Alabama is found in the deep south of the U.S.
It’s not where you’d typically expect to find castles.
However, castles are more than just fortified structures build predominantly by royalty in the Middle Ages.
In the U.S., castles are also identified as grand feats of architecture, including manors and chateaus.
As such, you’ll actually find quite a few beautiful castles throughout The Heart of Dixie.
12 Most Beautiful Castles in Alabama
There’s a lot of southern charm hiding throughout Alabama, and much of this can be showcased with the beautiful castles that have been built for various purposes.
You can drive by and tour many of them to embrace the stunning architecture.
Hassinger Castle
The Hassinger Castle was built from limestone in 1929.
Sigmund Nesselroth is a Hungarian-born architect who designed the mansion.
It was built for William and Victoria Hassinger, who had just moved to Alabama.
The overall design of the castle is adopted from both the Early English Renaissance and Tudor styles.
The interior is reminiscent of the styles found in London’s Hampton Palace.
Each room in the house takes on a different style, such as the living room being Jacobean while the dining area is Elizabethan.
It is privately owned and has been fully restored since it was originally built.
While it’s possible to view the exterior, it is not open for tours.
Sterling Castle
The Sterling Castle often surprises people because it is found in a small town – Shelby, Alabama.
It was built by Victor and Misty Binkerd for the purpose of providing a wedding destination for people who dreamed of getting married in a castle.
The castle and grounds have a lot of elements that are used in the photography of weddings, including the private lake, the pergola, and the drawbridge.
The castle has a ballroom where guests can dance.
Additionally, the castle offers a wide array of services, including overseeing the entire event.
It has been estimated that the castle can accommodate up to 300 guests.
Mosher Castle
Mosher Castle was built by Dean Mosher, a well-known artist, as a private residence for Dean, his wife, and their two children.
The castle looks as though it has popped right out of a fairytale with its cobblestone appearance.
It has been featured on various HGTV shows over the years.
Tours must be scheduled to view the inside of the home since it is a private residence.
The home is located in Fairhope, and it is actually connected with another fairytale-style castle located in Fairhope.
Smith Lake Castle
The Smith Lake Castle has a history that dates back to 1900.
It was built as a private home in the northern part of the state.
It is a three-story castle where the master suite covers an entire floor.
Custom-made tiles cover a majority of the interior.
There is also a gourmet kitchen and glass solarium.
The castle has 5500 square feet of living space and is also situated on 18 acres of land in Cullman, Alabama.
An 8,000-square-foot air-conditioned toy garage can house RVs and multiple cars.
It was put up for sale in 2019 fully furnished.
Cook Castle
In Fort Payne, you’ll find the Cook Castle, which was actually constructed by country music legend Jeff Cook.
It was built in 1984 and covers a total of 15,000 square feet.
Originally, it had been given the name “Excalibur.”
This is about as close to Alabama royalty as one can be.
The castle is on top of Lookout Mountain and sits on 20 acres of land.
There are six guest rooms that offer scenic views as well as a swimming pool shaped like a guitar.
Today, the castle is now a hotel where guests can swim in the pool and enjoy a daily continental breakfast.
The castle can also host wedding events and other small functions.
Castle San Miguel
Castle San Miguel looks as though it passed through a time machine into the 13th century, and that’s the whole reason.
The castle is located in Hanceville, Alabama, and holds a 13th-century design with several suites that include the main church, monastery, and convent.
It is all part of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Within the castle, there are suits of armor and various relics, including an Italian wood carving of Archangel Michael.
There are 600-year-old tables, medieval manuscripts, and marble floors.
The castle is home to approximately 80,000 visitors.
Various items are also for sale in the El Nino gift shop, which is hosted by the nuns of Poor Clares.
Evening mass is also held at the castle.
The Weaver House (“The Castle”)
Some people like to consider their home their castle.
This is particularly true of William Weaver, a prominent landowner in Selma, Alabama.
He built the house in 1868 to resemble a Rhine Castle.
The Gothic architecture makes it one of the most amazing castles in the United States.
