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The Picture Perfect Eaton Rapids Wedding Venue
January 14th, 2022 by Corey A. Edwards
With spring just around the corner, now is the time to make plans for your big day!
The English Inn’s historic estate along the Grand River is easily one of the most popular and romantic wedding venues in the Lansing, MI area. With 16 acres of groomed gardens and our classic, Tudor revival mansion, the photo opportunities are endless.
Don’t forget that the English Inn is also home to a popular and award-wining, fine dining restaurant. This makes having fresh, on-site food and service for your reception a snap!
Better yet, we offer a wide variety of ceremony services and options.
The Ultimate Eaton Rapids Wedding Venue
One of our most popular outdoor wedding ceremony locations is the Pergola on the banks of the Grand River. Here you are surrounded by a garden with a lightly bubbling fountain that echoes the sounds of the nearby river. So lovely.
Inside, for larger wedding parties, we have the Grand Ballroom, with its crystal chandeliers and vaulted ceilings overlooking the river. For smaller ceremonies there are four different dining rooms to choose from, each one offering its own unique experience.
The English Inn is also a popular Lansing-area bed and breakfast, with 18 plush rooms for your bridal party, family, and guests.
A romantic and historic Eaton Rapids wedding venue able to accommodate indoor or outdoor weddings and receptions of up to 200 people, with award-winning on-site catering and accommodations. Why would you go anywhere else?
Call today and ask for our special events coordinator to set up a meeting or tour! 517-663-2500
English Inn New Year’s Eve Dinner Special & Gift Certificates
December 7th, 2021 by Corey A. Edwards
The English Inn Restaurant & Pub is equally famous in the Lansing-area for both peerless accommodations and fine dining. Our historic, 1927 Tudor Revival mansion, located on the lush, 15-acre Medovue Estate overlooks the Grand River and is just a half-hour’s drive from downtown Lansing.
Entering the estate, you’ll discover an oasis of old-world beauty and class mostly long forgotten. The classic architecture of the mansion features handcrafted mahogany, marble, and slate details and is surrounded by acres of sculptured gardens. It is the perfect venue for that special holiday dinner, wedding reception, anniversary, or just a chance to unwind in rarefied surroundings.
Our restaurant has received numerous awards over the years, including the DiRoNA (Distinguished Restaurant of North America), the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, and the Open Table Diner’s Choice. Along with our award-winning fine cuisine, we also offer an extensive, nationally recognized wine cellar. Visitors also enjoy relaxing with a pint or two in our intimate Dickens’ English pub.
2021 English Inn New Year’s Eve Dinner Special
Reservations for the 2021 English Inn New Year’s Eve Dinner Special are always popular and will not last long. Reserve your table now before they’re all gone!
You say you missed out or can’t make it on New Year’s Eve? No problem! The English Inn restaurant is open all through the holiday season and with special, early dinner hours! Enjoy fine dining in our dining room, pub, or outdoor conservatories this holiday season.
See December’s dinner menu and book your dinner reservation today!
English Inn Gift Certificates
English Inn Gift Certificates have no set amount or restrictions. Consequently, they can be used for a meal at our award winning restaurant, or drinks in our English-style pub. They can also be put towards a stay in one of our historic inn’s luxurious guest rooms or cottages.
English Inn Gift Certificates never expire and may be purchased in one of two ways:
Call 517-663-2500 and receive an elegantly designed, English Inn Gift Certificate printed on heavy card stock for you to fill out and present. English Inn Gift Certificates are also available online for instant delivery. Simply print the gift certificate out for your recipient. So easy!
Happy Holidays!
Common Ground Music Festival 2021
August 7th, 2021 by Corey A. Edwards
Common Ground Music Festival is a beloved annual event, drawing big name entertainers and large crowds to Mid-Michigan for over 20 years. More than 500 different artists have performed at the festival, and from many genres: rock, R&B, country, hip hop, and more.
The guest list typically includes local, regional, and big name, national acts. More than 40 Grammy Award winners and over 25 Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame inductees have graced Common Ground’s stages. The event attracts more than 50,000 people to downtown Lansing every year.
Common Ground 2021
This year’s event differs quite a bit from past years.
After multiple cancellations and postponements due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this year’s festival has been scaled back to one day. Though initially scheduled for early July 2021, as is typical, the date was moved to September 11th, 2021.
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The Turner-Dodge House – Window on the 19th Century
March 13th, 2021 by Corey A. Edwards
The Turner-Dodge House has stood in Old Town Lansing for more than 160 years. It was one of the first large homes to be built in Lansing and was home to several generations of an important pioneer family.
The house gets its Turner-Dodge name from the first families to live here. Marion and James Turner built the house in 1858 after moving to Lansing from Mason. James operated a mercantile store and Marion was a school teacher. Later, James would also speculate in real estate and build a foundry.
Abby Turner, Marion and James’ daughter, married Frank Dodge in 1888. The couple bought the house after they married, enlarging and redesigning it to accommodate the expanding family. A renovation that completely changed the house’s appearance.
The Turners and Dodges were more than just wealthy white landowners. They were true pioneers who helped to develop Michigan’s capitol city. They were also progressive, supporting higher education for women, the abolition of slavery, and liquor control.
The family lived in the house until 1958, when it was sold to the Great Lakes Bible College. The city of Lansing purchased the mansion in 1974 and, after substantial renovation, opened it as a historic house museum.
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Fitzgerald Park and the Ledges of Grand Ledge
July 12th, 2020 by Corey A. Edwards


“Ledges Trail, Grand Ledge, Michigan” by Guettarda
is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Looking for a unique and beautiful place to get out into nature? Explore Grand Ledge’s Fitzgerald Park and discover The Ledges, an ancient and beautiful series of sandstone cliffs along the Grand River.
Folks may not realize it but Grand Ledge, MI gets its name from an actual grand ledge – or a series of them, anyway. Known as “The Ledges,” the mile long, 300 million year old, sedimentary rock outcropping rises as much as 60 feet (18 m) above the shores of the Grand River.
This unique formation is the largest outcropping of rocks in Central Michigan. Local native tribes knew the area as “Big Rocks” and came here each spring to tap the sugar maples. A spiritualist summer campground was established here in 1894 and the Ledges Playhouse Theater pavillion they built still stands.
The property became a public park in 1919 and has remained a popular Grand Ledge attraction ever since.
Grand Ledge is located northwest of Lansing, MI just a short, half hour’s drive from The English Inn in Eaton Rapids. It would be easy to make a fun day-trip out of your visit. The town is full of fun shops, good restaurants, and lovely Victorian homes.
Spend the day investigating the area, then enjoy the short drive back to our Eaton Rapids inn, restaurant, and pub!
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