“We work [with other businesses to] make people stay,” Co-owner Shannon McKeeth said. “When they stay they spend more money in New Ulm and we all get it. When we had four bed and breakfasts we all worked together too and I miss that.”

Shannon and Todd McKeeth opened Bingham Hall Bed and Breakfast on Bockfest weekend in 2006. This came after six years of renovating the building and moving renters out. The structure was built in 1893 and used for apartments before being bought by the McKeeths. Todd McKeeth said the original idea came from some friends.

“My wife had some culinary training and worked in a couple of restaurants,” he said. “Shannon had three friends on separate occasions within a week telling her she should open a bed and breakfast. The third person was her friend and realtor Mary Henle. She said she would find us a house.”

After purchasing the Bingham home in 2000, much work needed to be done. Todd McKeeth said they added new heating and air conditioning, plumbing, and wiring. They also worked to restore as many of the home’s original features as possible. Shannon McKeeth said their work over the past 23 years has been well worth it.

Shannon and Todd McKeeth sit in the main room of their Bingham Hall Bed and Breakfast. Shannon McKeeth said one of the biggest challenges is finding time for everything that needs to be done.

“We were the first Minnesota B&B to earn the Best of the Midwest award from Bed&Breakfast.com,” she said. “We’ve enjoyed spending time with a variety of people. Not just the guests, but also networking with other business people in New Ulm. We try to support each other by sending clientele back and forth.”

The McKeeths identified the COVID-19 pandemic as one of their worst times. Though the business was able to remain open, Todd McKeeth said they did not have any bookings for six months. They were not able to receive COVID financial assistance, and without his job as a teacher, Shannon McKeeth said they would have lost Bingham Hall.

While in dire straits, Shannon McKeeth went to the media and made the case of B&Bs throughout Minnesota known.

“We couldn’t get any financial support that everybody else was getting, so we went on television as the bed and breakfast industry for the state,” she said. “I was the president of the Minnesota Bed and Breakfast Association on and off for 12 years. I went to somebody I knew and said ‘Can we get some coverage?’ The reporter from WCCO called; it was a 15-second blurb about how it’d be nice if we could get some help.”

The McKeeths said everything has returned to normal, with many looking to do weekend trips and discover attractions close to home. The most popular destinations Bingham Hall travelers frequent are Morgan Creek Vineyards, Schell’s Creek Brewery, and sites related to German heritage and history. Shannon McKeeth said their busiest time is August through October.

In the time Bingham Hall has been around, Airbnb has boomed in popularity and become an alternative to the traditional bed and breakfast fare in New Ulm. Shannon McKeeth said Airbnb’s are often easier to run and have fewer regulations. Even with these upsides, Todd McKeeth said he loves what Bingham Hall is and provides to the community.

“We hear stories occasionally from people who had good and bad experiences with Airbnb,” he said. Every Airbnb is different, just as every bed and breakfast is different. We’ve found a niche here that works well.”

There are no plans to stop anytime soon. Todd McKeeth said they hope to remain active in ownership for the next eight to ten years. After that, the McKeeths hope one of their daughters will take over and continue the family business. In addition, they hope Bingham Hall continues to be preserved as a historical wonder for people to step back in time.

For more information, visit https://bingham-hall.com/