UPSTATE NEW YORK LEGENDS: The Sad But True Story of Boldt Castle

The sad but true story of Boldt Castle is one of the enduring tales of love and loss in New York State.

Built by millionaire George Boldt in 1900, as a love token to his wife, Louise, the tale of Boldt Castle had a tragic ending.  When Louise died, at only age 42, Boldt ordered his men to stop constructing the half-finished castle, and he basically walked away from it.  The grief-stricken man never returned to his island, which he had poignantly christened "Heart Island."

Now, after more than 75 years sitting sad and empty in St. Lawrence River, and after going through decades of renovation work, the castle has been restored, and now welcome thousands of visitors each summer.

This gallery answers 13 curious questions  about Boldt Castle such as "Can I get married at the castle?', "How did they get electricity to the middle of the river 125 years ago?", and "Was Thousand Island Dressing invented at Boldt Castle?",  and "Are There Really 1,000 Islands in the Thousand Islands?"  These are all fun and informative.

There is also a short "Know Before You Go" segment with visitor information including websites, as well as a couple of tour boat company websites to help you plan your visit.

A recent survey named Boldt Castle as one of the nation's Top 25 most visited homes in the country (it's highest annual attendance figure was almost a quarter million people).

No visit to the Thousand Islands Region would be complete without a tour of this amazing and historic castle.  This writer has been there two times and will certainly look forward to going again.