The 23 most impressive castles in America

What is it? A hand-mixed concrete castle built 1908–12.

Why go? Built for Henry Chapman Mercer—who dabbled in archaeology and anthropology and considered himself a ceramicist, scholar and antiquarian—Fonthill Castle functioned as his home and a showplace for his many artifacts such as Moravian tiles. He referred to the unique structure as his “Castle for the New World,” architecturally a hodgepodge of styles: Medieval, Gothic and Byzantine. Mercer left the structure to his housekeeper and her husband, and today it’s a national history landmark operating as a house museum. Want to poke around by yourself and not be part of a guided tour? You’ll want to visit on a Meander Day.

Time Out tip: There are actually two castles here, just a mile apart, separately ticketed: the other is Mercer Museum, built in 1916, with objects dramatically suspended from the ceiling.

Price: $20.

What is it? A stone turreted castle on an island with a tragic backstory.

Why go? This extraordinary summer dream home called Boldt Castle is on Heart Island, part of New York’s famed Thousand Islands. Hotel magnate George C. Boldt (proprietor of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City) began construction on this six-story private home in 1900 as a gift to his wife but stopped four years later when she suddenly died. Boldt never returned to the premises, and the unfinished castle fell into disarray until the Thousand Island Bridge Authority bought the island in 1977 for $1. Boldt Castle and its nearby yacht house have since been completed and can be visited during the warm months, but only by boat. You’ll need to book a ride with one of several boat tour operators or have your own craft.

Time Out tip: Sometime after your visit, you’ll have to make or order two salads: one dressed with Thousand Islands dressing (yep, you’re in those Thousand Islands!) and one Waldorf salad to honor George Boldt.

Price: $13.50.

What is it? A winery set in a replica of a 14th-century Tucscan castle.

Why go? Love wine and history? Castello di Amorosa is a gorgeous time-traveling castle with a drawbridge and moat, chapel, knight’s hall and Great Hall. Along with wine, the cellar holds a dungeon, armory and torture chamber (in which you are forced to drink merlot… JK). Built by fourth generation winemaker Dario Sattui (yes, his great grandfather was Vittorio Sattui; visit the V. Sattui winery just 20 minutes up the road), the castle took around 15 years to build, starting in 1994. It’s set in rolling acres of vineyards and is exquisitely postcard worthy. You must have a reservation to enter the grounds; various tours include access to the castle and grounds and tastings of five or more wines. You can even order a Libero tasting of a flight of non-alcoholic wines and grape juices.

Time Out tip: Can’t make it to California? The castle offers a virtual tasting, which includes a private virtual tour of the castle, custom printed tasting mats and a four-wine tasting of bottles shipped to your home in advance.

Price: Tours/tastings start at $60.

What is it? America’s biggest private residence, which resembles a French chateau.

Why go? Built by Richard Morris Hunt for George Vanderbilt in the late 19th century as a country home in the idyllic Blue Ridge Mountains, the Biltmore Estate is a pleasure to explore. The extravagant home is filled with 16th-century tapestries, a banquet hall with 70-foot-tall ceilings and a library boasting over 10,000 books. The lush grounds of more than 8,000 acres, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted of Central Park fame, are glorious in the warm months.

Time Out tip: Currently, your ticket price includes a complimentary wine tasting and admission to a new Tutankhamun exhibition—so make plans to spend the day.

Price: $80.

What is it? Easily the country’s most famous castle, and a state historical monument.

Why go? National landmark Hearst Castle took decades to be built for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst by pioneering woman architect Julia Morgan—the first licensed woman architect in California. Hearst had grand ambitions for his retreat, La Cuesta Encantada (Enchanted Hill), which was built on his family’s expansive ranchland. Situated almost exactly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the scenic Pacific Coast, the castle is a popular stop for roadtrippers. Visitors can check out the 165-room estate, 123 acres of gardens full of exotic flowers, the ornate pools and Hearst’s legendary art collection.

Time Out tip: Visiting here is an elaborate process—reservations are highly recommended, and you’ll need to show up about a half hour before your tour time to check in and board the shuttle to the castle from the parking lot. There are several different tours; study the website to pick one or two. We recommend the one that focuses on Julia Morgan.

Price: $35.

What is it? A crenellated stone castle that looks straight out of King Arthur’s realm.

