8 Incredible Castles In America You Need To Visit This Summer

Published July 23, 2015
Updated July 22, 2020

While most associate wondrous castles with Europe, these beautiful castles in America give the old continent a run for its money.

Castles In America

The Biltmore Estate, an 8,000 residence built by George Washington Vanderbilt and one of the most famous castles in America.

Most medieval castles were constructed between the 10th and 17th centuries, long before Europeans settled America. Even today, it’s easy to find castles dotting the European landscape, many of them still occupied by families who have lived there for generations.

But America doesn’t need to feel too left out. While Europe indeed has a monopoly on culturally and historically rich castles, these castles in America are still pretty incredible:

Hearst Castle

Hearst Castle

From 1919 to 1947, architect Julia Morgan led the construction of Hearst Castle for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, setting it within the 250,000 acres Hearst had inherited in central California.

The result was monumental: 165 rooms, 127 acres of gardens, a to-die-for outdoor pool and various terraces all make this castle one of the country’s greatest. Now that it’s part of a state park, visitors are able to explore the castle and its incredible collection of historic statues, paintings, mosaics, and furniture.

For a more in-depth look at Heart Castle, check out this A&E segment:

Beautiful Castles In America: Hammond Castle

Tower In Hammond Castle

Source: Mashable

John Hays Hammond, one of the greatest inventors of the early 1900s, built his medieval-style castle in Gloucester, Massachusetts as a wedding present for his wife, Irene Fenton Hammond (and to house his collection of artifacts). By 1929, construction was complete, leaving Hammond with a great hall, two kitchens, a war room, an inventions exhibit room, servants’ quarters, secret passageways and much, much more.

Fun fact: Hammond’s discoveries led to the development of the remote control, earning him the name, “the Father of the Remote Control.”

Hammond Castle

Source: Scott Vining

American Castles Hammond Courtyard

Source: Wikimedia

author
Kiri Picone
author
Kiri Picone holds a B.A. in English and creative writing from Pepperdine University and has been writing for various digital publishers for more than 10 years.
editor
John Kuroski
editor
John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.