If you are looking to visit castles in America, you’ve come to the right place! Do you long to live out your daydreams of stepping foot into a fancy castle and pretending to be royalty, but traveling to Europe isn’t an option? The United States of America awaits! Many people think they can only find grand palaces and castles in places like the hills of Ireland or the English countryside, but there are some lovely castles in America as well!

The U.S. holds dozens of stunning chateaus and gorgeous estates that will make your dreams come true. You can visit any major region of America to find the most charming castles, whether you hit the East or West coast, or even feel like roaming the Midwest. Every castle experience is unique to the traveler and there are so many activities to take part in to truly immerse yourself in the scenery around you. From state to state, these structures have plenty of historical significance as well as amazing views and architecture. If you want to go sightseeing across the USA , head on down to the most charming castles in America!

10 Fairytale Castles in America You Need to Visit

Hearst Castle

Established by famous newspaper mogul William Randolph Hurst, Hearst Castle is a sight to behold! The plan for one of the most famous castles in America began all the way back in 1919, when Hearst inherited 40,000 acres of land from his mother and decided to build an estate for him and his wife. He designed the castle with architect Julia Morgan in San Simeon, California, where you can still visit it today. It took over twenty years for the castle to be completed, with a final layout of four buildings, two large swimming pools, a wine cellar, beautiful gardens, and an airstrip used by the Hearst family.

This American castle even hosted the world’s largest private zoo at one point! Hearst housed a number of exotic animals like zebras, kangaroos, giraffes, lions, tigers, and more, all so his guests could be well entertained. Now owned by the State of California as a historical monument and museum, Hearst Castle is a must-see for its amazing architecture and artwork from around the world. There are several tours available so you can experience one of the most glorious castles in America for yourself!

Biltmore Estate

The lush green lawn of Biltmore Estate marks it as one of the most beautiful castles in America! The French Renaissance-styled home was completed in 1895 for George Vanderbilt and his family in Asheville, North Carolina, with spectacular views of the next-door Blue Ridge Mountains. Notable sights within the Biltmore Estate include the Banquet Hall (with a 70-foot tall ceiling), an indoor pool, a bowling alley, artwork from the 16th century, furniture from the 17th century, and an amazing library with over 10,000 books.

This American castle also features stunning gardens and a vast vineyard, where, in 1971, George Vanderbilt’s grandson William Cecil began a tradition of winemaking that still carries on to this day. Biltmore Estate is truly a marvel, so don’t wait to visit the epitome of amazing castles in America!

Iolani Palace

Explore the grandeur of Iolani Palace in beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii! This castle in America was completed in 1882 under King Kalākaua, and remained the official royal residence until the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown in 1893. Iolani Palace is known for being the only building in the world built in the American Florentine style, combining Renaissance attributes with traditional Hawaiian architecture.

When it was first built, it was considered innovative and impressive due to its installation of the telephone, electric lighting, and indoor plumbing.Iolani Palace is open to the public for tours and events, where you can see how the royal family of Hawaii lived and reigned all those years ago. Out of all the incredible castles in America, this one has two floors full of historical furnishings and galleries, so don’t miss out on visiting the only official royal residence in the USA!

Castello di Amorosa

Although it looks like something straight out of a fairy tale, this castle in America is nestled in the hills of Napa Valley, California, and was completed in 2007. Owned and designed by Dario Sattui, Castello di Amorosa functions as a 171 acre winery where Sattui produces and sells wine. Sattui traveled Europe after graduating college in 1969 and became inspired by medieval architecture. He decided to reopen his family’s winery in an authentic Italian style. Castello di Amorosa was built over a 15 year period in the style of a 13th century Tuscan castle, with staple medieval elements including a moat, drawbridge, stables, an armory and more.

It has a total of 107 rooms, pieced together with the same materials that would have been used about 700-800 years ago to build a similar structure. After using 8,000 tons of stone and almost a million bricks shipped over from Europe, this castle stands tall and proud, a labor of love for all to see.Castello di Amorosa features multiple wine tasting options and fun events throughout the year. Interested in stomping on grapes or dancing the night away at a Halloween or New Year’s Eve ball? Look no further! Of all castles in America, this could be just for you!

Lyndhurst Castle

Travel to the East Coast in search of Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York. Lyndhurst has quite the history, home to many different families over its long past. Originally named “Knoll,” this American castle was built by architect A.J. Davis and home to William Paulding in 1838. At the time, it was also nicknamed “Paulding’s Folly” due to its asymmetric and whimsical façade, which looked outlandish and unnecessary against most other homes during that period.

The mansion was doubled in size by George Merritt, the second owner, from 1864-1865, and renamed “Lyndenhurst” after the new Linden trees planted in the front of the property. When Merritt died, railroad tycoon Jay Gould bought the house in 1880 as a summer home and shortened its name to Lyndhurst, as it remains today. Gould’s two daughters, Helen and Anna, each took over the house in their own time, and when Anna eventually passed away in 1961, she bequeathed it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Lyndhurst is modeled in the Gothic Revival style and still retains its original furnishings, which you can look at today on a guided tour of the mansion. It has even been used as a filming location for various TV shows and movies, including Project Runway, The Blacklist, Winter’s Tale, Reversal of Fortune, Gloria, and more. You don’t want to miss the most iconic of castles in America!