Why go? Loveland Castle was built by a remarkable man, Harry Delos Andrews. He served as a medic during World War I where he became sick with meningitis and was erroneously declared dead. By the time word got back to America six months later that he was still alive, his fiancée had already married someone else. Rude. Andrews took off on a grand tour of Europe and explored many castles. He eventually became a boy scout troop leader of a squad called the Knights of the Golden Trail, and frequently camped at a secluded part of the Little Miami River in Ohio. Andrews built stone tents to keep their camping gear and supplies by the creek safe and dry. The structures evolved into a full-blown medieval castle—Loveland Castle. Today boy scout troops can still spend the night while visitors tour the property to admire collections of swords and other old weapons.

Time Out tip: Go find the secret room Andrews created inside the garden.

Price: $5.

What is it? Once a “folly” (an ornamental structure), today it’s a fun tourist destination in Central Park.

Why go? Designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, the 1867 Gothic/Romanesque Belvedere Castle contributes a bit of medieval glamor to the park. Belvedere means “beautiful view” and from its heights you can see views of Turtle Pond and Delacorte Theater. The castle is open air and was once used as a weather station.

Time Out tip: History buffs, walk 10 minutes to find Cleopatra’s Needle, also known as the Obelisk, shipped here from Egypt in the 1870s.

Price: Free.

What is it? A late-19th-century castle built to look like one constructed in 11th-century England.

Why go? Just outside of Philadelphia is the large, 40-room Grey Towers Castle, which was built of limestone and greystone to resemble the famous Alnwick Castle in England. The structure was the home of sugar magnate William Welsh Harrison and includes a gorgeous ballroom, double-curved staircase, library and three-story Great Hall. Today, it is part of the Arcadia University campus and is used as an administrative office and a space to host college events. Lucky first-year students get to live on the third floor. You can access the first floor (Great Hall, dining room, Rose Room and Mirror Rooms) Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm unless if there is an event going on.

Time Out tip: Inside are 54 tapestries crafted during the 19th century, and outside you’ll find more than 50 gargoyles.

Price: Free.

What is it? An Arts and Crafts style micro-castle.

Why go? While certainly not the biggest castle in the country, this beautiful example of Arts and Crafts-style architecture is nonetheless a sight to behold. Built atop the Ossipee Mountains by shoe industry titan Tom Plant in 1918, Castle in the Clouds offers great views of the surrounding natural landscape, including Lake Winnipesaukee. Inside the house, it looks like the Plants have just stepped out for a moment, leaving their furnishings and belongings, and with their clothes still in the closets. Visitors take a trolley up the mountain to reach the premises. The Lucknow Estate was designated a national historic landmark in 2024.

Time Out tip: There are some cool things to see on the drive up on the Old Mountain Road, like a giant glacial erratic (a boulder carried and deposited by a long-ago glacier), a waterfall and a scenic overlook. Since it’s a one-way road, plan to stop along the way because you’ll be driving down on a different route on the way back. In fact, budget a half hour to drive that two-mile stretch.

Price: $23.

What is it? A four-story, Scottish-inspired castle on an island.

Why go? A castle on an island just has its own very precious charm. In the early 1900s, granite behemoth Singer Castle was being built at a prime moment in New York castle history as the Boldt Castle rose just down the St. Lawrence River. When the Boldt Castle construction was halted, businessman Frederick Bourne hired the laid-off workers to complete his island hunting retreat. (Singer Castle earns its name from Bourne’s role as the fifth president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company.) The castle is made of granite and has an ornate boathouse… and many secret passages. Private boaters are welcome, or you can book a boat from Alexandria Bay or Schermerhorn Harbor.

Time Out tip: Spending the night with your friends or family? Book the Royal Suite, which takes up an entire wing of the castle and can sleep up to six people.

Price: $15.

What is it? One of America’s greatest Gothic Revival mansions.

Why go? Built in 1838, Lyndhurst boasts architecture and design details (narrow halls, intricate woodwork, peaked, vaulted ceilings) that make the home romantic and gloomy, befitting a 19th-century gothic romance like Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre. The mansion houses a large collection of antiques and furniture and boasts a stunning view of the Hudson River alongside well-manicured grounds. Enjoy several different tours that reveal different parts of the home; all tours involve climbing stairs. There are private group tours in Spanish and Russian.

Time Out tip: If you want to ascend all the way to the tower, take the Upstairs-Downstairs tour; it also lets you see the kitchen and servant spaces: Downton Abbey fans, this is your tour.

Price: Tour prices start at $27. If you just want to wander the beautiful grounds, a pass is $10.

What is it? A 1920 stone home that looks far older.

