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Monday, August 24, 2026

The Coolest Castle to Visit in Every State

Wesleyan Hall

Alabama: Wesleyan Hall (Built 1856)

Saying your university has a castle would be pretty cool. Built in the 1850s, Wesleyan Hall on the University of North Alabama campus in Florence, Alabama, is quite the sight to see.

Hatcher Pass Castle

Alaska: Hatcher Pass Castle (Built 1970)

Tucked into the mountains near Hatcher Pass, this private stone castle looks like it belongs in the Scottish Highlands and stands out against Alaska’s rugged landscape.

Mystery castle in Phoenix.

Arizona: Mystery Castle (Built 1930)

Built from stone, adobe, automobile parts, and other salvaged materials, Mystery Castle remains one of the Southwest’s most unusual homes and has become one of Phoenix’s best-known landmarks.

Arkansas: Quigley’s Castle (Built 1943)

Known as “The Ozarks’ Strangest Dwelling,” this home features walls decorated with thousands of pressed flowers and native stones collected by its owner.

An exterior view of Hearst Castle and Casa Grande near palm trees.. Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California

California: Hearst Castle (Built 1919)

Perched high above the Pacific Ocean, Hearst Castle is famous for its lavish rooms, world-class art collection, and the spectacular Neptune Pool.

Jim Bishop, 57, lifts rocks to load onto a self-made pulley lift to add to a chimney on the castle that he has been building for over 30 years

Colorado: Bishop Castle (Built 1969)

This towering handmade castle includes soaring stone towers, winding staircases, stained glass, and even a massive steel dragon perched above the entrance.

Gillette Castle State Park, East Haddam, Connecticut

Connecticut: Gillette Castle (Built 1919)

Actor William Gillette, who designed and built the home, lived in the castle for nearly 20 years before his death in 1937. It is now part of Gillette Castle State Park.

Delaware: Castle Hall (Built 1851)

Delaware does not have authentic medieval military castles. However, it is home to Castle Hall in Wilmington, a Gothic Revival residence built in the 1850s. Now more than 170 years old, it is one of Delaware’s most notable examples of Gothic Revival architecture.

Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World

Florida: Disney World’s Cinderella Castle (Built 1971)

Standing at the center of Magic Kingdom, Cinderella Castle has become one of the most photographed landmarks in the country and serves as the symbol of Walt Disney World. Consider a trip to nearby Hogwarts Castle at Universal Studios (if you’re prepared for an expensive vacation).

Old State Capitol

Georgia: Old Georgia State Capitol (Built 1807)

With Gothic towers and castle-like battlements, this former state capitol looks more like a fortress than a government building and now sits on the Georgia Military College campus.

Iolani Palace, the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii,

Hawaii: Iolani Palace (Built 1882)

Although it is technically a palace, not a castle, Iolani Palace in Honolulu is definitely one of the coolest structures in the state. After restoration, it reopened to the public in 1978.

Schweitzer Castle

Idaho: Schweitzer Castle & Château de Melusine (Built 1999)

Inspired by European castles, this hilltop estate overlooks the forests of northern Idaho with stone towers, steep roofs, and sweeping mountain views.

Old Main

Illinois: Old Main (Built 1899)

Its limestone towers, Gothic details, and castle-like appearance have made Old Main one of the most recognizable buildings on the Eastern Illinois University campus.

Clayshire Castle

Indiana: Clayshire Castle (Built 1999)

Built at the end of the millennium, Clayshire Castle in Bowling Green is one of the newest castles you’ll find. The 10,000-square-foot structure is designed to resemble a medieval English castle and welcomes overnight guests seeking a unique stay complete with turrets and stone walls.

Lake La June Estates, Route 175, Ida Grove, Iowa

Iowa: Ida Grove

You can’t beat “Castletown USA.” Seriously, that’s the motto for Ida Grove, Iowa thanks to its collection of castle-inspired buildings, towers, bridges, and parks scattered throughout town.

Coronado Castle, KS

Kansas: Coronado Heights (Built 1936)

This small stone castle sits atop one of central Kansas’ highest hills and offers panoramic views of the surrounding prairie.

Martins Castle in Lexington Kentucky USA.

Kentucky: Kentucky Castle (Built 1969)

Located in Versailles, just outside of the capital Lexington, Kentucky Castle, also called Castle Post, Martin Castle, or Versailles Castle, was sold in 2023 and primarily serves as a bed and breakfast and hosts special events.

