17 Breathtaking U.S. Castles That Make You Feel Like You’re in Europe

While castles aren’t as common in the U.S. compared to other parts of the world, they do still exist. And fortunately, you don’t have to travel far because the U.S. has a selection of breathtaking castles nationwide.

So grab your best travel credit card and add these to your travel bucket list. You'll feel as if you've been transported to Europe the minute you step inside.

1. Bannerman Castle: Beacon, New York

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Bannerman Castle was built by Francis (Frank) Bannerman, originally from Scotland, as a storage building and residence. It’s located on Pollepel Island in the Hudson River, just up the shore from the West Point Military Academy in New York.

The castle was used to store military equipment and ammunition, as New York City laws prevented many of these items from being stored in the city.

Bannerman Castle often holds events that are open to the public, including movie nights, theater nights, and special events. Tickets for tours are $45 for adults and $35 for children.

2. Belvedere Castle: New York, New York

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Belvedere Castle is located near the middle of Central Park in New York City. Calvert Vaux, who was also a co-designer of Central Park, mapped out the castle in 1858 as a lookout tower and viewing area.

Construction was finished in 1872. Over the years, it has been used as a station for the U.S. Weather Bureau, a visitor center, and a gift shop.

Now, it's perched atop Vista Rock, and completed renovations in 2019 offer a beautiful area from which to view the park and the surrounding cityscapes.

It’s free to enter and explore Belvedere Castle, which is typically open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the summer and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during fall, winter, and spring.

If you’re taking a self-guided tour of Central Park, there’s an audio guide for the castle with information about its history.

3. Camelback Castle: Phoenix , Arizona

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Camelback Castle, or Copenhaver Castle, is located on Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona. The castle construction was started by Dr. Mort Copenhaver, a dentist, in 1967 and completed over the course of 12 years.

The lot the castle was built on was believed to be unbuildable, but Copenhaver ended up constructing a 7,807 square-foot home with 20 rooms, a drawbridge, a 22-person jacuzzi, and a 17-foot waterfall in the living room.

Camelback Castle is currently a private residence undergoing major renovations with a new owner. While you technically can’t visit this one right now, the new owner hopes to one day open the castle for public tours.

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4. Castello di Amorosa: Calistoga, California

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If you’re in the Napa Valley of California, be sure to visit the Castello di Amorosa or Castle of Love. As the Italian name might suggest, this castle is an ode to Tuscan castle wineries of the past.

Dario Sattui, a fourth-generation winemaker of Italian descent, began construction of Castello di Amorosa in 1994, years after admiring medieval architecture around Europe in his youth.

The 13th-century-style Tuscan castle took 15 years to complete and required more than 8,000 tons of local stone and almost 1 million imported antique bricks from Europe.

The completed Castello di Amorosa has a moat, a drawbridge, defensive ramparts, towers, and many other features you might expect on a medieval castle. General admission tickets to the castle and an outdoor seated reserve tasting are available most days of the week and start at $60.

5. Fonthill Castle: Doylestown, Pennsylvania

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Fonthill Castle, located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania (north of Philadelphia), was built from 1908 to 1912.

The dwelling was the home of archaeologist Henry Chapman Mercer and includes medieval, Gothic, and Byzantine architectural styles. Mercer resided in the castle and used it as a showplace for his collection of tiles and prints, including his famous Moravian tiles.

Present-day Fonthill is home to a museum and two castles. The Mercer Museum is a six-story concrete castle designed by Mercer and located about one mile away from Fonthill Castle. The museum features local and national exhibits and a collection of thousands of pre-industrial tools.

Tickets for tours of Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle are separate and cost between $8 and $15 per person. Each ticket is valid for a specific day and time slot.

6. Gillette Castle: East Haddam, Connecticut

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Gillette Castle is located in Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam, Connecticut, along the shores of the Connecticut River. The castle was designed by William Hooker Gillette and built over five years between 1914 to 1919.

It has medieval stylings and was used by Gillette as a home during his semi-retirement years. However, the 24-room mansion had plenty of space for guests and other visitors.

Gillette Castle State Park is free to visit year-round, but the castle itself has a per-person charge if you want a tour of the inside.

7. Hearst Castle: San Simeon, California

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Hearst Castle is a complex of buildings and grounds located in San Simeon, California. Its construction was started by William Randolph Hearst, though he had to eventually leave the estate while it was still unfinished due to failing health. At that time, Hearst Castle had 165 rooms and 123 acres of gardens.

Today’s Hearst Castle includes four guest houses with 58 bedrooms, 41 fireplaces, and 60 bathrooms. The complex also has two pools that each hold hundreds of thousands of gallons of water.

Different types of tours are available at Hearst Castle, with tickets typically starting at $35 per adult and $18 per child aged 5 to 12.

8. Lambert Castle: Paterson, New Jersey

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Lambert Castle, located on the Garrett Mountain Reservation in Paterson, New Jersey, was built between 1892 to 1893 and has the stylings of an English castle.

The castle was originally used as the home of the Lambert family and housed the art collection of Catholina Lambert. However, it was sold to the city of Paterson and eventually transferred to the Passaic County Park Commission.

Once used as a tuberculosis hospital, Lambert Castle is now a museum and library. It’s typically open to the public but is currently closed for repairs renovations.

9. Lookout Mountain Castle: Lookout Mountain, Georgia

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What was once known as the Lookout Mountain Hotel became Covenant College, a Christian college, in 1964.