Why go? Although Hammond Castle Museum might look like it’s straight out of medieval Europe, it was actually built in the 1920s. It was for inventor John Hays Hammond Jr. to serve as his home, laboratory and gallery for his sizable collection of Roman, Medieval and Renaissance artifacts and antiquities. This house museum is also a lapidarium (a place where stone monuments are exhibited). Today, you can see the collection and check out exhibits about the former homeowner's life and inventions as you tour Hammond Castle, including the guest bedrooms, war room and manicured grounds, via self-tour or guided tour.

Time Out tip: Events happen here on a regular basis. In October, watch for silent film showings of the 1925’s Phantom of the Opera and 1927’s Metropolis accompanied by live improvised piano music by Peter Krasinski.

Price: $20.

What is it? The only official royal residence in the United States.

Why go? ʻIolani Palace was built in 1882 by King Kalakaua, one of the last monarchs of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The monarchy was overthrown 10 years later, but the palace remains and has since been restored to its original grandeur with meticulously replicated furnishings and artifacts and made into a National Historic Landmark. Visit the throne room, the imprisonment room, the Grand Hall and the king and queen’s suites, among other spaces. A “white glove” tour takes you into private areas of the palace, and the tour called Hawai’i’s Royal Connection to Japan Tour is conducted in English and Japanese.

Time Out tip: Take time to explore the palace grounds. The land around the palace is ancient and possibly where there was once a heiau, a place of worship.

Price: $27 for self-guided audio tour, $33 for docent-led tour.

What is it? Whatdoyaknow—it’s another Vanderbilt estate (see the Biltmore Estate, above). This one is an Italian Renaissance-style palazzo.

Why go? Modeled after the 16th-century palaces of Genoa and Turi, The Breakers is an elegant and extravagant 19th-century home. It’s one of the most visited house museums in the U.S. You’ll find it on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The people inside? None other than the Vanderbilts. Designed by famed architect Richard Morris Hunt, The Breakers has 70 rooms across its 125,339-square-foot sprawl.

Time Out tip: Check out the other grand mansions in this part of Rhode Island.

Price: $32.

What is it? An elegant farm that was designed to replicate the stone castles of Normandy, France.

Why go? Built in 1918 by Sears executive Albert Loeb to be a working dairy farm open to the public so people could browse farming equipment sold through the Sears catalog, Castle Farms is now largely a wedding venue where you can take a guided or self-guided tour of the gardens (tram tour included), see Michigan’s largest outdoor model railroad, get lost in a hedge maze, walk the wood-chip paths of the Enchanted Forest, see the duck pond and explore multiple buildings on the grounds.

Time Out tip: Are you a royalty enthusiast? You’ll see royal family memorabilia from around the world here.

Price: $20 self-guided, $25 guided.

What is it? An abandoned castle in the Hudson River Valley.

Why go? Scottish immigrant Frank Bannerman built Bannerman Castle on the uninhabited Pollepel island in 1901. He owned a military surplus supply company but his Brooklyn store could not hold his entire arsenal, so he designed a replica of the castles like those in his homeland to store the extra ammunition. After 200 tons of shells exploded in 1920, the castle was left partially in ruins. Visitors can see the outside of Bannerman Castle up close (it’s dangerous to walk inside—walls are literally held up by supports), go inside the separate Bannerman residence and tour the beautiful gardens and grounds by taking a passenger boat around the island or by traveling on a tour by canoe or kayak. Fundraising events include movie nights, farm to table dinners and self-guided tours with live music.

Time Out tip: Theatrical productions take place on Bannerman Island—this fall, you can see Dracula: the Journal of Jonathan Harker or Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Price: Cruise and walking tours start at $45.

What is it? A “modern medieval” castle in a state park.

Why go? Stage actor, playwright and director William Gillette—best known for playing Sherlock Holmes—originally built Gillette Castle towering over the Connecticut River as his private residence in 1919. Designed to look like ruins, the castle boasts thousands of refinements created by local craftsmen, including 47 unique doors (no two within the structure are the same), light switches carved of wood, built-in couches and, perhaps most strangely, a series of hidden mirrors that allowed Gillette to spy on visitors from the master bedroom. Upon his death, the state of Connecticut took over the property in 1943 and turned it into a state park.

Time Out tip: Look for the Aunt Polly shipwreck, Gillette’s houseboat which caught fire and sank in 1932. Gillette once entertained Albert Einstein on that boat, and at low tide you can see more than 100 feet of exposed hull.

