The Ten Castles in the U.S. Straight From a Fairytale

Once upon a time doesn’t have to be in the past. While fairytale castles may be more well-known in Europe, the U.S. is home to some spellbinding castles of its own. Whether you’re looking for a castle with spiraling turrets or never-ending stairways; castles perched on a clifftop or hidden in a forest, the U.S. has one for you. Take a look at 10 of our favorite fairytale castles in the U.S. to inspire your own magical travel story. Macrine (RIP) and I  have only been to #2, the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA,  

1. Ca’ d’Zan, Florida

Credit: Michael Gordon/ Shutterstock

Ca’ d’Zan is a palatial Mediterranean revival estate on Sarasota Bay that was built as a 

winter home for American circus mogul John Ringling and his family. Its distinct exterior

 design features multicolored stained glass windows and intricate terra cotta friezes, 

tile work, and statues, as seen on its Belvedere Tower.

2. Hearst Castle, California

Credit: Wim Wiskerke/ Alamy Stock Photo

If you dream of a lavish hilltop retreat, Hearst Castle will not disappoint. Designed by 

California’s first female architect, Julia Morgan, the complex, completed in 1947, is a

 showcase of luxury and excess. Nicknamed ‘La Cuesta Encantada’, Spanish for 

"the enchanted hill", by its owner William Randolph Hearst, the castle is perched above

 the coastal town of San Simeon. The castle has an incredible 165 rooms and 123 acres

 of terraced gardens with fountains, pools and views galore. Built to emulate a European

 country home, the castle and grounds are home to Hearst’s legendary art collection.

3. Boldt Castle, New York

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In true fairytale fashion, Boldt Castle has a tragically romantic backstory. It was built by

 rags-to-riches hotelier George C. Boldt as a tribute to his wife, Louisa.  It was to be the 

summer home of their dreams, located in their beloved Thousand Islands region, on 

Heart Island no less. Construction began in 1900, but four years later tragedy struck

 when Louisa sadly passed away. Bereft with grief, George vowed never to return to the

 island, and Boldt Castle lay abandoned for over seventy years. In 1977 the Thousand 

Islands Bridge Authority acquired the property and has transformed the ruins. The castle 

is still fitted with period furnishing, and grounds include Italian gardens, a tower fortress, 

and a dove-cote - once home to a collection of fancy fowl.

4. The Kentucky Castle, Kentucky

Credit: benkrut/ iStock

First built as a private residence, this medieval-style castle in the heart of the Bluegrass

 State (just west of Lexington) is aptly named The Kentucky Castle. It was built as a 

private residence, but today, it's a luxurious hotel boasting 18 well-appointed guest 

rooms — including four tower suites — and amenities fit for a king, from the sprawling

 landscaped gardens and pool to the ornate grand hall and outdoor terrace.

5. Bannerman Castle, New York

Credit: Felix Lipov/ Shutterstock

The ruins of Bannerman Castle are the sole remaining occupant of the tiny Pollope Island

 on the Hudson River. Previously uninhabited, the island gained a reputation based on

 fanciful tales of hauntings and superstitions. Then, in 1901, Frank Bannerman, a 

munitions dealer, purchased the island to build a fortress for his cargo. The castle was

 designed to echo the medieval fortresses of Scotland, his birthplace. Equipment and

 ammunition of all types were stored there until Bannerman’s death in 1918. The castle 

has since been slowly crumbling into the river, fighting off storms and even a raging fire 

in 1969. The castle is still open seasonally for visitors willing to risk the buried hazards, 

crumbling walls, and unknown ghosts.

6.Iolani Palace, Hawaii

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For a castle fit for a king, look no further than Iolani Palace in Hawaii. King Kalākaua built

 the palace in 1882 to equal the majesty of European castles he had seen on his global 

travels. He filled it with the finest furnishings, equipped it with the latest technology and

 made it his family’s home until the monarchs were overthrown in 1893. In fact, it's the 

only royal palace in the entire United States. The palace has since shifted purposes

 several times, serving as an executive building to a new republic, a prison to an

 overthrown queen and the headquarters for martial law. Today, Iolani Palace is a 

grand museum open for the public to walk its 7,000 square feet of wooden floors and

 revel in stories of days gone by.

7.Hammond Castle, Massachusetts

Credit: Allen Brown/ Alamy Stock Photo

Hammond Castle sits high on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Built in 1926 by John

 Hays Hammond, Jr., inventor and art connoisseur, the castle served as his home and

 laboratory. The setting of a true European castle on the New England coast is as 

unexpected as it is intriguing. The castle houses Hammond’s unique collection of 

inventions as well as Roman, medieval and renaissance art. Hammond designed a

 gigantic pipe organ as the centerpiece for his Great Hall, which has been played by 

some of the greatest organists in the world. Meanwhile, the building itself has a 

dungeon, an armory and even a secret passageway out of one of the many bedrooms.

8. Castello di Amorosa, California

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For a more modern fairytale, Castello di Amorosa offers a taste of Tuscany to its visitors.

 Built in 1994 by Dario Sattui, a fourth-generation winemaker, the building is the only

authentic medieval Tuscan castle in the USA. The castle is nestled in the hills of Napa 

Valley amongst 170 acres of forest. The castle has over 90 rooms purely dedicated to 

winemaking and wine storage across eight levels, four of which are underground. Its 

enormous Great Hall displays Tuscan frescoes, while outside a drawbridge, dungeon

 and torture chamber leave plenty of room for active imaginations.

9. Fonthill Castle, Pennsylvania

Credit: evin Giannini/ Alamy Stock Photo

The romantic yet foreboding Fonthill Castle is straight out of a storybook, picked up and

 placed in the heart of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The 44-room estate, touted as the 

“Castle for the New World,” looks just as it did 100 years ago when archaeologist Henry

 Mercer lived there. It was completed in 1912 in a combination of medieval, Gothic, and 

Byzantine architecture styles, and is filled to the brim with artifacts and antiques from

 Mercer’s travels, including prints, books, and pottery.

10. Cherokee Castle, Colorado

Credit: Ivo Roospold/ Alamy Stock Photo

A 15th-century Scottish-style castle might be the last thing you’d expect to find in the

 central Colorado town of Sedalia, but perched on a hilltop is one of the most unique 

structures in the country, Cherokee Castle. It was built during the 1920s by the Johnson

 family after purchasing and combining the Flower Homestead and the Blunt Homestead

 into a 3,4000-acre ranch, now called the Cherokee Ranch & Castle Foundation. 

The castle houses a collection of fine art, artifacts, and memorabilia from around the

 world, which can be seen during the public tour. The outdoor terrace is another major 

draw; it provides stunning views of the Rocky Mountain peaks in the distance. Guests 

can also visit the castle for afternoon tea, guided wildlife watching, whiskey and wine

 tastings, concerts, and many other events throughout the year. 

About the author: Lianne | Writer for The Discoverer

Lianne is a freelance writer with a penchant for learning foreign languages, 

and what better way than to practice in situ. She loves to use her linguistic 

skills to get in-the-know with the locals. Seeking out intriguing music, new 

forms of dance, and fabulous food, she revels in being a discoverer.

Meanwhile, Did you know that.....

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Lastly, my Photo of the Day-Arroz Valencia