They also thoughtfully supplied a fan, robes, many plush towels, a radio, tv with Netflix and YouTube TV, and many little toiletries. If you did forget something, they had a basket in the theatre room with toothbrushes, phone chargers, floss, etc all for your use. The gathering area had a huge selection of books, games, puzzles, and movies to use while staying. There was also a list of local eateries broken up into categories. We tried two places on the list and loved them both!

When we didn’t feel like going away from the Inn but wanted an outdoor break there were plenty of opportunities on the farm! There were walking trails in the woods, a screened in gazebo, outdoor picnic area, and a fire pit with chairs to relax. The binder in our room said we could even ask Tom for a barn tour. That did not disappoint! He met us in the barn (with boots thoughtfully provided to keep our shoes clean) and introduced us to Bucky, Lily, Pepper, and Two Bit. We were able to pick up and pet the baby ewes and Bucky loves the extra attention. We also saw Buster and the grown ewes in the pasture. Tom then showed us the chickens that provided our breakfast eggs! You could tell he really took pride in the farm and their animals...

I found this little "nugget" of a B&B 10 minutes to the northeast of Madison, WI here on TripAdvisor weeks before this past pre-4th of July week holiday and booked 2 nights. Heather, at the last minute, thankfully extended our stay from 2 to 4 nights when the family event was re-located back to the Madison area. All good so far. We entered the 20 acres of property with large and came upon a well-maintained main guest house, a field of grazing sheep and llama in the pen, and even a chicken coop where we met Heather's husband Tom bringing in a pailful chicken eggs, Next came our entry to the public space which couldn't have been more pleasing with a puzzle board, coffee and tea service, a tank of water flavored with items from their garden and a cookie jar. Our stay in the spacious Badger Den, which overlooked the scenery, had an unattached (across the hall) bath, as the "only" room of 5 which did not have a private bath. Big deal! Heather and Tom couldn't have been more kind and pleasant, too. Over the course of 4 nights we were treated to a daily bountiful 4 course breakfast ending with their flavored ice of the day which one day were berries from their garden. Breakfast is served at 8:30am or 9:30am in separate dining rooms so enjoy meeting your fellow guests with a round of chat as breakfast is served. Heather has a way with her local "in house" ingredients (plants and herbs) and puts them into her various dishes, be it an apple tart; egg enchilada (with local eggs), to a flavorful quiche. All of the dishes served by Heather's husband and business partner Tom announcing with a bit of flair the dishes with each course served. Tom also makes suggestions for daily itineraries which including our visit to Wollersheim Winery and Distillery and came back with wine, and gin, and brandy. The Speckled Hen also had several wines available ($116 bucks tops) for purchase in the public den which included a 1916 Wisconsin Badger 635 page yearbook! Yep, this is Badger country, though all fans are welcome here. Came from LA for this summer holiday stay and would gladly do it again. I don't believe you will ever meet B&B operators like Heather and Tom when it comes to good cheer and delivering a...

Do you want to make the most of your time in Madison, Wisconsin? Stay at The Speckled Hen Inn (bed and breakfast) with innkeepers Heather and Tom.||Gorgeously furnished rooms and views, and the owners are meticulous about having everything you need to enjoy your stay. Three of the rooms have luxurious whirlpool/jacuzzi tubs. There are four rooms in total, so our extended family rented all four while we were in town for my daughter’s wedding.||There is a large family room/gathering area where you can hang out, play games, do puzzles, peruse local brochures that describe what to do and where to go in Madison. Use the kitchenette area to make popcorn or have hot chocolate or tea, or to fix a quick snack.||It is an easy 20 minute drive from The Speckled Hen to downtown Madison and the University of Wisconsin. Go Badgers! The Lane County airport is only 10 minutes away.||Need to know more? Heather and Tom are happy to talk to you about their favorite go-to places, and they are gracious hosts.||Do you like animals? You can walk around the nearby fenced in area to see Lilly the llama and Ben the horse. Heather and Tom also have sheep and a coop full of different breeds of chickens who provide delicious eggs.||The breakfasts are marvelous and everything is homemade. Choose what you want the next morning by filling out a form the night before.||Want to see something really cool? Visit the Epic corporate campus in nearby Verona, a company that provides many hospitals in the country software that doctors and other hospital personnel use. You can tour the campus and see fabulous art work, and storybook themed buildings and rooms. Employees work in buildings that are designed with themes such as “The Emerald City”, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, “Alice in Wonderland”, and “Lord of the Rings,” to name a few. Take a tour of the capitol building in Madison, or stroll down State Street with lots of shops, restaurants, etc. It will lead you to The University of Wisconsin campus.||In summary, The Speckled Hen is at the top of my list of bed and breakfasts anywhere....