If you think about amazing castles, your mind
may automatically jump to Europe and you'd be right! Luckily though, Europe is not the only place
that has these amazing pieces of history, and even in the much younger United States,
we have our fair share of castles that are well worth the visit. So, let's plan our next road trip!! From Italian inspired architecture to massive
estates, stay tuned to number one to find out WHICH castle was moved all the way from
across the pond! Number 10: Castello Di Amorosa. If you want the feel of an Italian wine farm
in the beauty of the California landscape, then Castello Di Amorosa is just the place
for you. Italian style architecture and fine Italian
wines are all found just a few minutes outside the town of Calistoga, in the Napa Valley. Unlike most castles you may hear about, or
could be lucky enough to come across in your lifetime, this castle's construction began
only in 1994 and was the vision of 4th generation Italian winemaker and entrepreneur Dario Sattui,
who spent much of his life discovering medieval castles and wineries throughout Europe. He fell in love with 13th century Italian
Tuscan style architecture, and took 14 years to complete the construction for its first
opening in 2007. Today, it continues the tradition it started
in 2007 and is primarily a wine farm specializing in Italian wines, and often hosts parties
and weddings alike on its premises. Interestingly, despite its use as a wine farm,
this modern example of a castle comes complete with a drawbridge and a dungeon, as well as
a torture chamber to further enhance the feeling that you are actually in a decades old castle. There is no mention on whether the dungeon
or torture chambers are used on people who drink too much of their wine, though, so we
suggest you proceed at your own risk! Number 9: Boldt Castle. Situated along the St Lawrence River, near
New York City, the Boldt Castle lies among the spectacular "1,000 islands," and construction
of this property started back in the year 1900 by millionaire George Boldt. He wanted to build the castle as a tribute
to his wife, and stated that it would rival any European castle of the time, but, unfortunately
Boldt's wife fell ill and passed away just months before completion. Devastated, Boldt halted all construction
and never visited the island again, leaving the incomplete castle behind as a monument
to his wife. From there, the castle would stand empty for
73 years, but, in 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority decided to begin its restoration
and, at last, the castle was built up to what it was meant to be. Today it is a popular tourist attraction and
weddings are even regularly held on the island. This castle is a great example of the power
of restoration and, even though it was only opened in the early 1980's, it's a great example
of 20th century architecture combined with rustic beauty. Number 8: Coral Castle. Located just outside of Miami in Florida,
the coral castle is very special for 2 reasons. First is that it is not strictly a "castle"
at all! And, Second, because the entire project was
done by just one man. As we mentioned already, the Coral Castle
is not really a castle but rather a collection of stones gathered in different shapes. Some of them do indeed resemble the shape
of a house, complete with stone tables and chairs, while some of the others are just
small piles of rocks that loosely resemble Stonehenge. Also as we mentioned already, the entire place
was built by just one man, a Mr. Edward Leedskalnin back in 1923. Interestingly, though, a lot of the construction
here is shrouded in mystery due to Edward building it all by himself using nothing but
ropes, pulleys, picks and winches to move some very large stones! In all, the construction of Coral Castle took
28 years for him to complete. Despite the name "Coral," the castle was constructed
entirely from limestone and, for decades, it had a perfectly balanced stone gate that
was so easy to open that even a child could open the door with a slight push. Today, though, the formerly perfectly balanced
door's hinge has finally rusted away. While it is still a great tourist attraction
and people often stop by to admire the marvel that is the Coral Castle, the door takes a
bit more effort to open. Number 7: Bannerman Castle. Located just 60 miles up the Hudson River
from New York, there is a castle which today is only a shell of its former glory. Known as the Bannerman Castle, construction
started in the early 1900's, when it was one of the most spectacular sights of the time. Built by munitions merchant Francis Bannerman,
in an attempt to replicate the medieval fortress which he was born in, the castle was a success
and served as his residence for many years until Bannerman died in 1918. But after the owner's death, the castle began
to deteriorate. And, to make things worse, a fire broke out
in 1969, destroying most of the building in the process. Today, what remains of the castle still stands,
and often holds various events on the island throughout the year. One thing is for certain, though, despite
the fire and the castle being left to the elements for so many years, it is still one
of the most beautiful buildings in the US and is a true example of European style architecture
in America. Number 6: Biltmore Estate. As far as truly beautiful architecture goes,
the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina is quite high on that list. Construction of the estate started in 1889
by George Vanderbilt and, after 6 years of building, the doors opened for the first time
in 1895 despite the fact that the building was still under construction. During the time the estate was being built,
Vanderbilt and his architect Richard Morris Hunt spent years travelling through Europe,
purchasing all kinds of valuables to put in the castle. This varied from paintings, right up to carpets
and furniture. Architecturally speaking, they were also largely
inspired by their travels through Europe and they used many of the sights they saw in the
design of the castle, creating, in the end, an awe inspiring French Renaissance Chateau. Today, the castle is still under full operation
and now even includes award winning wines and tours of the vineyards, it also has its
own bowling alley and its world renowned 70 foot ceiling banquet hall. It doesn't matter if you are inside or outside
