Kurt Cobain's Olympia apartment is now a $250-a-night Airbnb — the room where "Smells Like Teen Spirit" got its name

From the street, 114 Pear St NE in Olympia, Washington is an ordinary light-green triplex with a strip of grass, a bank of evergreen hedge and two white doors marked with the house number. Inside its front apartment, Kurt Cobain wrote most of the music that made Nirvana famous, and this week the room became bookable on Airbnb. 1

The listing is called 114 N Pear Studio-Nirvana and it leads with the draw. It is a one-bedroom studio for two guests, furnished with Nirvana records, posters, photographs and guitars, and it sits in the apartment whose wall gave "Smells Like Teen Spirit" its name — Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna wrote the line there. KIRO 7 in Seattle reported the booking news on September 28, and national coverage followed through October 1. 23

The house went up around 1914 as a triplex: two apartments facing the street and a smaller one at the back. Cobain shared the front unit with his then-girlfriend, Tracy Marander, through the years Nirvana released Bleach and began work on Nevermind. Realtor.com, citing the travel creator Dave Seminara, puts their rent and utilities at $137. Marander moved out after the couple broke up in 1990, and Cobain lost the apartment that year; he returned from a press trip to find his belongings on the lawn. 34

The Olympia Historical Society, a regional heritage group, reckons Cobain wrote about 75 percent of his lifetime output in the house, and it traces the band's breakthrough hit to graffiti that Hanna left on the apartment wall during a night out. Songs including Pennyroyal Tea and early work on All Apologies are tied to the same rooms. The listing makes the claim in its own words: "The studio where Kurt Cobain wrote much of Nevermind." 35

Host Kelli has kept the place close to what it was. Take the listing's own summary of the small print: guests report the original kitchen cabinets, sink, taps and some door handles still in use, while the decor adds records, books and pictures of Cobain. Outside there is a backyard with a large cherry tree, and a shed where the band reportedly kept its equipment. 13

Anil, visiting from London in August 2026, was struck by how much of Cobain's era had survived:

Ethan, a guest of ten years on the platform, stayed the same month and brought a lifelong Nirvana fan with him: "Most of the apartment was original and intact the way it was in 1988-91, my girl (who is a massive lifelong fan of Nirvana) was in awe the entire time." 1

Sharleen called the stay "magical" and credited the decoration, then added the line anyone weighing $250 a night should read twice: "The bed was broken when we arrived. Communication with Kelli went great, and we received a retroactive discount." 1

The aggregate scores carry both halves of that. Ninety percent of the 97 reviews are five stars, and one three-star guest has written that the historical significance holds up while cleanliness, maintenance and noise from neighboring musicians did not. 16

Reporting dated September 29, 2026 put the nightly rate at $250 to $300 depending on the length of stay, with a two-night minimum when the host's schedule allows and discounts for bookings of six months or more. Those figures are a starting point; Airbnb shows a final total once you enter dates. 34

The listing takes two guests and marks the apartment unsuitable for children and infants. Check-in runs from 3 p.m., checkout is by 11 a.m., and long-term stays are permitted. A kitchen, Wi-Fi, standard cable and the backyard are the main amenities, and the queen bed fills the room's single sleeping space. 1

Availability is the squeeze. As of September 27, most nights were taken through December 2026, which makes this a date-first booking. Open the listing on Airbnb to see what is left.