Boldt Castle Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Boldt Castle

General information
Architectural style	Châteauesque
Location	Heart Island
Town or city	Alexandria Bay, New York
Country	United States
Coordinates	44°20′40″N 75°55′21″W / 44.344525°N 75.922575°W / 44.344525; -75.922575
Named for	George Boldt
Construction started	1900
Construction stopped	1904
Renovation cost	$15 million (1977)
Owner	Thousand Islands Bridge Authority
Technical details
Floor count	6
Design and construction
Architecture firm	G. W. & W. D. Hewitt

Boldt Castle is a famous landmark and a popular place to visit in the Thousand Islands area of New York. It is open to visitors from mid-May to mid-October each year. You can find it on Heart Island in the Saint Lawrence River. Heart Island is part of the Town of Alexandria in Jefferson County.

This grand castle was first built as a private home for an American millionaire named George Boldt. Today, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority takes care of it and keeps it open for people to enjoy.

History of Boldt Castle
- Why Construction Stopped
- Saving the Castle
Visiting Boldt Castle Today
Gallery
See also

History of Boldt Castle

Alster Tower, a unique building on Heart Island

George Boldt owned the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. He and his family loved spending summers on Heart Island. They had a small cottage there, which they made much bigger over time.

In 1900, George Boldt started building a huge stone castle. It was meant to be one of the largest private homes in the United States. He hired the architectural company G. W. & W. D. Hewitt and hundreds of workers. His plan was to build a six-story castle as a special gift for his wife, Louise. Besides the main castle, four other stone buildings were also built on the island.

The Boldt family also had another summer home and a large estate on nearby Wellesley Island. This estate included farms, canals, a golf course, tennis courts, stables, and a polo field.

Why Construction Stopped

Building the castle stopped suddenly in early 1904. This happened because George Boldt's wife, Louise, sadly passed away. After her death, Boldt never returned to Heart Island. He continued to spend summers in the Thousand Islands until he died in 1916.

For 73 years, the castle and other stone buildings were left empty. They were exposed to harsh winter weather and damaged by vandals.

Saving the Castle

In 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority bought Heart Island and the nearby yacht house for just one dollar. They made an agreement that all the money earned from visitors would be used to fix up the castle. This way, the island could be saved for future generations to enjoy.

In 1981, a movie called Fear No Evil was filmed at Boldt Castle. This was the only time the castle has been shown in a movie.

Since 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority has spent over $50 million to restore and improve the castle and its surrounding buildings. Their first goal was to bring the island back to how it looked when construction stopped. But they have done even more! They have restored beautiful features like a stained glass dome, marble floors, and grand wooden staircases.

Visiting Boldt Castle Today

Panoramic view of Heart Island with Boldt Castle

Today, you can reach Boldt Castle by ferry or tour boat. Boats leave from towns like Alexandria Bay, New York, Clayton, New York, and several places in Canada. Most of the castle grounds and buildings are open to the public for a fee. If you have your own boat, you can dock at Heart Island for free.

Boldt Castle is a Port of Entry, which means it has a U.S. Customs and Border Protection office. If you are visiting from Canada, you will need proper identification to enter the United States.

Inside the Castle

The first and second floors of Boldt Castle have been fully restored and furnished. On the second floor, you'll find a gift shop and a theater. Here, you can watch a 16-minute movie about George Boldt and the castle's history.

Many rooms on the third and fourth floors are not furnished. Instead, they have exhibits with old pictures and items from the Thousand Islands area. These items show what life was like during the "Gilded Age," when the Boldt family lived there. The unfurnished rooms also help you imagine how the castle looked before it was restored.

The basement is mostly unfinished. It has a swimming pool, many storage areas, and a long tunnel that leads to the Power House. At the edge of the island, there's a large archway. This was meant to be the main entrance for boats coming to Heart Island. A bridge connecting the two sides would have been raised and lowered for boats.

Other Buildings on Heart Island

The Power House on Heart Island

The Power House: This building is on the eastern side of the island. It was built to hold a generator that would supply the island with power using steam. Inside, you can learn how power was made in the early 1900s. There are also old photos of the castle being built and of the Thousand Islands region. The Power House was almost destroyed by a fire in the 1930s. It was one of the first buildings to be restored after the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority took over in 1977.

Alster Tower: This unique tower was designed to look like an old defense tower in Germany. It was built with slanted and uneven walls, ceilings, and roofs on purpose! The Alster Tower is on the south side of the island, facing Alexandria Bay. It has a two-lane bowling alley and a stage for performances. There is also a cafe in the Alster Tower that is currently being restored.

The Yacht House

The George C. Boldt Yacht House is on nearby Wellesley Island. It is the only wooden yacht house of its kind still standing. Inside, it has living areas and a collection of old and wooden boats. You can take a shuttle from Heart Island to the Yacht House for an extra fee to see these exhibits. The Yacht House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

A children's novel from 1969, called Secret Castle by Anne Colver, is also about Boldt Castle and Alexandria Bay.