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Hearst Castle - Location: San Simeon, CA

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Hearst Castle - The National Historic Landmark and California Historical Landmark mansion was designed between 1919 and 1947 by architect Julia Morgan.

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Boldt Castle - Location: Heart Island, Alexandria Bay, NY

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Boldt Castle - Built by American millionaire George Boldt in the early 1900s as a private mansion, today it serves as a tourist attraction, maintained by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority.

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Biltmore Estate - Location: Buncombe County, NC

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Biltmore Estate - Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains outside Asheville, this private estate is the largest privately owned house in the country. Its Château-esque main residence was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895.

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Hammond Castle - Location: Gloucester, MA

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Hammond Castle - The mansion, built between 1926 and 1929, served as the home and laboratory of American investor John Hays Hammond, Jr., who was a pioneer in the study of remote control.

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The Breakers - Location: Newport, RI

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The Breakers - Built in 1893, the mansion—also commisioned by the Vanderbilts—was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, while Newport served as America’s millionaires’ playground.

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Bannerman Castle - Location: Pollopel Island, NY

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Bannerman Castle - The castle was designedby Francis Bannerman, a Northern Irish immigrant who needed a place to stock materials for his military surplus business. The castle was left in ruins by a 1969 fire and continues to be in poor conditions.

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Bishop’s Palace - Location: Galveston, TX

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Bishop’s Palace - The 19,082 sq ft Victorian-style house was built between 1887 and 1893 by Galveston architect Nicholas J. Clayton. The mansion’s sturdy stone structure survived the great hurricane of 1900 that destroyed most of the city.

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Fonthill Castle - Location: Doylestown, PA

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Fonthill Castle - Built by Dr. Henry C. Mercer between 1908 and 1912, the place was the home of American archaeologist and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer. The place also served as a museum for his collection of tiles and prints.

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Castello di Amorosa - Location: Calistoga, CA

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Castello di Amorosa - The castle, that functions as a winery, was built between the 1990s and 2000s, and first opened its doors to the public in 2007. The mansion includes a replica of a torture chamber with an authentic 300-year-old iron maiden.

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Gillette Castle - Location: East Haddam, CT

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Gillette Castle - Built in 1914, the castle was designed by American actor William Gillette, known for his Sherlock Holmes performances on stage. He lived in the castle between 1919 and 1937. The state of Connecticut bought the property in 1943.

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‘Iolani Palace - Location: Honolulu, HI

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‘Iolani Palace - Built in 1879, the mansion served as the royal residence of the ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. The palace is one of two royal palaces in the US.

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Belvedere Castle - Location: New York, NY

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Belvedere Castle - Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in the late 19th century, the folly sits right in the heart of Manhattan in Central Park. The National Weather Service has used it as a weather tower since 1919.

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Castle in the Clouds (or Lucknow) - Location: Moultonborough, NH (Photo: CC BY 2.0)

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Castle in the Clouds (or Lucknow) - Built between 1913 and 1914, the mansion was commissioned by millionaire shoe manufacturer Thomas Gustave Plant. It was built according to the Arts and Crafts movement, which believes in harmony between architecture and nature. (Photo: CC BY 2.0)

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Thornewood Castle - Location: Lakewood, WA (Photo: CC BY 2.0)

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Thornewood Castle - Built from a dismantled 15th-century house imported from England, the castle, which is now an inn, served as the setting for the Stephen King miniseries ‘Rose Red.’ (Photo: CC BY 2.0)

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Lyndhurst Mansion - Location: Tarrytown, NY (Photo: CC BY 2.0)

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Lyndhurst Mansion - The Gothic Revival country house was built in 1838 by the renowned Alexander Jackson Davis. The mansion later had some noteworthy residents, including New York City mayor William Paulding, Jr., merchant George Merritt, and railroad tycoon Jay Gould. (Photo: CC BY 2.0)

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Château Laroche (or Loveland Castle) - Location: Loveland, OH

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Château Laroche (or Loveland Castle) - Construction, which began in the 1920s, was commissioned by Harry D. Andrews, a Boy Scout troop leader, World War I veteran, and medievalist. Upon his death in 1981, he left the castle to his Boy Scout troop, the Knights of the Golden Trail, whose members still guard the property today, according to the tradition. (Photo: CC BY 2.0)

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