Visit 11 Majestic Castles That Are Hidden Throughout Ohio

Yes. That’s right. There are castles in Ohio.

Believe it or not, Ohio has several small castles for travelers and road trip enthusiasts to explore. While it’s not fair to compare them to castles of Ireland or France, it’s fair to say these destinations are worth checking out for anyone who’s into uncovering the unexpected and taking selfies with Medieval suits of armor. The next time you’re looking for some unique things to do in Ohio or you feel like uncovering some hidden gems in Ohio, consider taking a road trip to these fun and historic sites in Ohio. The following are 11 of the best castles in Ohio that you can visit, tour, stay overnight in or at least view from a distance.

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1. The Château Laroche (Loveland) April Dray/Only In Your State We'll start with my personal favorite, which is more commonly known as the Loveland Castle, built by Sir Harry Andrews—brick by brick, literally—in 1927 for the Knights of the Golden Trail. Knighthood is taken very seriously here, and visitors can explore the castle today inside and out for a small fee any day of the week during the months of April-September in Loveland. From October - March, you can visit on Saturdays and Sundays. 2. Piatt Castles (West Liberty) Craig Hatfield/Flickr Located in Logan County are two chateaux style castles with Gothic design. This private, family-owned museum features more than 200 years of Ohio history. Tour hours vary throughout the year, so be sure to call ahead before planning your visit. 3. Squire's Castle (Willoughby Hills) E Photos/Flickr Owned by the Cleveland Metroparks in Willoughby Hills, visitors are free to wander around this castle, which was never fully completed due to the death of Mr. Squire's wife. (Rumor has it, it's haunted.) 4. Stan Hywett Hall and Gardens (Akron) Adam/Flickr This elaborate country estate in Akron is one of the largest homes in the U.S. An accredited museum of the American Alliance of Museums, this estate is open to the public for tours and other events and features five historic buildings, eight gardens and 70 acres. 5. GreatStone Castle Resorts (Sidney) Geekly Things/Flickr Looking to stay all night in a castle? This bed and breakfast in Sidney features a ballroom, conservatory, a spa and various other amenities in addition to the overnight suites. 6. Ravenwood Castle (New Plymouth) Betty B/ Flickr Another great castle getaway option is this lovely little Medieval structure, tucked away in the scenic Hocking Hills in New Plymouth. Spend the night a castle room, rent a cottage in the Medieval village or camp in Huntsman's Hollow. 7. Brumback Library (Van Wert) J. Stephen Conn/Flickr If this doesn't look like the place to find a good book I don't know what does. The historic public library in Van Wert was the first library in the country to serve an entire county, and its unique architectural design sets it apart even more. 8. Franklin Castle (Cleveland) Erika/Flickr Cleveland is home to this historic home, which features four stories and more than 20 rooms. (Before venturing here you should probably know that it's considered to be the most haunted house in Ohio. Just a little FYI.) Although you can't tour this privately owned building, you can view it from the street. 9. Landoll’s Mohican Castle (Loudonville) Brian Giese/Flickr Another resort in which visitors can stay overnight in one of the castle's multiple suites or cottages, this little getaway also offers murder mystery dinners and other amenities sure to make you feel like the king/queen of the castle. 10. Glamorgan Castle (Alliance) Joanna Poe/Flickr This is by far the coolest school district administration office building in the history of all school district administration office buildings. (Well, you get the point.) This castle was originally constructed in the early 1900s, but was purchased by the Alliance City School District in the 70s. 11. White Castle (various locations) GmanViz/Flickr OK, so this one is obviously a joke. The fast food restaurant's headquarters is located in Columbus in case you were wondering (but you probably weren't.)

Grab your friends and take a a few days to road trip a “Castles of Ohio Tour.” They’ll be grateful and you’ll get some pretty cool pictures out of it. (Of course, feel free to leave that last one out—unless you’d like to “save the best for last” and pull one over on them. That could be fun.)

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