Bishop Castle, one of the craziest castles... - Secret World

12705 CO-165, Rye, CO 81069, Stati Uniti

by Lara Kipling

Bishop Castle is undoubtedly one of the craziest castles in the world, created by the one-man castle builder Jim Bishop. The "castle" is located in south central Colorado on State Highway 165 in the Wet Mountains of Southern Colorado in the San Isabel National Forest, southwest of Pueblo, Colorado.Bishop’s Castle is not just a unique site to see it is a true testament of will and determination. Upon approaching the castle, you wouldn’t believe it but one man, and one man alone built this castle! Since the age of 15, Jim Bishop has spent the last 60 years building and constructing this monument ever since he bought the plot of land for a mere $450 for a small parcel nearby the San Isabel National Forest.What started out as a mountain cabin for him and his wife, slowly turned into a dream of building his own castle. Over the years it snowballed into something even bigger than he imagined. Using native stone extracted from nearby forest land (with permit), the castle features details like wrought-iron bridges, spires, stained glass windows, soaring towers, a grand ballroom, and yes a fire-breathing dragon. The dragon is made from recycled hospital trays and shoots fire with the help of a burner from a hot air balloon.