We saw a Castle!

boldt castle
United States
July 5, 2016 9:13am CST
Sunday we went up to the 1,000 Islands. We took a boat tour of the area, it was a 2 hour long tour. At the end of the tour we stopped off at Heart Island, home of Boldt Castle. Then we spent the next hour or so wandering around the island and the castle checking everything out. George Boldt was the owner of the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City. He built this castle for his wife, but she died a few months before it was completed. Due to her death, the castle was never finished and was left abandoned. In the 1970's the island was acquired by the 1000 Island's Bridge Authority. They have been improving and restoring many of the structures, and now they allow guests to come see it for a small fee. Money earned from the tourism goes into continuing to restore and preserve the castle. For more info on the castle and it's history here is a link: http://www.boldtcastle.com/visitorinfo/ Well it was pretty neat to check out. Only the first 2 floors of the castle have been restored, they set up a couple rooms with furniture of that era the way they think it would have looked had it been finished. The rest of the castle is just bare but you can walk through most of it all the way up to the top. The rooms they completed were just breathtaking! The rest of the castle wasn't really as cool as you'd imagine... I mean it's huge, but when you're looking at cracked plaster in every room it doesn't feel like you're in a giant castle... until you get to a window and you're looking out at the 1,000 islands from the 6th floor... or you step out onto one of the balconies high above.... there were certainly some breathtaking views!
6 people like this
10 responses
@JohnRoberts (109865)
• Los Angeles, California
5 Jul 16
What state is this in? I would love to explore Boldt Castle.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Jul 16
On the border of NY and Canada.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109865)
• Los Angeles, California
5 Jul 16
@katsmeow1213 I'll probably never get there. I have been to Niagara Falls.
• United States
5 Jul 16
@JohnRoberts This is further east... it's just north of Watertown, NY in a place called Alexandria Bay.
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
6 Jul 16
I'm not sure that calling something a castle actually makes it a castle.
• United States
6 Jul 16
So what would actually make it a castle?
• United States
8 Jul 16
@boiboing By that definition a shack with a wall built around it could be considered a castle.
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
7 Jul 16
@katsmeow1213 A castle should have a defensive purpose - to protect the inhabitants from attack whilst they fire arrows and drop boiling oil on their opponents. WIkipedia gives the definition : A castle (from Latin: castellum) is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. If a wealthy chap just builds a big house and sticks a few turrets on it but it doesn't have a fortified structure, it's not - to me - really a castle.
@dawnald (85129)
• Shingle Springs, California
19 Aug 16
We have a castle at Lake Tahoe. Well, more like a villa. Ok, a big house. lol It's called Vikingsholm, and it's kind of interesting. Some rich woman wanted a house similar to Scandinavian houses. Glad you had a nice trip.
@louievill (28859)
• Philippines
5 Jul 16
Beautiful and would love to see it if i had a chance but in a way it would also remind as all of mortality, we came to the world with nothing and would leave with nothing lol. Yeah but better to have money enough to build a castle while still here than to live in poverty. Just my thoughts
• United States
5 Jul 16
I'm fine with having enough to visit a castle!
1 person likes this
@louievill (28859)
• Philippines
5 Jul 16
@katsmeow1213 me too lol!
• United States
5 Jul 16
how sad that she passed 'n he ne'er completed such. glad that 'tis now'n good hands, what a treasure to go'n visit.
• United States
5 Jul 16
The rooms they finished are beautiful. There's actually another castle in the region as well, but we didn't get to go see that one. Maybe another time..
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Jul 16
@katsmeow1213 i bet they were quite stunnin' :) i hope that'cha do get to visit the other 'n tell's what'cha found there someday.
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
30 Oct 16
I am so glad you got to go there, I'm still waiting. The last time I visited my daughter we had planned that boat ride from the Canadian side and I forget to bring my passport. We planned it again for this summer and then I got so busy with that one store of mine I couldn't visit her, I will get there...so glad you got see it too.
@shaggin (71573)
• United States
7 Aug 16
Once they get it all restored I imagine it will look much better. My mans family used to own a restaurant up in the 1000 Islands. I wish they still did it would be neat to go there. I went once to that area for a class trip in elementary school to a castle there.
@Shavkat (136866)
• Philippines
5 Jul 16
That's a great adventure. I would love to see this place too. I hope to see some photos.
@ricki_911 (21626)
• Toronto, Ontario
5 Jul 16
That looks real neat! I'd love to seethat.
@mom210 (9023)
• United States
17 Jul 16
sounds like a wonderful and fun day. Glad you got to experience it.