These castles in Arizona are not only spectacular, but they also have some pretty interesting stories. Check out these magnificent structures that may have been hiding right under your nose this whole time. How many have you heard of before?
- Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights
commons.wikimedia.org/Kirs10 Also known as The Wedding Cake, this landmark has been part of a resort, a private residence, and is now part of the parks system. The garden has over 5,000 cacti, and as of 2012, visitors can tour the grounds and some of the interior.
Website: Tovero Castle at Carraro Heights
- Montezuma Castle National Monument
Flickr/Steven Reynolds These Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings near Camp Verde, AZ, has five stories and took three centuries to build.
Website: Montezuma Castle National Monument
- Mystery Castle
www.mymysterycastle.com When Boyce Luther Gulley of Seattle found out he had tuberculosis in the late ’20s, he moved to the desert and away from his family. There he spent his remaining years building a unique castle out of found and inexpensive materials for his daughter. He wanted to make a castle that the waves couldn’t wash away. His wife and daughter, Mary Lou, didn’t find out about the castle until 1945, when they inherited it upon his death. It’s located in Phoenix, and tours run from October to May.
Website: Mystery Castle
- Camelback Castle
www.camelbackcastle.com A.k.a. the Copenhaver Castle, this lavish castle was built in the ’60s and 70’s by a Phoenix orthodontist with stone sourced from the mountain itself. There are now plans to renovate and reopen it to the public.
Website: Camelback Castle
- The Ashley Castle
www.yelp.com/The Ashley Castle This wedding venue in Chandler, AZ, is designed to make the couple feel like a king and queen on their special day. You can book it for your special day by visiting their website.
Website: The Ashley Castle
- El Cid Castle
en.wikipedia.org/Tony the Marine El Cid Castle was built from 1963 to 1980 in Sunnyslope by Dr. Kenneth E. Hall as a huge bowling alley and recreation center. Unfortunately, it was discovered El Cid was built with money from Medicare fraud, and the doctor had to sell it to settle a malpractice suit. The castle was mostly demolished but some of the original walls still exist, incorporated into the office building that has taken its place in recent years.
- Sibley Castle
www.expeditionswest.com Sibley Castle is what many call the ruins of a mansion built by a mine manager in the ghost town of Copper Creek. Tours are offered by Expeditions West for visitors worried about the rough road to the site.
Website: Sibley Castle
- Mollohan Castle
Flickr/Guillermo the IVth Mollohan Castle is a very quirky private residence built in the 1980s in Tucson, AZ.
Website: Mollohan Castle
Have you visited any of these castles? Please share your experiences or any other Arizona castle sightings with us by nominating the ones we missed!
commons.wikimedia.org/Kirs10
Also known as The Wedding Cake, this landmark has been part of a resort, a private residence, and is now part of the parks system. The garden has over 5,000 cacti, and as of 2012, visitors can tour the grounds and some of the interior.
Website: Tovero Castle at Carraro Heights
Flickr/Steven Reynolds
These Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings near Camp Verde, AZ, has five stories and took three centuries to build.
Website: Montezuma Castle National Monument
When Boyce Luther Gulley of Seattle found out he had tuberculosis in the late ’20s, he moved to the desert and away from his family. There he spent his remaining years building a unique castle out of found and inexpensive materials for his daughter. He wanted to make a castle that the waves couldn’t wash away. His wife and daughter, Mary Lou, didn’t find out about the castle until 1945, when they inherited it upon his death. It’s located in Phoenix, and tours run from October to May.
Website: Mystery Castle
A.k.a. the Copenhaver Castle, this lavish castle was built in the ’60s and 70’s by a Phoenix orthodontist with stone sourced from the mountain itself. There are now plans to renovate and reopen it to the public.
Website: Camelback Castle
www.yelp.com/The Ashley Castle
This wedding venue in Chandler, AZ, is designed to make the couple feel like a king and queen on their special day. You can book it for your special day by visiting their website.
Website: The Ashley Castle
en.wikipedia.org/Tony the Marine
El Cid Castle was built from 1963 to 1980 in Sunnyslope by Dr. Kenneth E. Hall as a huge bowling alley and recreation center. Unfortunately, it was discovered El Cid was built with money from Medicare fraud, and the doctor had to sell it to settle a malpractice suit. The castle was mostly demolished but some of the original walls still exist, incorporated into the office building that has taken its place in recent years.
Sibley Castle is what many call the ruins of a mansion built by a mine manager in the ghost town of Copper Creek. Tours are offered by Expeditions West for visitors worried about the rough road to the site.
Website: Sibley Castle
Flickr/Guillermo the IVth
Mollohan Castle is a very quirky private residence built in the 1980s in Tucson, AZ.
