Goat tower facts for kids
A goat tower is a special building made for goats. It looks like a tall tower with ramps that spiral around the outside. These towers are often built just for fun or decoration, like a "garden folly." The very first goat tower was built in Portugal a long time ago in the 1800s.
Since then, more goat towers have been built in places like South Africa, Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. Many of these towers are at places where wine is made. They often become popular spots for tourists to visit.
History of Goat Towers
The first goat tower ever was built in Portugal in the 1800s. It was designed to look like a "garden folly." A folly is a building that looks interesting but doesn't have a main purpose, like a regular house or barn. This first tower was called Torre das Cabras, which means "Tower of the Goats."
It was built by Fernando Guedes da Silva da Fonseca at a very old winery called Aveleda. This winery is in the Vinho Verde region of Portugal. The tower has three stories and stone walls. A wooden ramp spirals up the outside, letting goats climb to the top.
The Guedes family, who still own the winery, say that the goat tower and other follies on their land are "artistic daydreams." One of their ancestors thought that goats didn't belong on flat ground. So, they built the tower to give the goats a "mountain" to climb! The tower also stands for good luck and lots of animals.
Later, a member of the Guedes family was traveling in South Africa. They found another goat tower there! Their uncle told them it was at Fairview Winery. He explained that a winemaker from Fairview had visited Aveleda in the 1960s. This winemaker loved the Aveleda goat tower so much that he asked for permission to build his own.
Famous Goat Towers Around the World
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The Fairview Winery in South Africa built its goat tower in 1981. This happened after the owner's son saw the original tower in Portugal. The tower is home to about 750 Saanen goats. These are a type of Swiss mountain goat. The Fairview tower is made of brick and has a wooden spiral ramp. It's a very popular place for tourists in the Cape Winelands area.
Fairview Winery even uses pictures of their tower and goats on their products. They make wines with fun names like "Goats do Roam."
The Fairview tower inspired many other people to build their own. In 1998, David and Marcia Johnson, who are farmers in Illinois, built a goat tower. It is 31 feet (about 9.4 meters) tall and 8 feet (about 2.4 meters) wide. They saw an article about the Fairview tower and decided to build one, even though they didn't have goats at first!
Their tower is made from 5,000 handmade bricks. It has 276 concrete steps. The Johnsons call their tower "The Tower of Baaa." In 2000, they bought 11 Saanen goats. Now, their goats love to use the tower. The Johnsons say goats are very curious and enjoy climbing it. Their farm, now called Goat Tower Farm, has become a tourist spot. People have visited from all over the world.
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In Moss, Norway, a dairy farm called Ekeby built a tower like the one at Fairview. They use images of their goat tower to help sell their milk and cheese. The chef at their farm restaurant even has a tattoo of the goat tower!
In 2010, a goat farm in Mendoza, Argentina, called Finca el Rocío, built a tower for their Anglo-Nubian goats. They call it Torre de Cabras. This tower was also inspired by the Fairview winery and has become a tourist attraction.
Hampton Roads Winery in Surry, Virginia, claims to have the tallest goat tower in the world. It is 34 feet (about 10.4 meters) tall. It houses their Nigerian Dwarf goats. This winery also has wines named after their tower.
Other places with goat towers include Cholmondeley Castle Gardens in Cheshire, UK. They have a tower for their pygmy goats. There's also a goat tower at Silky O'Sullivan's bar in Memphis, Tennessee. Customers there sometimes share their drinks with the goats. In Waunakee, Wisconsin, a goat petting zoo has a steel goat tower. It was designed to look like buildings from Bavaria.
In 2018, Darin and Maggie Duvall built a three-story goat tower at Henly Hills Farm in Dripping Springs, Texas, USA. They built it for their rescued goats. This tower was also inspired by the famous Fairview Winery tower. It is made from cinder blocks and masonry. It has a sloped metal roof and wooden blocks for steps. The tower is even lit up at night.
In 2019, the Maryland Zoo built a climbing structure for their goats. They called it a "goat castle."
