Mystery Castle   

800 E Mineral Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85042
602-268-1581

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In 1927, Seattle resident, Boyce Luther Gulley left for a doctor's appointment and never returned. Diagnosed with tuberculosis, he disappeared, leaving behind his wife and child. He re-appeared three years later in south Phoenix. There he spent the remaining 15 years of his life building a castle out of native stone, adobe, petroglyphs and automobile parts. The three-story-tall castle is held together by mortar mixture of sand, cement, calcium and goat's milk. Always concerned about the natural landscape, Gulley employed impractical yet interesting architectural methods. A flight of stairs goes up over a boulder and down the other side as to not disturb the surrounding landscape. He also hauled sand and rock from over a mile away for the same reason. After Gulley's death in 1945, his wife and child inherited the castle. His daughter continues to live there and conducts tours.