These Fayetteville Airbnbs aren’t just vacation rentals—they’re portals into other worlds.
photographed by BRYSON TAYLOR
Just outside of New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, two houses sit side by side—one red, one tan. At first glance, they appear quaint and unassuming, set against the backdrop of small-town Oak Hill. But on a closer look, eccentricities begin to appear: A life-size game board painted on the red house’s parking pad. In the tree beside the tan house, a cut-out of a blue Ford Anglia, recognizable to Harry Potter fans. And those are just the quirks that are visible before entering the abodes—at the Game House and Wizard House Airbnbs, supersize board games and flying cars are only the beginning.
All of Rachel Adkins’ and Nate Adams’ immersive vacation rentals tend to push the boundaries of reality. The pair first dabbled in the world of Airbnb by listing their Ohio home while traveling the country during the pandemic. Drawn by family roots in West Virginia, the duo found themselves in the state during their journey. Soon enough, they weren’t just traveling to West Virginia—they were coming home.
“We realized we could Airbnb our house easily, so we thought we could get a cabin in West Virginia and do the same,” explains Adkins. “While we were fixing it up, we realized, ‘I think we’ve accidentally moved here.’”
Just a few years later, the pair has single-handedly created a hot spot of one-ofa- kind vacation rentals in the Fayetteville area. Each one features a theme pushed to the extreme. Adams handles the renovations—they often choose houses that need some love—and Adkins, he says, has an artistic nature that can’t be contained. They find inspiration in their personal interests and in the wild and wonderful state around them. The Wizard House in particular stemmed from a visit to Fayetteville’s annual Wizard Weekend.
“I choose a concept, and then I follow that concept to the nth degree,” Adkins says. “I don’t want to say, ‘This is vintage-themed, so we’re going to put up some posters.’ I want it to feel like you’ve stepped back in time and you’re in a completely different world.”
Of the couple’s five Airbnbs—with several more in the works—some are known for being especially otherworldly, like the Wizard House and the Mothmanor in nearby Fayetteville. Elaborate details range from faux stone walls and epoxy resin kitchen countertops filled with embedded candies to a fridge plastered with cryptid stickers and walls covered in bizarre artwork.
Beyond the decor, there’s something else that makes these vacation rentals so special: escape rooms. Wizard House’s herbologythemed room is filled with magical puzzles and prizes, while Mothmanor features 24 monster-themed mysteries integrated throughout every room except the bathroom. Mothmanor is like a miniature version of the pair’s long-term goal: a large-scale, immersive art exhibit featuring West Virginia’s favorite cryptids, including Mothman, the Flatwoods Monster, the Vegetable Man, and more.
“Everything we do ties back to us wanting the area and its community to do well,” Adkins says. “Fayetteville has brilliant outdoor activities, but there’s a lack of indoor attractions. We want to create a huge themed place with escape room elements, playground elements, and interactive art—just a really cool indoor attraction that will pull people to the area year ’round.”
In the meantime, the pair is expanding Fayetteville’s selection of escape room Airbnbs, a collection unparalleled anywhere in the country. They’re currently working their magic on a few across in the New River Gorge area, including a cabin on the New River, a handful of glamping units, and two themed renovations slated to open next year: Steampunk House and ’80s Childhood Nostalgia House.
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM WV LIVING’S FALL 2025 ISSUE
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