When you think of castles, the USA might not be the first place that springs to mind. Europe, with its thousands of historic fortresses, usually takes that honor. Yet, America has its share of castles, and they’re not just in theme parks like Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle or Disney World’s Cinderella Castle. Beyond well-known spots like Belvedere Castle in New York City or the Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C., lie some truly unconventional structures. Get ready to explore 10 of the strangest castles scattered across the United States!
10. Solomon’s Castle, Florida
Deep in Ona, Florida, you’ll find Solomon’s Castle. This peculiar structure, complete with a turret and moat, shines brightly from afar. Its gleam comes not from tin foil, but from salvaged metal printing plates covering its exterior. Howard Solomon, the castle’s creator, humorously called himself “The DaVinci of Debris.”
This unique castle served as Solomon’s home and workshop. It also features art galleries showcasing his creations, a bed & breakfast, and the “Boat-in-the-Moat” restaurant – a replica Spanish galleon floating in the man-made moat. Though Howard Solomon passed away in 2016, his family continues to offer tours, keeping his extraordinary dream alive for visitors to experience.
9. Chris Mark Castle, Connecticut
Imagine your children asking for a castle, and you actually build one! That’s exactly what Chris Mark did. When his young daughters innocently asked, “Daddy, why don’t you build us a castle?” he obliged. Construction began in 2003 near Woodstock, Connecticut, and the castle was mostly complete by 2010. Despite being listed for sale multiple times since 2014, it hasn’t found a buyer yet.
The castle boasts impressive towers and turrets, accessed via two stone bridges crossing a moat. A stunning glass dome crowns the structure, offering views of a 30-acre pond on the property. Inside, antiques fill the rooms. Adding a personal, if somewhat quirky, touch, sculptures of his daughters’ faces with open mouths act as waterspouts when it rains. Chris Mark’s daughter, Christina, often showcases the castle on social media, dressed in princess attire.
8. Cano’s Castle, Colorado
Cano’s Castle, built by Dominic “Cano” Espinosa, is a striking 40-foot tall aluminum art installation. Its main frame is stone, but the exterior is a mosaic of scrap metal, predominantly beer cans, hubcaps, and grills. The castle consists of four main parts: the prominent “king” and “queen” towers, alongside buildings named the “palace” and “rook.” Cano started building this unusual structure as a tribute to God after surviving the Vietnam War.
Unfortunately, a fire severely damaged Cano’s Castle in January 2022. Cano himself was unharmed, and the “king” and “queen” towers thankfully survived. While the castle is on private property and not open for interior tours, visitors can admire it from the street and might even get a chance to chat with Cano.
7. Gillette Castle, Connecticut
William Gillette, renowned for his stage portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, designed and personally supervised the construction of his eccentric home. Perched on a hill overlooking the Connecticut River, Gillette Castle was intended to resemble a medieval fortress, though its success in that regard is debatable. Gillette’s quirky tastes are evident throughout: each of the 47 doors is uniquely designed, a table moves on tracks, and the upstairs walkway walls are unusually short – perhaps to make him appear taller during grand entrances. Secret passageways and doors further enhanced his dramatic flair.
“He was a much better actor than he was an architect,” noted Linda Levine from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. Gillette also installed a miniature train that ran on a 3-mile track around his property, even passing through a small tunnel. He lived in this dream castle with numerous cats until his death in 1937. In his will, Gillette famously stated he didn’t want his castle inherited by “some blithering saphead.” Today, the state owns the castle, and it’s open for public and virtual tours.
6. Ice Castles, Various States
Ice Castles is a company that crafts breathtaking ice structures each winter, reminiscent of Elsa’s palace from Frozen. For the 2022-23 season, these icy wonders appeared in Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Utah, and Wisconsin. Brent Christensen founded the company in 2011 after an ice cave he built in his garden for his daughter became a local sensation.
Building these castles requires tons of ice; for example, the New Hampshire castle in 2019 used 20 tons. The very nature of ice—melting in the sun and refreezing as temperatures drop—means these castles are constantly evolving. Freshly shaped icicles are sprayed with water to freeze them solidly into the structure. Visitors can explore frozen thrones, tunnels, and ice slides, all illuminated by colorful LED lights at night, creating a magical experience.
