The White Sulphur Castle, part 2: Inside the Castle

I gave descriptions and photos of the Carriage House Museum and the historical relics there.  While the Castle is open in the summer weeks, staff will happily give a tour of the interior and the 19th century luxury within.  And I was not about to pass up on this opportunity.

Elon Musk and Taylor Swift, if they lived back then, would likely have one of the Gilded Age mansions in the eastern U.S., but if they kept a vacation home in the West, they would want this home.

The Castle was constructed in the late 19th century by Byron Sherman, a five-time husband.  Contrary to myth, the stones were not shipped over from a European castle but were quarried from the Castle Mountains just a few miles away.  The woodwork and carved front staircase were brought in from the East Coast.

The tour guide led my group through all the rooms, filled with displays and period clothing and furnishings.  Sherman befriended Chief Plenty Coups and was gifted his headdress and beaded clothing.

The cooler basement had been used to store imported coal, because Sherman didn't like Montana coal(?)  This basement contained a kitchen and a couple rooms for cook staff.

A Ringling brother had owned the home after Sherman, and the town of Ringling is named after him.  Another myth is that Ringling brought the circus animals here by rail.  Didn't happen.  A man on the tour joked about wintering jungle and savannah animals in Montana.

Learned from the guide that a good time to tour the Castle is late afternoon, because of the leaded windows in two rooms on the first and third floors.  The light hits the prism panes and casts rainbows that fills the rooms with spectrum bands.

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The Foosball Game

You think foosball was created in the 1960s or 70s.  It's actually over a hundred years old.  The home has a working game from 1923 that you can still play for only a nickel.

There is another contraption that looks like a big wooden Polaroid camera but with the lens curved down.  Ready for this?  It's actually an early copier.  The guide said it works almost as well as our modern copiers.

Wait, Travis, you didn't take any photos of the inside??

That's right.  Pictures of the interior are discouraged, and I respect their wishes.  But that is more the reason to see this opulent home in person.  Trust me on this one.  It is well worth the road trip to see.

The Castle and Carriage House is located at 310 2nd Avenue NE in White Sulphur Springs.  It's north of the main street through town and on a hill so you almost can't miss it.

The Castle and Carriage House are only open in summer from May 15 to September 15 starting at 10:00 a.m. until 5:00, so you only have a few weeks to see this magnificent dwelling.  Admissions is only $10 for adults and less for others.

Do you like History?  Want to stand in and stroll through History?  If you answered Yes, then come explore the Castle.