Price: $6 for one-hour tour of the castle. The grounds and trails are free to visit.

What is it? The Kentucky Castle is a luxury hotel with property-to-plate restaurant

Why go? Kentuckian Rex Martin and his wife were inspired by the castles they saw on a trip to Europe and decided to build a Versailles-inspired retreat in their home state, breaking ground in 1969. But six years later, the couple separated and construction halted. After enduring several decades of sitting vacant, a fire and several new owners, the Kentucky Castle is now a hotel complete with a farm-to-table restaurant and event center open to the public.

Time Out tip: Want more privacy? Book a tiny home, cabin or farmhouse on the grounds, steps from the castle.

Price: Rooms start at $265.

What is it? A gothic mansion shipped over from England

Why go? A hundred years ago, a 400-year-old English Tudor home was bought by Chester Thorne as a gift to his bride, disassembled, shipped from England and rebuilt brick by brick not far from Tacoma. Thornewood Castle has a beautiful sunken garden designed by the Olmsted brothers that can be seen through gorgeous stained glass windows. Original wish bone sticks left for good luck by Native American workers constructing the property in the early 1900s are still there today, smudged and renewed in 2004 by Rayna and Bob Bearclaw. Today, the castle operates as an inn and event venue. Walk-up guests are not permitted; you must have a room reservation or be attending an event at the castle. Note: There is no elevator to upper floors.

Time Out tip: Book the presidential suite to stay where Presidents William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt spent the night. Regardless of the room you choose, book directly through the Thornewood website to save 15 percent.

Price: Rooms and suites start at $325 a night.

What is it? An 1892 home that looks like a mini castle.

Why go? Bishop’s Palace, known locally as Gresham House, is a National Register house that architectural historians say is one of the most significant Victorian homes in the country. The four-story, 19,082-square-foot house includes French revival elements, a complex roof and handcarved woodwork. The rooms are very grand and sturdy (the house withstood the devastating Great Hurricane of 1900).

Time Out tip: Rather than the self-guided audio tour, pay a little more for the docent-led Attic to Basement Tour.

Price: $15 for a self-guided audio tour.

What is it? An 1887 Moorish-style castle now housing the first Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum.

Why go? Castle Warden was originally built as a winter home for William Warden, an oil and electricity tycoon, and converted into a hotel in the 1940s for Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Majorie Kinnan Rawlings. Robert S. Ripley stayed at the hotel and purchased it in 1950 to house his first Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum. It’s always fun to go through a Ripley’s, and that’s even more the case when the venue is a castle.

Time Out tip: It doesn’t hurt that the castle’s said to be haunted, some of the ghosts relating to a 1944 fire here. You can take a Ripley’s Haunted Castle Investigation when the museum closes for the night to do your own paranormal investigation.

Price: Museum admission $24, Haunted Castle investigation $27.

What is it? A Sonoma Valley winery built to look like a Gothic Norman castle.

Why go: Originally intended as a residence, Ledson Castle drew too much attention—driving along Highway 12, you can’t fail to notice it—and so owner Steve Ledson decided to open the doors to looky-loos and turn it into a winery tasting room. Ledson is a fifth-generation winemaker and viticulturist whose family has been here since 1868. The 16,000-square-foot estate includes turrets, steep roofs, ornate coffered ceilings and more than five miles of hand-cut wood inlays, mosaics and paneling. The grounds include oak groves, manicured gardens and picnic areas (purchase a feast at the winery’s gourmet marketplace). Ledson Winery produces more than 20 varietals.

Time Out tip: Ledson wines aren’t sold in grocery stores; you’ll have to visit the castle or join the wine club.

Price: Tastings start at $45.

What is it? A castle with a skeleton found in its walls.

Why go? Franklin Castle (perhaps more of a sprawling stone Victorian mansion with a witch hat tower) leans heavily into its haunted history. Built in 1881 on the grounds of a former “unhappy” house, the castle was used at different times for German singing and dancing performances, Prohibition-era liquor making, Universalist church meetings and even for wild parties hosted by Judy Garland's last husband. In 1975, a partial skeleton was found inside the walls (although some claim it was planted to add to the castle’s mystique), and hidden passageways and concealed rooms riddle the property. There are legends of a woman in black in the tower, and ghosts galore. In 1999, someone set fire to the castle, claiming it had to be burned down because it was evil. Today, you can take a daytime tour. 

Time Out tip: Gird your loins and spend the night.

Price: Tours start at $45, overnight stays start at $300.