The Old Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, circa 1960. It housed the Louisiana State Legislature from the mid 19th century until 1929.

Louisiana: Old State Capitol (Built 1852)

Completed in 1852, Louisiana’s Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge features Gothic towers that earned it the nickname “The Castle on the River.”

Twilight exterior of Maine Castle, Norumbega Inn, Camden, ME.

Maine: Norumbega Castle (Built 1889)

Overlooking Penobscot Bay, this granite castle now operates as a boutique inn while preserving many of its original architectural details.

Maryvale Castle

Maryland: Maryvale Castle (Built 1916)

Modeled after England’s Warwick Castle, this impressive stone building now serves as the centerpiece of the Maryvale Preparatory School campus.

Winnekenni Castle in Haverhill, MA

Massachusetts: Winnekenni Castle (Built 1875)

Built from locally gathered stone, Winnekenni Castle overlooks a scenic lake and hosts concerts, weddings, and community events on its grounds.

The exterior of Castle Museum of Saginaw County History.

Michigan: Castle Museum (Built 1898)

Originally built in 1898 as Saginaw’s post office, the Castle Museum features Romanesque architecture with castle-like towers.

Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse Velma Pietila were murdered at the Congdon "Glensheen" mansion in Duluth, Minnesota, in June 1977.

Minnesota: Glensheen Mansion (Built 1908)

Its grand stone exterior, sprawling lakeside setting, and famous history have made Glensheen one of Minnesota’s most visited historic homes.

Pierce Castle

Mississippi: Pierce Castle (Built 2008)

Complete with towers, thick stone walls, and medieval-inspired architecture, this privately owned home looks centuries older than it really is.

Missouri: Sky High Castle (Built 1930)

Hidden among the Ozarks, this European-inspired stone castle remains one of Missouri’s most distinctive private homes.

Montana: Castle Museum and Carriage House (Built 1892)

Originally a Victorian mansion, the building now preserves local history while showcasing its castle-inspired architecture.

Joslyn Castle, 3902 Davenport Street : "The curved main stairway is carpeted with an Oriental runner.

Nebraska: Joslyn Castle (Built 1903)

Completed in Omaha in 1903, Joslyn Castle stands as one of the Great Plains’ best-known Scottish Baronial homes.

Austin, Nevada, Stokes Castle, built in 1897 by Anson Phelps Stokes, but occupied for only one month. Stokes was involved the silver mining boom in the area and in construction of the Nevada Central Railroad.

Nevada: Stoke’s Castle (Built 1897)

Inspired by an Italian medieval tower, this three-story stone landmark rises unexpectedly above Nevada’s high desert landscape.

Searles Castle

New Hampshire: Searles Castle (Built 1915)

This granite estate resembles a European fortress and now serves as one of New England’s most recognizable wedding venues.

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New Jersey: Kip’s Castle (Built 1902)

Perched above the New York City skyline, Kip’s Castle offers sweeping views along with its distinctive Norman-style architecture.

Entrance, the Montezuma Castle now the World College ,1981, Las Vegas, NM

New Mexico: Montezuma Castle (Built 1886)

Built in 1886 as a luxury hotel, Montezuma Castle near Las Vegas, New Mexico, features striking Victorian architecture and castle-like towers.

View of across the sea towards Boldt Castle on Heart Island, Thousand Islands, New York, 1950.

New York: Boldt Castle (Built 1900)

George C. Boldt, whom the structure is named after, began building Boldt Castle on Heart Island in 1900. Today it’s one of the country’s most recognizable castle estates.

The Biltmore house is a French Renaissance-inspired chateau near Asheville, North Carolina, built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1888 and 1895.

North Carolina: Biltmore Estate (Built 1895)

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville remains America’s largest privately owned home with French Renaissance château design. It features 250 rooms, formal gardens, and architecture inspired by the grand châteaux of France.

North Dakota, The Enchanted Highway, Regent to Gladstone Directional and Informational Sign

North Dakota: Enchanted Castle (Built 2012)

This castle isn’t even old enough to vote. This medieval-themed hotel welcomes guests traveling the Enchanted Highway, one of the state’s most popular roadside attractions.

