A romantic room for two in a historic home, aglow with the patina of lovingly restored antiques, the luster of fine china and the sparkle of silver. A fire crackles in the hearth and the rich scents of fresh coffee and homemade cinnamon rolls waft up from the kitchen. It’s the picture most people conjure when they consider a stay at a bed and breakfast. And it’s an accurate portrait.

But not the only one. Bed and breakfasts lodging with a twist—are typically found in historic homes, from Revolution-era townhouses to Queen Anne mansions to Craftsman bungalows. But B&Bs also occupy such nontraditional buildings as colonial taverns, Gay ’90s schoolhouses, Roaring ’20s banks, Victorian lighthouses and a panoply of other structures steeped in history and romance. And you’ll discover wonderful bed and breakfasts in modern Manhattan highrises, on working dairy farms and cattle ranches, and in many a new home perched beside a river, lake or the sea.