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My Stay at the Magical Storybook Cottage in Clarksville, TN

ByErin Burke Published on
4 poster queen bed with a white comforter, two red decor pillows, and a quilt at the foot of the bed. The walls in the bedroom at painted in light colors to look like a spring forest.

One of my favorite things when I get to work with different destinations is getting to see some of their unique accommodations.

When I visited Clarksville, Tennessee, I assumed I would be staying in a hotel. So I was so delightfully surprised when they offered me a unique vacation rental – The Storybook Cottage.

I mean, y’all. We all know that this blog is all about travel and books with a heavy does of Disney. So what could be better than a vacation rental with rooms themed after different Storybook Princesses!

If you’re looking for a unique stay in Tennessee, I definitely highly recommend this spot!

Close up of spools of thread with scissors used as decoration on the mantel in the Cinderella Living room

Storybook Cottage Location

Storybook Cottage is located in Clarksville, Tennessee, which is about 50 miles (about a one hour drive) from Nashville.

The cottage itself is about 1/2 mile from downtown. And while you could walk to some of the spots downtown (it would take about 15 minutes to walk to the Customs House Museum for example), I did find it a lot easier to drive my car to where I wanted to go since I was bouncing all around. Plus it was about 100 degrees outside when I was there!

Clarksville is a Tennessee town with so much to offer, so I had lots to do! I absolutely loved this history of this city, the outdoor spaces, and the food I ate here.

And Clarksville is a city that shows up! There were all kinds of events going on while I was there like Downtown @ Sundown concerts and the Downtown Clarksville Farmers Market. And each event was absolutely packed with locals. This is a town that’s proud of itself and I love to see that!

Storybook Cottage Themed Rooms

I was absolutely blown away by all the themed details that went into Storybook Cottage. I mean, they truly thought of EVERYHING down to iridescent flatware in the Little Mermaid themed kitchen.

There are three bedrooms in Storybook Cottage and one bathroom. Two bedrooms are downstairs and themed after Beauty and the Beast and Snow White.

Sleigh queen bed with the header and footer covered in a blue velvet material. There is a portrait painting of a girl next to the bed, flowers on the nightstand, and you can see a door (which leads to the sunporch)
Beauty and the Beast Bedroom

The upstairs bedroom (which you do have to go through one of the bedrooms to access the stairs, so just be aware), is themed after Peter Pan and it’s perfect for kids. It has two twin beds and one half of the room is Captain Hook while the other is Tinkerbell.

And don’t miss the closest upstairs, which is themed after Rapunzel’s Tower from the movie Tangled!

The downstairs bathroom, which you can enter through either the Tiana sun porch or the Snow White bedroom, is themed after Aladdin. (I chose to sleep in the Snow White bedroom because it was attached to the bathroom.)

And downstairs there is also a Cinderella living room with regal furniture, an Alice in Wonderland dining room with a fun rabbit hole Instagram photo op painted on the wall, and a Little Mermaid kitchen with perfect subtle nods to our under the sea princess.

Me sitting on an ornately carved couch with a brocade fabric, reading. On the couch there is a light orange and white pumpkin pillow. Above the mantel is a giant fabric bow (which you assume Cinderella's bird friends made).
Me reading in the Cinderella living room

The designers of this cottage truly thought of every little detail. Everything they put inside, from the light fixtures to the paintings to the furniture, is impeccably themed!

And be sure to look on the baseboard behind the couch for a fun miniature surprise!

Tiny knitted clothes hung on a clothesline in the Snow White bedroom
The details at Storybook Cottage are incredible!

More Stays in Clarksville

The same team that put together the Storybook Cottage has two other rentals in Clarksville.

So if you can’t stay at the Storybook Cottage, you could rent the Pink House (perfect for a Girls Trip to Clarksville!) or The Old Clarksville House, which is billed as a Speakeasy-style house with darker colors and rich woods and leathers.

While I haven’t stayed at these, if they are done with the detail and forethought that Storybook Cottage is (and from the photos, it looks like they are), they would make amazing stays!

What To Do Near Storybook Cottage

Historic brick buildings in downtown Clarksville
Downtown Clarksville, Tennessee

Clarksville is full of fun things to do! Here were some of my favorites:

  • Customs House Museum – This is the best museum to see in Clarksville, and it’s located right downtown. It’s full of exhibits about art, Clarksville, history, local sports, and more. I especially loved seeing the model train. And they have a fantastic children’s museum area!
  • Downtown Clarksville Shops and Restaurants – There are some great restaurants and some adorable shops in downtown Clarksville! So enjoy some time exploring downtown and getting some lunch and/or dinner.
  • Cumberland Riverwalk – Right near downtown is the Cumberland Riverwalk. You can take some time enjoying a stroll along the river and it’s pretty easy to walk to from downtown via the Upland Trail.
  • The Mad Herbalist – This was maybe one of my favorite experiences in Clarksville, period. I went for lunch and the food was delicious. But what they’re really known for is being a tea house. They have seasonal custom made teas that are absolutely amazing. I got a iced tea flight, which was exactly what I needed on a hot summer day. And they were so incredibly good with delicate, refreshing flavors.
  • Historic Collinsville – This one is a bit more of a drive out of Clarksville (about 25 minutes), but if you’re a history lover, you need to go here! It’s full of historic log cabins and other buildings from the area, and the curators here gave me a great tour.
  • Dunbar Cave State Park – Again, this is a bit of a drive from downtown. But it’s one of the best things to see in Clarksville! This historic wild cave offers tours where you can see Native American cave art and learn more about the unique history of this park (it was one a resort and there was a dance floor at the cave entrance!).

Why You’ll Want to Book a Stay at Storybook Cottage

Portrait of King Triton hanging next to a doorway that leads to another room (you can see a mirror covered in splattered red paint in the Alice in Wonderland dining room)

If you’re a book and/or Disney lover, Storybook Cottage could not be more perfect for you! I had an absolutely blast and spent probably at least an hour finding and taking pictures of every little detail.

This would be perfect for a family weekend trip or staycation in Clarksville. And it’s also super affordable (as I watch hotel prices across the country continue to climb!).

And if you’re looking for a fun Instagram spot, this is a great place to go to. In fact, they often have days where you can use the house just to take fun pictures!

I really loved my stay here so much and was a little sad when I had to say goodbye to the magic of this space.

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Erin Burke is a travel writer and the founder of Flying Off the Bookshelf. She has been blogging for over 14 years, has visited countries and cities all over the world, and loves to share detailed-itineraries and travel tips to help readers have the best travel experiences possible. She lives in Huntsville, Alabama, is a Visit North Alabama Ambassador, and her features include NPR, MSN, Modern Mrs. Darcy, and more.