Bishop Castle, Architectural folly in Rye, Colorado
Bishop Castle is a stone and iron tower complex in Rye, Colorado that rises 48 meters and contains three interior stories, a grand ballroom, several towers, and walkable bridges. The construction stands in the middle of a forest on a mountain slope and looks like a medieval castle assembled from improvised materials and hand-forged iron elements.
Jim Bishop began building in 1969 at age 15 on purchased land, initially intending to construct only a family home. Over the decades the project grew into a tower complex that he continued without plans or building permits.
The structure emerged as a lifetime project by a single builder who worked without permits or blueprints, funding and continuing the work through donations and personal effort to this day. Visitors see handcrafted ironwork and improvised solutions throughout, showing how someone with determination and imagination created a building no architect would have designed.
The site sits at 12705 State Highway 165 and opens daily from sunrise to sunset with no admission charge. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes because the stairs are steep and some passages narrow.
A metal dragon sculpture sits on the roof and releases fire through its mouth using a pressurized system. Visitors can walk the bridges and towers without railings, making the climb an experience that demands a head for heights.
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