The floor throughout the interior of the home is made from parquet and woodwork.
The home remained with the Weaver Family until 1934. After that, it was sold to a private owner.
Now, it is one of the contributing properties in the Old Historical Town of Selma.
Wesleyan Hall
One of the more unique castles in Alabama is found in Florence at the University of North Alabama.
It was a Gothic revival design by Adolphus Heiman and was originally created as a university in 1856.
Now, it is known as Wesleyan Hall and serves as the Geography Research Center.
There is also a story that the son of a Civil War general haunts the building at night, so it has become a stop on various ghost tours over the years.
Ice Cream Castle
The Ice Cream Castle is located in Forestdale, Alabama.
The building started as a family house in the 19th century.
It has earned the nickname of being the ice cream castle over the years because of its unique architecture.
It has also proven to be extremely well-built considering that it has experienced both tornadoes and fires over the years.
There’s not a lot that is known about this castle, including how it was given its name – likely because of the three towers that look like cones.
It started out as being a home, though because of recent damage, it is left in partial ruins.
Quinlan Castle
Quinlan Castle was built in the 1920s in Birmingham.
It is a four-story home created for the famous Bishop Quinlan.
He bought the land and worked with William Welton in order to create the design.
It was constructed during World War I, and there are rumors that the Castle served as a hideout for communist and Nazi spies throughout World War II.
At one time, it housed apartment units, which meant that many people at a time could actually say that they lived in a castle.
Today, it is a private building and was placed on the “Places in Peril” list in 1998 due to its deteriorating condition.
Sheldon Castle
You already learned about Mosher Castle.
There is also Sheldon Castle.
Together, they create what is known as Fairhope’s Storybook Castles.
That is because they have a significant amount of artistic creativity that makes the castles look as though they popped out of a storybook.
They are located in Fairhope, Alabama, and each is filled with treasures that have been collected over the past 60 years.
Guests can walk through the castles and even take photos, though only non-professional photos can be taken without prior permission.
Craig Sheldon is the brain behind The Sheldon Family Castle, who is the father of Pagan Mosher – and Pagan is the wife of Dean Mosher.
Susan’s Sand Castles
Most of the castles that you think of are medieval in nature.
However, sand castles can be just as majestic.
And they are located on the beach.
Susan’s Sand Castles are beachfront vacation rentals located in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
There are three in total, each in a different color – yellow, green, and blue.
The sandcastles offer a sand dune walkover with a large deck to provide breathtaking views of the water.
The castles are both family and pet friendly and depending on the sandcastle that a person chooses to rent, it can sleep up to 30.
These “castles” are extremely popular because of the large number of people they can house, especially when there are big events happening in the area.
Alabama Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Alabama Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it possible to get married at any of the venues?
Absolutely.
Quite a few of the venues are designed exclusively for weddings, allowing you to get the “royal treatment” for your wedding.
One of the most notable is The Sterling Castle.
Are there tours offered of the castles?
Many of the castles in Alabama remain private residences, which means that you are limited to driving by them.
The others are either venues or accommodations.
The easiest of the castles for you to visit is Castle San Miguel.
You can either choose to attend the evening service there or sign up for tours based on the current schedule.
What is the oldest castle in Alabama?
The castle that is now Wesleyan Hall is the oldest in the state as it has roots that date all the way back to World War I.
Which area of Alabama has the most castles?
While many of the castles are scattered across the state, many are in or around Birmingham, including Hassinger Castle.
Are any of the castles for sale in Alabama?
Castles can go up for sale at any time, so it’s best to work with a realtor to learn about whether one becomes available.
One of the most recent ones was Smith Lake castle, which went on sale in 2019 for $4.6 million.
It is unclear as to what the final sale price was or who purchased it.
Has anyone famous lived in any of the castles in Alabama?
The most notable is Jeff Cook, a member of the band Alabama.
He was known for writing such songs as “Mountain Music” and “Tennessee River.”
He is the one who created Cook Castle.
Alabama may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of castles, but there are actually quite a few beautiful ones scattered throughout the state.