5. South Hero Miniature Castles, Vermont
South Hero, a small island town with fewer than 2,000 residents, is home to a charming collection of miniature castles. These stone structures, standing just a few feet tall, feature classic castle elements like turrets and moats. Some even had functional running water and electricity at one point.
These tiny fortresses were built by Harry Barber, a Swiss immigrant who settled in South Hero after marrying a local. Barber worked various jobs, including as a gardener, and was commissioned to build these miniature castles on properties around the town. He passed away in 1966, and while some of his creations have been dismantled over time, several can still be spotted, adding a touch of whimsy to the island landscape.
4. Castles of Ida Grove, Iowa
Ida Grove, Iowa, is another small town dotted with unusual castles, though these are much larger than South Hero’s miniatures. Inventor and entrepreneur Byron Godbersen, who passed away in 2003, developed a fondness for castles after a trip to Europe. He decided to bring castle architecture to his hometown, transforming Ida Grove into what the LA Times described as a “Midwestern Camelot with turrets, moats, flying buttresses, and ornate balustrades.”
Godbersen’s company, Midwest Industries, received the castle treatment, as did its private airplane hangar. The town’s official welcome sign is a stone observation tower. A suspension bridge with turreted stone arches spans the creek on the local golf course. Even the town’s skating rink was designed to look like a castle, making Ida Grove a truly unique stop.
3. Montezuma Castle, Arizona
Montezuma Castle is an ancient dwelling impressively built into a limestone cliff, about 80 feet above the ground. Despite its name, it has no connection to the Aztec emperor Montezuma II, nor is it a traditional castle. European settlers misnamed it, unaware that the Sinagua people constructed it between 1100 and 1300, long before Montezuma was born.
It’s believed the Sinagua people built their homes high in the cliff to free up the valley floor for farming and to provide a secure living space. The five-story structure contains twenty rooms, built with limestone rocks and clay. While much of the flooring is the natural cliff ledge, wooden beams were used where the ledge wasn’t wide enough. President Theodore Roosevelt designated Montezuma Castle a National Monument in 1906. Public access via ladders was stopped in 1951 to preserve the structure and ensure safety. Today, visitors can view this historic site from below and learn about its past at the visitor center.
2. Ha Ha Tonka Castle Ruins, Missouri
Ha Ha Tonka State Park offers stunning natural scenery, much like many other state parks. However, it also features something unique: the ruins of a castle. Nestled among trees on a bluff overlooking the Lake of the Ozarks are the atmospheric remains of a castle that businessman Robert Snyder began constructing in 1905. Snyder aimed for authenticity, employing 100 Scottish stonemasons for the project. Tragically, just one year later, he died in one of Missouri’s first car accidents, never seeing his dream castle completed.
Snyder’s sons finished the project in 1920. Financial difficulties later led them to convert it into a hotel in 1935. Just seven years later, in 1942, a fire ravaged the castle, leaving it in the ruined state seen today. The state acquired the property in 1978, and visitors to Ha Ha Tonka State Park can now explore these evocative ruins.
1. Bishop Castle, Colorado
In 1969, Jim Bishop started building a modest stone cabin in San Isabel National Forest. “But people kept asking if I was building a castle, so I thought, if people want a castle, I’ll give them a castle,” he explained. While Jim’s father, Willard, helped with some initial stonework around a metal water tank when it was just a family cabin, the vast majority of the structure is Jim’s solo effort. He proudly states it was “built by one man with the help of God.”
Bishop Castle now towers at 160 feet and includes a grand ballroom adorned with stained glass windows. A striking metal dragon’s head, capable of breathing fire thanks to a hot air balloon burner, is mounted on the ballroom’s exterior. The stone edifice is adorned with ironwork balconies, bridges, and spiral staircases. A notable lack of guardrails in many areas means that climbing the towers is a true test for anyone with a fear of heights. Entrance to Bishop Castle is completely free (and at your own risk), though donations are welcome, and there’s even a gift shop.
These ten castles showcase the incredible creativity and sometimes downright peculiar visions of their builders. From shiny metal fortresses to icy palaces and historic ruins, the United States offers a surprising variety of strange and wonderful castles, each with its own unique story. They prove that you don’t need to travel to Europe to find enchanting, or even bizarre, castle architecture.
Which of these strange U.S. castles would you most like to visit? Leave your comment below!
