Tovrea Castle, Historic hotel and architectural landmark in Phoenix, United States

Tovrea Castle is a four-tier building of granite block, pine wood and cream stucco in Phoenix, Arizona. Each tier has a crenellated parapet with reddish-brown circular studs, and the top is capped by a small cylindrical drum with arched openings and a green-and-white vertically striped dome. Dark green trim accents the rectangular windows and parapets.

Alessio Carraro built Tovrea Castle between 1929 and 1931 as the hotel centerpiece of a planned resort, naming it Carraro Heights. E.A. and Della Tovrea bought it in 1931 and made it a private residence. The City of Phoenix acquired the 44-acre site and restored the building and gardens, opening it to the public in 2012; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Locals call it the "Wedding Cake Castle" for its tiered shape, though the legend that E. A. Tovrea built it as a copy of his wife's wedding cake is false: the Tovreas bought it from Alessio Carraro in 1931. Earlier names were "Carraro Heights" and "El Castillo", and signs now read "Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights".

Tovrea Castle is operated by the Tovrea Carraro Society, which runs guided tours of the grounds, first floor and basement, plus special events, since March 2012. The site sits on 44 acres at 5041 East Van Buren Street, bounded by the Red Mountain Freeway, Washington Street, Van Buren Street and the Main Post Office. Drivers on Loop 202 get a clear view of the building from the road.

The castle's local nickname, "Wedding Cake Castle," comes from its four-tier shape, not from any gift: E. A. Tovrea bought the building from Carraro in 1931, and the story that he built it to copy the couple's wedding cake is a legend. The grounds hold over 5,000 cacti of more than 100 varieties, cared for by the Tovrea Carraro Society.