5 Must-Sees Inside Nemacolin Resort, Home To ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’

The backdrop to this season’s “The Bachelor” on ABC, featuring bachelor Matt James, may have caught your attention in between the dramatic story lines and twists and turns of dating life. But, if you’re wondering about the resort itself where the entire season was filmed, there is quite a bit more to the fairy tale setting than what the show reveals.

With the finale in sight, viewers may be curious to eventually explore southwestern Pennsylvania’s Nemacolin Resort for themselves. Unlike other Bachelor seasons, the Covid-19 pandemic led to the entire show being filmed in one place.

Nemacolin is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, which means you can earn I Prefer points or redeem them for discounts during your stay. The property even has offers for extended stays of 21 or 30 days for those that want to work remotely from “The Bachelor’s” backyard.

Located about 90 minutes away from Pittsburgh, this 2,000-acre property is an all-season playground for more than just romance seekers. Families, especially, will find activities to keep everyone busy. While Matt stayed in a private residence known as “Mystic Falls,” the contestants slept in hotel rooms in the Falling Rock section of the resort. Guests can choose to reserve any accommodation, including “Mystic Falls,” subject to availability, or the Falling Rock rooms if they want to stay where contestants spent time.

While the resort offers a beautiful setting, it has some surprising features that don’t always get screen time on the show. Visitors will find quite a few eclectic amenities on the grounds. With the upcoming season finale about to air, here’s what you might have missed if you weren’t paying close attention.

A world-renowned art collection

With more than 900 pieces on display, the artwork covers a wide range of styles and artists including Fernando Botero, Henri Toulouse Lautrec and Frederic Remington. It is the personal collection of the Hardy family, owners of the property. Guests can join group art tours or peruse the museum-worthy pieces on their own.

An automotive and aviation museum

If you’re a fan of vintage cars, the owner’s personal collection is on full display here. Known as the Woodlands Auto Toy Store, this was the scene of some bachelor dates. These rare, antique vehicles run the gamut from race cars to sports cars, and of course, a stately Rolls-Royce.

There’s also an aviation museum featuring the owner’s restored planes, many fully restored from decades past. For guests flying private planes to the resort, it has its own runway just steps from the main lobby of the Chateau building (modeled after the Ritz in Paris.

Located a few steps from the resort, the runway is being expanded to suit larger private aircraft in the near future.

“Leap of faith” dining

The resort has several dining options including a classic steakhouse and old-fashioned ice cream parlor. It’s the Lautrec restaurant, however, that has foodies intrigued. Here, the menu is literally a “leap of faith.” Diners circle their desired ingredients from a pictorial menu and let the chef’s creativity go to work. Every meal is unique since it is based on the guests’ dietary preferences and ingredient choices. To go with the multi-course dinner is a 1,200-bottle wine list (said to be Pennsylvania’s largest working wine cellar) and a decadent candy and sweets trolley at the end of the meal.

Endless recreation roster including a cryogenic chamber

Woodlands Spa and Salon offers a long list of massage and beauty treatments. There’s also a holistic healing center (located in the same building where the contestants stayed) where visitors will find a meditation center, Zen garden and even a cryogenic chamber to emerge feeling their best.

There’s no shortage of outdoor recreation options with everything from horseback riding to ropes courses and Jeep off-roading. How about axe throwing or paintball instead? There’s also clay shooting, fly fishing, ATV riding, bird hunting, archery and, in winter, downhill skiing and snowboarding. An old-fashioned carousel rounds out the options for every activity level; it’s the perfect end to a romantic date, too.

Wooflands Pet Resort and Spa

It’s not just humans that can experience pampering at Nemacolin, man’s best friend can too at the property’s partner facility, Woodlands Pet Resort and Spa. In addition to a veterinary clinic, there are daycare and spa services for pets.

If you travel without pets, but still want to see some exotic animals, the resort is home to Iranian red sheep, lions, tigers, buffalo, wolves and kinkajou.