Mystery Castle - Phoenix

Mystery Castle - Phoenix

The Mystery Castle was a fun treat for us to discover at South Mountain in Phoenix. Built in the 1930's the property is a "hidden treasure" that was featured in a story in "Life" Magazine in 1948. The owner came from back East to try to recover from Tuberculosis (because once upon a time the air here in the Valley was actually clean and therapeutic for TB sufferers) and spent over a decade building this 18-room home for his wife and daughter who eventually came out to join him (but only after his death). The home was built from items that were found or donated by neighbors who wanted to help him out which explains the eclectic nature of the architecture and artwork throughout the property.

The home did not have running water or electricity and so it was built to utilize passive cooling techniques to allow the family to survive the extreme weather. The owner designed and built a dumb-water to help raise cocktails from a storage "well" that was dug into the foundation of the building (where temperatures can be in the 70's even in the Summer). 

The tour is $10 per person CASH ONLY and is at least an hour to discover the property. 
The Mystery Castle is located in the Foothills of South Mountain Park (two miles south of Baseline Road) at 800 E. Mineral Road in Phoenix, Arizona 85040.

http://www.mymysterycastle.com/location-and-tours/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_Castle