of this building, the sights and the beauty of this castle is an amazing thing to behold. Number 5: Fonthill Castle. This castle, found in Doylestown, Pennsylvania,
definitely has the look of your traditional "Count Dracula" style castle. Unfortunately, though (or fortunately, depending
in your tastes), this castle has a rather more down to earth story. Built between 1908 and 1912, the Fonthill
castle was the creation of Henry Chapman Mercer, an archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramist,
scholar as well as antiquarian who clearly couldn't just decide on one field to follow. Originally built as his private home and showplace
for his collection of tiles and prints, he used this home as a base of operations during
his lifetime. After he passed away, however, he wished for
his massive multi-million dollar castle to be turned into a museum, with the caveat of
allowing his own housekeeper to have living rights inside the castle, where she lived
out the remainder of her days, until 1975. Today, the castle still servs as a museum
to both the life of Mercer, as well as his collections of tiles, prints, and pottery,
while still maintaining a strict preservation policy, wherein the castle be kept as much
like its original state as possible. Despite this castle being an actual museum
of ancient tiles, it still attracts over 30,000 visitors a year! Number 4: Thornewood Castle. The story of this castle is an interesting
one because, while it has only been in the US for around a hundred years, its origins
actually began more than 500 years ago! Chester Thorne is the brain behind this castle
with 2 ages. While in England in 1907 he bought a 400-year-old
manor before deciding that, although he liked it, it would look better in the US. So good ole Chester decided it was a good
idea to have the entire building dismantled and then shipped, brick by brick, over to
Washington state in the US! He then hired famed architect Kirtland Kelsey
Cutter to painstakingly reassemble the manor. The construction of the complete castle took
3 years to complete, after which Thorne presented the Elizabethan themed castle to his wife
as a display of his love. These days the castle is an inn and its gothic,
rustic charm attracts thousands of guests a year. In addition to lavish rooms and it's antique
interior, the estate has a private dock and lakeside beach as well as the "sunken garden." A beautiful landscape designed by the famous
Olmsted Brothers. As far as rustic charm and beautiful countryside
scenery goes, this castle is definitely something you need to experience in your lifetime. Number 3: The Smithsonian Castle. Located in on the opposite coast, this Castle
is the first of the Smithsonian buildings that were built throughout the US. Completed in 1855, and made out of what is
now the iconic red sandstone, the building is today one of the most recognized in Washington
D.C. In fact, we are lucky to have the Smithsonian
buildings today, and it is all thanks to one man that we have them. The project was started thanks to a donation
from Frenchman James Smithson who, despite donating the money for the construction of
the building, had never set foot on American soil. Originally the building was the home of Joseph
Henry and his family. Joseph being the first secretary of the castle
and, today, a statue of him stands outside the building. Although it started out as just the one building,
more government buildings as well as museums were built around it over the years, molding
it into the spectacle that we know today; and as tribute to James Smithson, his crypt
can now be found near the north entrance of the building. Have you ever visited any of the Smithsonian
buildings? Let us know below. While you're there, remember to subscribe
to our channel for and hit that like button! Number 2: Castle Gould. Situated a few minutes from New York City,
the land on which Castle Gould stands was first bought back in 1900 by Howard Gould,
husband of the then famous actress Katherine Clemmons. After buying the land, Gould began construction
on the castle, modeling it after the Kilkenny Castle in Ireland. The castle was supposed to be the main residence
on the property, and was completed by 1904, however Katherine Clemmons rejected the castle,
and thought that it simply didn't suit her well enough...so Gould then built the Hempstead
house for them, instead, and the huge castle was used as a stable and servants quarters
for many years after. Seriously!! Today, although the castle is not open for
public tours, there is a visitor's center and great hall located under the castles clock
tower where functions are often held including fitness classes and cultural events. Something else you will find here is a 7,000
square foot sound stage which will ensure that your eardrums will get a workout even
if you aren't there for the fitness classes. Number 1: Cliff Palace. For number one, we decided to include the
natural beauty and native roots of the U.S. Mesa Verde National Park in Southern Colorado
is quite different from most national parks you might visit. Sure, it's home to rare species of wildlife...but
these are not typically the reason people visit this park. Situated on the wall of Cliff Canyon, you
will find a small village that has seemingly been carved into the cliff face several hundred
years ago! First discovered in 1888 by 2 cowboys searching
for stray cattle, the cliff palace is believed to have been built in the 1200's, and consists
of around 150 rooms. Built by the Ancestral Puebloans, it's made
out of sandstone and wood, and is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. Archaeologists say it would have house around
100 people, and that it formed part of other smaller dwellings also found in the area,
they concluded that the palace was probably abandoned due to overcrowding, and was ultimately
forgotten about for approximately 300 years before its rediscovery. Today, you can take a guided tour through
the palace and you can get a glimpse of life from a few centuries ago, including the tower
square, which is a tall building, approximately the same height as the roof of the cave and
consists of 4 separate floors. Although the tower had to be restored, the
palace and surrounding dwellings give visitors an epic experience. Let us know which of these you would want
to visit in the comments below and thanks for watching!