Website: Mollohan Castle
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Address: Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights, 5025 E Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USAAddress: Montezuma Castle National Monument, Montezuma Castle Rd, Camp Verde, AZ, USAAddress: 800 E Mineral Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85042, USAAddress: Camelback Mountain, Phoenix, AZ 85018, USAAddress: 1300 S Price Rd, Chandler, AZ 85286, USAAddress: Mollohan Castle, 1939 W Mollohan Dr, Tucson, AZ 85746, USAAddress: Copper Creek, AZ 85618, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Castles In Arizona December 04, 2020 Leah What are the best manmade attractions in Arizona? There are many interesting places in Arizona that are sure to turn heads. Arcosanti is a good example. This unusual architecture project is quite eyecatching in multiple ways, and you can visit it for yourself. Speaking of weird projects, have you heard of the Biosphere 2 structure in Oracle, Arizona? This was part of a science experiment attempting to make a livable structure for colonizing other planets. The experiments ran into a lot of snags and were unsuccessful, but you can visit it as the research center it is today. What are the most unique things to do in Arizona? Experience some of the more unusual sides of Arizona through these unique attractions. Did you know that the largest “boneyard” for retired aircraft is in this state? Simply known as “The Boneyard,” this part of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base has hundreds of airplanes just sitting out for the world to see. If you enjoy the kind of cheesy roadside attractions that almost seem fake, you might like “The Thing.” What is it? Well, that’s the big question you have to find out by visiting it, as the many signs will tell you. It’s certainly a one-of-a-kind stop, even if it is a bit over the top. Which hidden gems in Arizona should I visit? Check out these underrated spots for some Arizona fun. If you enjoy the sights of the Sonoran Desert but don’t quite fancy walking through the desert itself, give the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum a visit. It is a museum, botanical garden, and zoo all in one, giving you the full experience of the Sonoran Desert all in one convenient spot where you won’t risk getting bit by a rattler. Another interesting location to stop by is the Walnut Canyon National Monument. Many people know about other canyons in Arizona, including the ones with cliff dwellings like the Tonto National Monument, but less people know about this one. Walnut Canyon is located just south of Flagstaff and has a hike through the canyon and the hidden cliff dwellings that is fun and fascinating.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Castles In Arizona
December 04, 2020
Leah
What are the best manmade attractions in Arizona? There are many interesting places in Arizona that are sure to turn heads. Arcosanti is a good example. This unusual architecture project is quite eyecatching in multiple ways, and you can visit it for yourself. Speaking of weird projects, have you heard of the Biosphere 2 structure in Oracle, Arizona? This was part of a science experiment attempting to make a livable structure for colonizing other planets. The experiments ran into a lot of snags and were unsuccessful, but you can visit it as the research center it is today. What are the most unique things to do in Arizona? Experience some of the more unusual sides of Arizona through these unique attractions. Did you know that the largest “boneyard” for retired aircraft is in this state? Simply known as “The Boneyard,” this part of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base has hundreds of airplanes just sitting out for the world to see. If you enjoy the kind of cheesy roadside attractions that almost seem fake, you might like “The Thing.” What is it? Well, that’s the big question you have to find out by visiting it, as the many signs will tell you. It’s certainly a one-of-a-kind stop, even if it is a bit over the top. Which hidden gems in Arizona should I visit? Check out these underrated spots for some Arizona fun. If you enjoy the sights of the Sonoran Desert but don’t quite fancy walking through the desert itself, give the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum a visit. It is a museum, botanical garden, and zoo all in one, giving you the full experience of the Sonoran Desert all in one convenient spot where you won’t risk getting bit by a rattler. Another interesting location to stop by is the Walnut Canyon National Monument. Many people know about other canyons in Arizona, including the ones with cliff dwellings like the Tonto National Monument, but less people know about this one. Walnut Canyon is located just south of Flagstaff and has a hike through the canyon and the hidden cliff dwellings that is fun and fascinating.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
There are many interesting places in Arizona that are sure to turn heads. Arcosanti is a good example. This unusual architecture project is quite eyecatching in multiple ways, and you can visit it for yourself. Speaking of weird projects, have you heard of the Biosphere 2 structure in Oracle, Arizona? This was part of a science experiment attempting to make a livable structure for colonizing other planets. The experiments ran into a lot of snags and were unsuccessful, but you can visit it as the research center it is today.
What are the most unique things to do in Arizona?
Experience some of the more unusual sides of Arizona through these unique attractions. Did you know that the largest “boneyard” for retired aircraft is in this state? Simply known as “The Boneyard,” this part of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base has hundreds of airplanes just sitting out for the world to see. If you enjoy the kind of cheesy roadside attractions that almost seem fake, you might like “The Thing.” What is it? Well, that’s the big question you have to find out by visiting it, as the many signs will tell you. It’s certainly a one-of-a-kind stop, even if it is a bit over the top.
Which hidden gems in Arizona should I visit?
Check out these underrated spots for some Arizona fun. If you enjoy the sights of the Sonoran Desert but don’t quite fancy walking through the desert itself, give the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum a visit. It is a museum, botanical garden, and zoo all in one, giving you the full experience of the Sonoran Desert all in one convenient spot where you won’t risk getting bit by a rattler. Another interesting location to stop by is the Walnut Canyon National Monument. Many people know about other canyons in Arizona, including the ones with cliff dwellings like the Tonto National Monument, but less people know about this one. Walnut Canyon is located just south of Flagstaff and has a hike through the canyon and the hidden cliff dwellings that is fun and fascinating.
