Harry Packer Mansion
1 Packer Hill Road, Jim Thorpe
(570) 325-8566, murdermansion.com
Cost: Rooms in the mansion and the adjacent carriage house range from $150 to $175; suites with a sitting room and Jacuzzi or soak tub are $250.
Drive time: 90 minutes
The scoop: Disney World may have used this Gothic-style historic home as the model for its Haunted Mansion, but there’s nothing “theme park” about it. Perched high on a hill overlooking the Victorian town of Jim Thorpe, it affords a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains and the carefully preserved architecture below. Inside, original 15-foot ceilings, Minton tiles, intricately carved woodwork, marble fireplaces, gilded mirrors, chandeliers and Tiffany windows ensure an authentic experience.
Amenities: Period antique furnishings and rich fabrics provide a lush look and feel in guest and common rooms. Full breakfast is included.
Don’t miss: The mansion hosts monthly Murder Mystery Weekends based on the Packer family fortune (patriarch Asa Packer founded Lehigh University) and the people who hoped to inherit it. Room, breakfast for two days and Chateaubriand dinner run $495-$650.