The former hotel was a popular location for visitors to the area because of its large ballroom and 200 guest rooms. It was also called the Castle in the Clouds due to its castle-like size and appearance, as well as its elevated location on Lookout Mountain.

Located about 20 minutes from Chattanooga, Tennessee, it’s easy to visit Covenant College and admire its unique location in the mountains of northern Georgia. Both in-person and virtual visits are available on most days of the week, free of charge so you can keep more cash in your wallet .

10. Loudoun House: Lexington, Kentucky

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The Loudoun House in Castlewood Park in Lexington, Kentucky, was built in 1850 and features a Gothic Revival style of architecture. It was built for Francis Key Hunt, the cousin of Francis Scott Key, author of the U.S. national anthem.

Loudoun House is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been the home of the Lexington Art League since 1984.

The Loudoun House now houses different art galleries and is free and open to the public from Wednesday to Saturday each week between the hours of 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. If you want a separate viewing with less exposure to other people, you can request a viewing appointment outside regular hours.

11. Montezuma Castle: Camp Verde, New Mexico

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Montezuma Castle is part of the Montezuma Castle National Monument in Camp Verde, New Mexico. It’s the third national monument dedicated to preserving Native American culture and features a 20-room dwelling built into the side of a limestone cliff.

This national monument was designated one of the first national monuments in the U.S. when President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act in 1906.

Montezuma Castle National Monument is typically open seven days a week between 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Entry fees are $10 for adults (ages 16 and older) and free if you’re under 16. Montezuma Castle entrance passes are good for seven days at both the Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monument.

12. Redstone Castle: Redstone Historic District, Colorado

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Redstone Castle is a historic building that’s on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s located near Crystal River in the Redstone Historic District of Colorado.

The castle was originally constructed as a hunting retreat by John Cleveland Osgood and named Cleveholm Manor in 1902. But today, more than 100 years later, it’s a boutique hotel in the middle of the beautiful Colorado countryside.

Today, Redstone Castle has 66 rooms and 23,000 square feet of living space. It’s estimated that 60% of Cleveholm Manor’s original furnishings are still at the castle.

Tours of the castle are available, but advance reservations are required. Private tours are $500 for ten people maximum, or you can book a historic tour for $50.

13. Rhodes Hall: Atlanta , Georgia

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Rhodes Hall is the current headquarters of The Georgia Trust, but it was once the Romanesque Revival-styled mansion of Amos Giles Rhodes.

This granite castle was completed in 1904 and has been a popular landmark in Atlanta, Georgia, for more than 100 years. When first built, Rhodes Hall was wired for electricity and contained more than 300 light bulbs, an uncommon occurrence for the time.

Rhodes Hall is typically open for historical tours and event rentals. When available, there are guided tours and audio tours, and the hall's historical tours will resume in 2025.

14. Smithsonian Castle: Washington, D.C.

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The Smithsonian Castle is located in Washington, D.C. on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol building. It’s home to the Smithsonian Visitor Center, which makes it an ideal starting point for a visit to the Smithsonian.

The castle was originally made of red sandstone and was completed in 1855. However, multiple reconstructions have taken place over the years. It was awarded National Historic Landmark status in 1977.

Admission to the Smithsonian Castle is usually free, but the building is currently closed for renovations.

15. Squire’s Castle: Cleveland, Ohio

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Squire’s Castle is an old gatehouse from the 1890s that’s located on the North Chagrin Reservation and part of the Cleveland Metroparks system of Cleveland, Ohio. However, this castle is located in nearby Willoughby Hills, Ohio instead of Cleveland itself.

Squire’s Castle is modeled after baronial castles from Germany and England and provides a welcoming area for visitors.

Hiking and walking are popular activities in the area, as well as picnics on the lawn. You can also hold an event at the castle itself. Squire’s Castle is open to the public and has no admission fees.

16. The Breakers: Newport, Rhode Island

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The Breakers is a National Historic Landmark located in Newport, Rhode Island, along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

This summer cottage of the famous Vanderbilt family was built as a 70-room Italian Renaissance-style palazzo, like the 16th-century palaces in Genoa and Turin, Italy.

The Breakers was later purchased by the Preservation Society of Newport County and is now open to the public for tours.

The Breakers is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and tickets are available online or at the property. Tickets to visit The Breakers house and grounds are $29 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger.

Bottom line

If you’re looking for unique travel experiences nationwide, don’t count out visits to the many U.S. castles. And some of them may be close to where you live, so a fun road trip might be in order.

Whatever your method of travel, remember that the right financial resources can help you travel more while paying less .

Even if you don’t have a trip planned for the near future, earning points or miles now can help you save for a dream vacation down the road.

Money tips that can work for everyone

No matter what your bank account balance is, there's always an opportunity to optimize and improve your finances. Here's a quick checklist of things you can look at today.

Focus on paying off your debt. Debt can hold you back from making progress with your overall financial well-being. Aside from cutting expenses, there are tools that can help you pay off debt faster like balance transfer credit cards and debt counseling.

Earning extra income can give you breathing room. If finances are tight, earning some extra money to supplement your income can make a huge difference. A new job is one option to consider, but if you're not ready to make a big change or already retired, a part-time side job could be a better choice.

Cut your expenses. It sounds painful and so not fun, but it doesn't have to be. Take a look at your biggest expenses because that's where you'll probably find the biggest savings. For example, auto insurance rates have been soaring so shopping around for a new insurance company can be the fastest way to cut your bill. Also, look for ways to cut your grocery bill (despite rising inflation).