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Ohio: Squire’s Castle (Built 1897)

Feargus B. Squire built this stone gatekeeper’s house in 1897 within what is now the North Chagrin Reservation.

Vintage postcard reproduction of the Holy City Chapel, Wichita Mountains Easter Sunrise Service, Lawton, Oklahoma, 1930.

Oklahoma: The Holy City of the Wichitas (Built 1935)

Built from local granite, this hilltop complex recreates biblical Jerusalem with stone walls, towers, and castle-like architecture.

Canterbury Castle
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Oregon: Canterbury Castle (Built 1931)

With stone walls, hidden passageways, and medieval-inspired details, Canterbury Castle remains one of Portland’s most unusual historic homes.

1990s The Mercer Museum

Pennsylvania: Fonthill Castle (Built 1912)

The castle contains more than 40 rooms filled with handcrafted ceramic tiles, artwork, and collections created by Henry Mercer.

Salve Regina University, Rhode Island, United States.

Rhode Island: Ochre Court (Built 1892)

Modeled after a French château, Ochre Court overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and ranks among Newport’s grandest Gilded Age mansions.

Atalaya Castle

South Carolina: Atalaya Castle (Built 1933)

This castle served as the winter home and studio of sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington and Archer Huntington. Today, its 30 rooms surround a central courtyard where sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington created many of her famous works.

South Dakota, Mitchell, Valtiroty Shiloh's Castle-like Tabernacle

South Dakota: Valtiroty Shiloh’s Tabernacle (Built 1981)

Its stone towers, castle walls, and handcrafted details make this one of South Dakota’s most unexpected roadside landmarks.

Castle Gwynn

Tennessee: Castle Gwynn (Built 1980)

Built as a faithful recreation of a 12th-century Welsh castle, it opens to visitors during the annual Tennessee Renaissance Festival.

Newman’s Castle, Bellville, TX. Pixel 3a XL.
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Texas: Newman Castle (Built 2000)

Complete with a moat, drawbridge, dungeon, and chapel, this hand-built castle offers tours that feel straight out of the Middle Ages.

Utah, Fruita, Capitol Reef National Park, The Castle and Visitor Center

Utah: The Castle (Natural Formation)

Unlike other manmade structures on this list, The Castle in Capitol Reef National Park in Wayne County is a towering sandstone formation that naturally resembles a medieval fortress.

Wilson Castle

Vermont: Wilson Castle (Built 1867)

Located in Proctor, Wilson Castle blends Victorian, Dutch Neo-Renaissance, Scottish Baronial, and Romanesque architecture. IWith 32 rooms, stained glass windows, secret passageways, and ornate woodwork, Wilson Castle feels like stepping into another era.

Bacon’s Castle, Surry County, Virginia

Virginia: Bacon’s Castle (Built 1665)

The oldest castle on this list, Bacon’s Castle ranks among the oldest surviving brick homes in North America. It features rare Jacobean architecture and original details from the 17th century.

Thornewood Castle

Washington: Thornewood Castle (Built 1908)

Thornewood Castle, located near Tacoma in Lakewood, incorporates centuries-old English materials shipped across the Atlantic. Seriously. Builders shipped bricks, oak paneling, and other materials from a 400-year-old English manor to create this remarkable estate.

Moundsville State Prison Moundsville West Virginia photograph taken June 2016

West Virginia: West Virginia Penitentiary (Built 1876)

Far from being a royal palace in practice, its towering stone walls and Gothic architecture make the former prison look more like a medieval fortress than a correctional facility.

Milwaukee Cityscapes And City Views

Wisconsin: Pabst Mansion (Built 1892)

Built for brewing magnate Frederick Pabst, the mansion showcases ornate woodwork, grand staircases, and castle-inspired architecture.

I didn’t know we had a Castle — Castle in Wyoming (Bedford, WY, US)
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Wyoming: Bedford Castle

If you’re in the market for a castle, here’s your opportunity. Bedford Castle in Bedford, Wyoming currently listed for sale for just under $10 million. What a bargain! It includes soaring towers, handcrafted interiors, and panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

The post The Coolest Castle to Visit in Every State appeared first on Family Handyman.



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The Coolest Castle to Visit in Every State

Alabama: Wesleyan Hall (Built 1856) Saying your university has a castle would be pretty cool. Built in the 1850s, Wesleyan Hall on the Unive...