Castle Gardens, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Castle Gardens
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 Castle Gardens
Location in California
Castle Gardens
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Merced County |
| Elevation | 167 ft (51 m) |
Castle Gardens is a small place where people live in Merced County, California. It's known as an unincorporated community. This means it's not an official city or town with its own local government. Instead, the county government helps manage things for the people living there.
Castle Gardens is located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east-northeast of a town called Atwater. It sits at an elevation of 167 feet (51 meters) above sea level.
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What is an Unincorporated Community?
An unincorporated community is a place where people live that doesn't have its own city government. Think of it like a neighborhood that's part of a larger county, but not a separate city. The county provides services like roads, police, and fire protection. This is different from a city, which has its own mayor and city council.
Close to Castle Air Force Base
A Historic Airfield
One of the most important things about Castle Gardens is that it's very close to what used to be Castle Air Force Base. An Air Force Base is a special place where the military keeps airplanes, trains pilots, and supports soldiers. Castle Air Force Base was once a really big and important base for the United States Air Force.
From Base to Airport
Over time, the role of Castle Air Force Base changed. It closed as an active military base in 1995. Today, much of the area is used as the Castle Airport. This airport is now a busy place for cargo planes and other aircraft. It also helps with local aviation needs.
Castle Air Museum
Part of the old base is now home to the Castle Air Museum. This museum is a fantastic place to visit if you love airplanes and history! It has a large collection of old military aircraft, including bombers, fighter jets, and other planes. You can walk around and see these amazing machines up close, learning about their history and how they were used. It's a great way to see how aviation has changed over the years.
