With its crumbling exterior and rich history, the Mystery Castle is an unexpected treat at the foot of South Mountain Park. It was built in secret for his daughter by a man who learned he had developed tuberculosis. He used low-grade materials and whatever was lying around. Take a guided tour of the castle to learn about its intriguing properties and the story behind its construction.
Chat with the docent about Boyce Luther Gulley, who learned he was suffering from tuberculosis in the 1930s and moved from Seattle to Phoenix. He embarked on the castle construction, using unusual materials such as goat milk, adobe and calcium and only informed his daughter Mary Lou about the structure on his deathbed in 1945.
Learn how certain trap doors and secret niches revealed prizes and treasures for Mary Lou, who began giving tours of the castle with her mother. One particular trap door had a note asking them to refrain from opening it until 1948. Note that mother and daughter obliged and waited until New Year’s Day of that year, before finding inside a portrait photograph of their father in his final year along with a pair of letters, some gold ore and two $500 bills. It also contained an old valentine card that Mary Lou had sent her father when she was seven years old.
Take photos of the hodgepodge exterior of this unlikely castle. Visit its corridors and chambers to see its range of historic artifacts and quirky works of art.
There is a fee to enter the castle, with discounts for children. The site opens Thursday through Sunday from late morning until late afternoon.
The Mystery Castle is at the southern end of the South Mountain Village, in the southern outskirts of Phoenix. From the city center, drive south for 7 miles (11 kilometers) to arrive here in about 20 minutes. While in the region, make sure to see other nearby sights such as South Mountain Park and Preserve, Dobbins Lookout at South Mountain and the Holbert Trailhead.