Ha Ha Tonka Castle

Located out near the Lake of the Ozarks in Camdenton, Missouri, Ha Ha Tonka State Park is home to the ruins of one of the most scenic castles in America. In 1905, construction of the castle was started by Robert McClure Snyder, a Kansas City businessman who intended the castle to be a summer home for his family. He purchased around 5,000 acres, including a lake, and even hired stonemasons from Europe to ensure the building of the castle went according to plan.

However, in 1906, tragedy struck Snyder in the form of a car accident, and he was unable to see his castle come to life. His sons took up their father’s mantle and managed to have the castle completed in 1920, where they lived for a while before the castle was turned into a hotel during the 1930s. In 1942, a fire burned down the property, leaving the ruins behind. Now this fallen castle in America is free for visitors to see, as the land was purchased by the state in 1978 and opened for the public.

You can go for a scenic hike and explore natural wonders like sinkholes, caves, sheer cliffsides and springs, or have a relaxing picnic near the lake and watch boats cruise by on the water. Ha Ha Tonka Castle is just one of many great castles in America to immerse yourself in nature and discover the world around you!

Boldt Castle

George C. Boldt, the proprietor of the famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, had a mission to construct one of the most beautiful castles in America out of love for his wife, Louise, in the year 1900. Although it is set on the aptly named Heart Island in New York, this castle had a heartbreaking beginning, as Louise died in 1904, before the castle was finished. Boldt, feeling broken and distressed, never returned to Heart Island, stopping all construction of the castle he’d planned.

For 73 years it sat unused and incomplete, until 1977, when the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the castle and decided to take on the task that Boldt had left undone. Today the castle is accessible by water taxi or boat, and tour groups can visit starting from mid-May to mid-October. The first floor of the 6-story property has been restored to fit the ideas that Boldt had for the interior of the castle.

You can walk into Boldt’s bedroom, the ballroom and billiard’s room, and a cozy library. The grounds also include the Dove-Cote, which was intended to supply water for the island, and the Power House, which once held the equipment necessary to generate electricity for the island as well. If you’re looking for a fun island excursion with an all-American castle view, this place is perfect for you!

Fonthill Castle

Fonthill Castle came to fruition in the years 1908-1912, home to Henry Chapman Mercer in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Mercer primarily intended Fonthill to be a place where he could show off different tiles and prints that he collected. Upon his death in 1930, Mercer left the castle to his housekeeper, Laura Swain, and instructed her to run the estate as a tile museum, which she faithfully and successfully managed to do. Even after Swain died in 1975, the house still functions as a museum, drawing in around 30,000 visitors each year from across the globe, and has been named a National Historic Landmark.

The castle itself has 44 rooms, more than 200 windows, and 18 fireplaces. The interior is covered in Mercer’s tiles, furniture, and personal items. Find your way through the ten bathrooms and five bedrooms and cover the castle from top to bottom, basement to the upper tower. Have a camera? Take snapshots of the marvels you come across as you traverse one of the most remarkable castles in America!

Loveland Castle

Journey to the Midwest to find this picturesque American castle in Loveland, Ohio. Also known as Chateau Laroche, this castle has its roots in the 1920s, thanks to a man named Harry D. Andrews. Andrews built the castle on the area he acquired from the newspaper The Cincinnati Enquirer, which gave out plots of land to people who paid for one-year subscriptions at the time. He based the name for the castle on a military hospital in France, where he had served during World War I as a medic. Legend has it that Andrews was mistakenly declared dead during the war, causing his fiancé at the time to marry another man. Andrews is also reportedly said to have had an astonishing IQ of 189.

Andrews worked on constructing the building for the majority of his life. When he died in 1981, he left the castle to his Boy Scout Troop, which is called the Knights of the Golden Trail. The Knights are said to still guard the castle to this day. Loveland is open to the public for self-guided tours, and also hosts events such as weddings and stay-overs for scout troops. Come see the French, German, and English inspired architecture and even a ghost or two in one of the most unique castles in America!

Hammond Castle

Gloucester, Massachusetts, is home to Hammond Castle, completed in 1929. Hammond Castle is named for John Hays Hammond, an inventor and scientist who was inspired by medieval architecture, thanks to his brief childhood spent in England. Hammond holds a groundbreaking 800 patents for around 400 of his inventions that span from radio control to naval weaponry. He was friends with fellow famous inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison.

Hammond Castle incorporates several of Hammond’s original ideas to make his home stand out from the rest of society. For example, Hammond created a pool with steam pipes around the perimeter, which controlled the water temperature and served as a humidity source for tropical plants that lined the surrounding courtyard. He also installed what was once the largest pipe organ in the hemisphere inside the castle, along with a device that could record what was played on the organ. Hammond Castle blends several architectural styles and periods together, creating a structural hybrid that is both rare and extraordinary.

This castle in America overlooks the Gloucester Harbor and is nestled in the midst of beautiful tall trees. You can go on a self-guided tour of the area, or experience the exclusive candlelit tour of the castle on Thursday evenings, which ties back to Hammond’s fondness for working during the night and sleeping during the day. Hammond Castle has earned its reputation for being one of the most interesting castles in America, and will give you an experience you’ll never forget!

No matter where you travel across the United States, there are plenty of beautiful castles in America out there for you to explore! Take in the fascinating historical backstories of each place and satisfy your curiosity with these truly amazing castles in America! Please feel free to let us know if you have any questions in the comment section below and tell us your favorite American castle to visit!