When you think of castles, you probably picture the massive stone homes of kings and queens. And really, it's no wonder — these historic structures have been the homes of royalty from all over the world for thousands of years. But since the United States was never under royal leadership long enough to actually erect a castle, the closest thing we have to a royal palace is the White House…or at least, that's what most people think.
The USA might not have any palaces with the dramatic and compelling history that this mysterious renovated castle in England possesses, but believe it or not, we do have castles. There might not have been any kings or knights or princesses like these iconic royal ladies residing in them, but that doesn't make them any less beautiful or fascinating. Some of them are in ruins, while others have been repurposed as museums or even sleepover locations. However, all of them prove that if you have dreams of seeing a real life castle, you don't need to book a plane ticket across the pond to make them a reality.
Check out these breathtaking castles you can find right here in the United States. Then, gather up some friends to pay a visit and pretend like you're in the Game of Thrones universe for a day. I'm dying to go stay the night in number 3!
Make sure you SHARE these castles with all your friends so they know about some of the incredible buildings that can be found right here in the U.S. of A!
1. Castello di Amorosa (Calistoga, California)
Wine enthusiast Dario Sattui built this castle in 1994 to serve as the coolest winery ever. It includes all the awesome things you'd hope to see in a castle, including a drawbridge and a moat, and is open to the public on a daily basis for tours and wine tastings.
2. Belvedere Castle (Central Park, New York)
You'd hardly expect to find a castle in the heart of New York City, but visitors to Central Park can check out this 1865 structure for free whenever they want. It was originally designed to just be a fun attraction, but nowadays, the National Weather Service uses it as a weather tower, and you can find a nature observatory inside it.
3. Loveland Castle (Loveland, Ohio)
It may not have housed kings and queens, but this castle still has an extremely interesting history. Its creator, Harry Delos Andrews, was a WWI veteran who nearly died from spinal meningitis, recovered, and then discovered that his fiance had married another man. Such circumstances would have been enough to drive most of us to insanity, but instead, Harry turned his attention to building a castle in Ohio for his Boy Scout troop called The Knights of the Golden Trail. These days, the Knights of the Golden Trail still guard the castle, and guests of any age are welcome to stay overnight in the beautiful building…as long as they're willing to share their sleeping space with the ghosts that are rumored to wander the castle.
4. Gillette Castle (East Haddam, Connecticut)
Surprisingly, this castle is not owned by a razor company. It was built by a playwright named William Hooker Gillette in 1914, and despite how it looks on the outside, it's actually not falling apart. The inside has been renovated to include things like sliding tables and sixty pictures of cats. You can see them all for yourself whenever you'd like — the castle is open to visitors daily.
5. Hammond Castle (Gloucester, Massachusetts)
John Hays Hammond Jr. was an inventor who built this castle in the 1920s to house both him and his historic art collection. If you visit the castle these days, you'll find that inside is a museum filled with not only Mr. Hammond Jr.'s original collection, but also many of his inventions.
6. Boldt Castle (Alexandria Bay, New York)
George C. Boldt was a very, very rich hotel magnate who designed this castle to serve as his own personal summer home. You can still find plenty of amazing amenities if you visit the castle today, including an Italian garden, a tower fortress, and all the original furnishings.
7. Grey Towers Castle (Glenside, Pennsylvania)
Modeled after England's Alnwick castle, this gorgeous structure contains gilded ceilings and forty rooms. It was constructed in 1898, but since 1929, it's been owned by Arcadia University.
8. Iolani Palace (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Most of the castles on this list have never actually housed royalty, but this palace has. In fact, it's the only castle in the entire country that has been a home for a real-life royal family, and it started with King Kalakaua in 1882. Now that Hawaii is a part of the United States, the palace is a museum that's open to the public.
9. Fonthill Castle (Doylestown, Pennsylvania)
Fonthill Castle was built in 1912 for Henry Chapman Mercer, who was an anthropologist, scholar, archaeologist, and antiquarian. He used it both as a place to live and a place to house his large collection of tiles and prints. You can still visit the museum-castle today whenever you please.
10. Lyndhurst Castle (Tarrytown, New York)
The Gothic style of this castle really makes it stand out in the best way possible. It was designed in 1838, and a handful of important people have lived in it, including NYC mayor William Paulding.
11. Hearst Castle (San Simeon, California)
William Randolph Hearst was a publisher who wanted to build a retreat on his family's property, so he constructed this gorgeous castle that was finished in 1947. The building has many gorgeous features, including exotic gardens, but perhaps the most impressive perk to living there (aside from living in a castle, of course) would be the beautiful pools that have some of the most gorgeous surroundings you could imagine.
12. Bannerman Castle (Pollepel Island, New York)
This castle was built in 1901 by Frank Bannerman, whose son spotted the tiny island the castle now sits upon and thought it would be perfect for an arsenal. In 1969, a fire left the castle in ruins, and since then, it's only continued to be more and more damaged by storms. Although tours to the castle are permitted, tourists are strongly advised against going anywhere near the castle for fear that it might crumble down on top of them.
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