One Minnesota Town Bought Its Old School For $1 And Transformed It Into Airbnb
Middle River, Minnesota, is home to something not seen in any other Minnesota town: a cheap, spacious Airbnb that's located in a modern school.
The town of Middle River, located 22 miles north of Thief River Falls, couldn't bear the idea of losing its Middle River Schoolhouse after the District voted to close the building in 2018.
The residents were determined to save the building, so they bought it from the school district for one whole dollar. After a few months of debating, the schoolhouse finally became an Airbnb--complete with a gymnasium, library, cafeteria, and playground.
Sandra Melby, who manages the listing for the city, explained:
"We’ve never heard of anyone doing this before, but we were willing to try it. It’s been working out really well.”
The schoolhouse Airbnb converted four classrooms into comfortable bedrooms. Below you can see an example of one.
(Notice the piano in the corner?)
They transformed the former home ec room into a kitchen lounge. There are three ovens, three fridges and a smart tv.
There is also a washer and dryer in the corner for guest's convenience.
Pictured above is the 'lounge' located in the home ec classroom.
According to a article by Racket MN, "guests are welcome to shoot hoops in the gym, browse the library selection, and even get nostalgic over those throwback shared sinks that operate with a foot pedal."
In other words, you'll have a night away like no other. Plus, the Airbnb is only $55 a night! (That's extremely cheap.)