Bishop Castle facts for kids
Bishop Castle is a very special and detailed "one-man project" built by Jim Bishop. It has become a famous stop for tourists in central Colorado.
This amazing "castle" is found in south central Colorado. It's on State Highway 165 in the Wet Mountains of Southern Colorado. You can find it inside the San Isabel National Forest, southwest of Pueblo, Colorado.
Building a Dream Castle
Jim Bishop bought the land for his project when he was just 15 years old. This was in 1969. He first planned to build a simple family cottage.
After Jim started adding rocks around the cottage, his neighbors noticed something. They said the building looked a lot like a castle! Jim liked this idea. Soon, he began to build his very own castle.
For many years, Jim had a disagreement with government officials. This was about the rocks he used for building. The rocks came from the National Forest around his property. Jim believed he could take the rocks for free. The government wanted to charge him for each truckload. This disagreement has now been settled.
In 1996, Jim faced another challenge. Local and state governments questioned his unofficial road signs. These signs pointed the way to his castle. They worked out a solution. Official road signs were then put up to guide visitors.
A Unique Tourist Spot
Bishop Castle has become a popular place for people to visit. A website called RoadsideAmerica.com even wrote about it. They called it "major fun" and described it as "one man's massive-obsessive labor of medieval fantasy construction."
The website also gave a "parent's alert." It mentioned that Jim Bishop is a very passionate person. He has strong beliefs and sometimes shares them very directly. If you prefer to avoid strong opinions, you might want to be aware of this.
In 2014 and 2015, a disagreement happened over who would manage the castle. Jim Bishop and his wife Phoebe both became ill. David Merrill, who Jim thought was a friend, was made a trustee of the castle. Merrill then changed the site into "Castle Church." The Bishops later spent a lot of money to get full control of Bishop Castle back. They also wanted Merrill's name removed from all official papers.
A song about the castle is on a 2017 album. It's called "Fire Breathing Dragon" by the English musician Kid Carpet. The album is named "The Castle Builder."
On March 28, 2018, a fire broke out at Bishop Castle. It destroyed the gift shop and a guest house. People think the fire was caused by an electrical problem. Luckily, the castle itself was not damaged because it is mostly made of stone. The attraction reopened to the public later that same week. Many people helped with donations and volunteer work.
Images for kids
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The front half of Bishop Castle from the north. The main tower is over 160 ft (49 m) tall.
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Arched windows with a mountain view inside Bishop Castle.
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A rocky, twist and turn along a soaring tower of Bishop Castle.
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A rubble pile outside Bishop Castle
See also
In Spanish: Castillo Bishop para niños
