Tovrea Castle

Tovrea Castle is a four-story building in Phoenix, Arizona, made of white limestone that rises in three symmetrical tiers above the desert landscape. The windows are evenly spaced on each level, and the surrounding gardens contain thousands of cacti from different regions.

Alessio Carraro began construction in 1929 as a hotel resort and completed the building in 1931. E.A. Tovrea purchased the property shortly after and converted it into a family residence that remained private until the 1990s.

The name comes from the Tovrea family, who lived here after 1931 and shaped it into a private home. Visitors today can see how the original furniture and interiors reflect the life of a wealthy family in the desert.

Access is only through guided tours, which require registration several months in advance through a lottery system. The tour includes the first floor, basement, and cactus gardens, which are reached by tram.

The cactus collection on the grounds includes 5,000 plants from around 100 species, sourced from different desert regions of the Americas. This botanical collection has been maintained over decades and is one of the most extensive on a private estate in Phoenix.