Beatles-themed Airbnb near Lambeau Field welcomes fans from all over the world

By Judy J. Beasley Last updated Jul 14, 2022

GREEN BAY — The only thing missing from Addie and Tim Sorbo’s Beatles-themed vacation rental is a “Paul McCartney slept here” sign, and it’s not for lack of trying.

At least not from Addie.

When she found out that Sir Paul would be performing at Lambeau Field in 2019, she invited her favorite Beatle to be the inaugural guest of the fabulous Fab Four getaway she and Tim had just completed on the lower level of their home. Where else was he going to find accommodation just 1.6 miles from the stadium that includes not only a private entrance and a “Yellow Submarine” ping pong room, but also a shower designed to look like one of those classic British red telephone boxes?

The welcome mat might as well have said “Let It Be”.

To prove to her that the invite was legit (and she was too), Addie sat down and recounted her immense love for the Beatles, starting in middle school when her dad steered her towards 60s bands. He was a Rolling Stones guy, but she gravitated to the Beatles.

While her friends were going crazy over New Kids on the Block, she was spending her money on Bradford Exchange collectible plates of Paul, John, George and Ringo. By the time she was a sophomore, she had taped her first McCartney gig — a 1993 show at Milwaukee County Stadium. There have been seven more since.

Graphic designer and founder of a marketing communication agency Strawberry field designAddie sent a 28-page booklet, along with the invitation, to McCartney’s publicist and to his residences in England and New York.

He didn’t accept it, but many other people did.

Since Addie and Tim welcomed their first guests three years ago – fans from North Dakota who came for McCartney’s concert – their Listing Abbey Road Green Bay on Airbnb welcomed visitors from all over the country and from as far away as China and Australia.

Sometimes it’s people who come to visit Door County, see family, or just savor the Beatles experience. Other times it’s Green Bay Packers fans from Manchester, England and Spain heading to Lambeau Field for their first game, a bucket list check mark.

The studio on the ground floor of the Sorbos family home near Parkwood Drive was booked for every Packers home game last season and, unsurprisingly, is talked about over the weekend of the Bayern Munich-Manchester City football match July 23 in Lambeau.

Don’t mind Paul McCartney in the bathroom

For Beatles buffs, the fan experience begins before they even step inside. They can walk through a version of the iconic Abbey Road crosswalk with Beatles silhouettes before entering the 900-square-foot space through a back door that mimics red telephone boxes.

In a cozy living room with a stone fireplace, shelves and curio cabinets are filled with Beatles memorabilia. There are collectible figurines, Corgi die-cast Beatles buses, plates, black and white photos, ornaments, buttons, records and a vintage TV guide with McCartney on the cover.

Most are things Addie has been collecting since her school days. Don’t tell anyone, but there are just as many in his upstairs studio, not that that’s stopping him from looking for the next big find.

When a friend recently had an estate sale after his McCartney-loving aunt died, he let Addie shop early. She left with Beatles books, Beatles puzzles and a Beatles edition of Trivial Pursuit.

“It was a full jackpot,” she said.

That’s kind of how guests must feel when staying at the place. There are things to see here, there and everywhere, a bit like a museum. Memorabilia in display cases are locked, but many sit on shelves and tables.

“We just trust people to respect our stuff,” Addie said.

They have had no issues so far with damaged or missing items.

It’s hard not to marvel at the bathroom, which leans a little more “London Calling” than “A Hard Day’s Night.” The decor is a nod to London, right down to the Union Jack wastebasket and the framed “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster.

The Sorbos reconfigured the room to add a shower, which Addie transformed into a red phone booth with a door from the Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity ReStore and her artistic talents. Then she found an image of McCartney talking on the phone and enlarged it life-size to make it look like he’s in the cabin.

It’s hard to imagine a single guest at Abbey Road Green Bay passing up this selfie opportunity.

For Addie, the creative wheels are always turning. One Christmas, she decorated an entire tree with Beatles decorations that she painted herself. She’s not sure Cleveland Browns fans really enjoyed it, but she had fun doing it.

“I’m pretty passionate about all the details,” Addie said. “I’m having a blast. It’s easy to go too far.

Beyond the Beatles, there are books, board games

Friends and neighbors, who are familiar with her penchant for all things Beatles and royals, often flag her down if they spot something on Facebook Marketplace, like the “Love Is All You Need” wooden chest under a large portrait of the Beatles from “Sergeant.” Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” she painted in a high school art class.

This painting became the inspiration for the Airbnb rental, but the seed may have been planted when Addie was in college. She did an independent study of themed restaurants, thinking she wanted to own a Beatles cafe one day.

“Then I realized that I didn’t want to own a restaurant. I just wanted to design them,” she said.

She has created themed spaces for her family’s businesses and church. She’s just waiting for someone to call and tell her they have an Airbnb rental they’d like her to take care of. None as dear to his heart, however, as Abbey Road Green Bay. McCartney might have something to do with it.

“He’s so cool,” she said. “He’s so genuine and I love that he’s such a loyal person. He’s just a musical genius.

You might be wondering where Tim fits in all this Beatlemania? Good …

“He shares my passion, but I had to teach him who the Beatles were called when we met,” she laughed. “He lets me do my thing. It is quite supportive. He likes their music, but he’s not a super fan like me.

His influence can be seen in the apartment’s playroom. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases are filled with his books and games. Guests will quickly realize he’s a big fan of author Clive Cussler, but his vast collection of titles also spans WWII, Abraham Lincoln, “Tarzan of the Apes” and “Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales.”

Some of his childhood board games cover one of the walls as artwork – a nostalgic mosaic of Sorry!, Parcheesi, The Game of Life, Operation, Bonkers!, Home Alone and more. others, with a map of Middle-earth pasted on for good measure. The shelves are filled with newer “gamer games” like Dungeon Lords and Five Tribes.

The Sorbos, their two teenagers and 6-year-old cockapoo Murray, are a game-night family, often hosting potlucks with friends where the game can stretch past midnight. They are happy to share the games with guests, who sometimes leave a note to say that their favorite part of the whole stay was all the games.

To tie the game room into the Beatles theme, Addie cut out matching photos of the Beatles playing games and drinking coffee and hung them in the kitchenette, where the cupboard door handles and backsplash are decorated with dice, of Scrabble squares and other game pieces.

While guests enjoy a cup of coffee, they can leaf through an Addie scrapbook made with newspaper clippings from McCartney’s Lambeau concert. She was there that day, in VIP seats. Someone from McCartney’s team found her to let him know that his invitation to stay at Abbey Road Green Bay had been sent to Sir Paul himself, but he would not meet any fans.

“I came so close,” she said.

It could still happen one day, maybe if she crossed the pond to England for him.