Our Story

Since 1803, we’ve been a gathering place for our community and guests.

When Jonas Seaman traveled from New Jersey to Ohio and spent $4 for a license to operate a “house of Public Entertainment” on Broadway in the newly-founded village of Lebanon, he could never have imagined that more than 220 years later his establishment would still be offering food and lodging for travelers.

Seaman’s establishment got its name from the sign hung outside the business – an image of a golden lamb, used because many early travelers could not read.

Throughout its more than 220-year history, the Golden Lamb has hosted, entertained and provided lodging for many notable guests, including 12 U.S. presidents; political figures Barbara Bush, Mitt Romney, and Henry Clay; American legend Neil Armstrong; literary greats Charles Dickens, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Alex Haley, James Whitcomb Riley, Louis Bromfield and Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain); movie star Charles Laughton; and pop singer Kesha.

Today, the Golden Lamb — Ohio’s longest continually operating business — is a vibrant restaurant and boutique hotel infused with a spirit of hospitality and history. Our rich heritage is displayed throughout our building, as well as in our fourth-floor museum rooms, which showcase the history of our innkeepers and Shaker culture.

We invite you to make your history part of our history.