Boldt Castle

Not many people can say they've been inside a real castle. But I've had the privilege to be able to say yes I have! Follow along for some more history on the castle and of course some amazing pictures.

Getting to Boldt Castle...

No, I'm not some well-traveled European adventurer who gets to go on crazy vacations to castles (sadly). This castle is much closer than that thankfully. If you drive really far north in New York you eventually come to a town called Alexandria Bay, or A Bay as it's known locally. Here you take a shuttle boat across the St. Lawrence River to Heart Island. And taking up a vast majority of this island is Boldt Castle. The best part is whether you come from the US side or the Canadian side you can visit the castle!

A Little Castle History...

George C. Boldt started building this castle at the turn of the century (that's 1900 for anyone that didn't know) and it was said this was to be his ultimate show of love for his wife Louise. He modeled this after famous Rhineland castles in Germany and wanted no expense spared to bring this to life. So how could he afford such a thing as building a whole castle complete with 6 stories and 120 rooms? George Boldt was the proprietor of the famous Waldorf Astoria hotel. And while his family summered at their house in the 1000 Islands work started on the construction of the castle with over 300 workers bringing his dream to life. However, in 1904 tragedy struck and his beloved Louise suddenly died. Telegraphing the island Boldt demanded all work to cease on the castle. He couldn't imagine the place without her there to grace it.

73 years later in 1977 after the wind, ice, snow, and graffiti took over the castle, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority took over the property. Since then millions of dollars have gone into the project of restoring the castle and helping to preserve it for future generations to enjoy.

In the Castle...

Luckily for me Adam had visited Boldt Castle before so we didn't get too lost! It really is beautiful and the restoration of different places throughout is ongoing. You can see on some of the upper unfinished floors the graffiti left behind by vandals of the past (mostly from the 60s and 70s it seemed). On one floor there is a whole gift shop where you can purchase Boldt Castle memorabilia and local NY goods. In addition many rooms are restored and filled with things from the turn of the century in a museum style. You can even take an audio tour of the castle. George Boldt really spared no expense to build this and you can see it in all the small details throughout the castle. The basement even has a swimming pool that wasn't finished when we visited. We were there too early in the season to see the gardens in bloom but the grounds make it feel like you aren't even on an island.

In Closing...

If you happen to be traveling to Canada or in the vicinity of Alexandria Bay and would like a family-friendly, history filled, castle adventure then I highly recommend Boldt Castle. You can even get married there if you're feeling adventurous or want a romantic backdrop for a fairytale wedding.

Thank you for sticking with me this long. Make sure to check back every Wednesday for a new adventure!