This isn’t Ireland or France, but these castles are pretty impressive nonetheless.

Illinois has a lot of beautiful architecture for a state that isn’t well known for historical monuments. The Prairie State has some amazing castles that you really should visit.

1. John W. Cook Hall: This hall was built to resemble a castle. It’s on the quad for the Illinois State University.



WIkipedia

2. Stronghold Camp Castle and Retreat Center: This castle is a conference center that can host a huge variety of events.



Stronghold Camp and Retreat Center

3. Altgeld Hall: This hall was originally used as the library for the University of Illinois, and has undergone many different repairs.



Wikipedia

4. Wayne Dunham Castle: This is a very old castle that is currently falling into disrepair due to age.



Wikipedia

5. Chicago Water Tower: This castle-style tower used to be a water tower, but it is now an art gallery featuring the work of multiple artists.



Wikipedia

6. Bettendorf Castle: This castle took over thirty years to build by Theodore Bettendorf, who learned masonry to construct it.



bettendorfcastle.com

7. Ravenstone Castle: This castle has been outfitted as a bed and breakfast while being designed with Sixteenth Century architecture.



Ravenstone Castle Facebook

8. Medieval Times Castle: This castle provides a great entertainment experience, with jousting and other events.



Flickr user Experience Kimm

9. Busboom Castle: This is a huge castle built in the the 90’s. It’s available to be rented out for weddings.



busboomcastle.com