Boldt Castle and the Boldt Yacht House
Boldt Castle and the Boldt Yacht House
Boldt Castle and the Boldt Yacht House
4.5
About
A visit to the magnificent Boldt Castle offers a glimpse into one of the most compelling love stories in history. At the turn-of-the-century, George C. Boldt, millionaire proprietor of the world-famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC, set out to build a full-sized Rhineland Castle in Alexandria Bay, on Heart Island. The grandiose structure was to be a display of his love for his wife, Louise. Beginning in 1900, Boldt's family shared four summers on Wellesley Island while 300 workers, stonemasons, carpenters and artists fashioned the six story, 120-room castle, complete with tunnels, a powerhouse, Italian gardens, a drawbridge and a dovecote. In 1904, tragedy struck. Boldt telegrammed the island and commanded the workers to immediately "stop all construction." Louise had died suddenly. A broken-hearted Boldt could not imagine his dream castle without his beloved. Three hundred workers laid down their tools. Boldt never returned, leaving behind the structure as a monument of his love.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Boldt Castle and the Boldt Yacht House and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
39 within 3 miles
Attractions
22 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Marion MChesterfield, Virginia20 contributionsFairy Tale CastleMy husband and I just returned from a tour of The Boldt Castle, what a magical day! The castle and it's surrounding gardens are absolutely gorgeous, we thoroughly enjoyed spending 4 hours there. We were fortunate to go on a beautiful day and we couldn't have had a better time. The docents in the castle were extremely friendly and knowledgeable, we had downloaded the apt to listen to while we toured but still, we learned so much more talking to the staff. The little cafe by the dock is just great, our burgers were delicious and it was pleasant eating by the water. I would highly recommend visiting this interesting place, we will never forget our delightful day there.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 16, 2023
- mbrown232926 contributionsBoldt CastleImpressive and beautiful castle and well worth the time to tour! The story behind Boldt Castle is heart-wrenching and a testament to a man's love for his wife! So glad it is being restored and hopefully will be finished in the future.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 28, 2023
- Kathy LMiddlebury, Vermont13 contributionsDon't miss Boldt Castle!Boldt Caste was beautiful. I highly recommend the Clayton boat tour (3.5 hours) guided tour up the Seaway with lots of history and highlights, leading to an 1.5 hours to tour the Castle before touring back down the waterway. Amazing adventure! Thank you to our guide, Captain and Mother Nature-Great weather. Lots of walking and I had a sketchy knee so I didn't enjoy the stairs but don't let that stop you!Visited September 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 4, 2023
- Lorraine B98 contributionsRevisiting Boldt Castle 41 years laterMy husband and I just got back from a trip to Alexander Bay, Bolt Castle. It is gorgeous! We were there 41 years ago and it was mostly rubble. We also did the beautiful yacht house.Highly recommend a visit!Visited June 2024Traveled with familyWritten June 13, 2024
- Carice J15 contributionsDo this at least once.Beautiful grounds and interesting history. Take the time to listen to the audio tour to get the most out of the experience. Lots of corners to explore- the main house, the power plant, gardens and play house. The day we arrived by boat from Canada only two customs agents were working and it took a long time to get on the grounds.Visited July 2024Traveled with friendsWritten August 1, 2024
- eemskrPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania56 contributionsDon’t miss this amazing castle if you’re in Alexandria Bay Thousand Islands, NYThis castle is absolutely amazing. You can download an app on your phone that guides you around the castle and grounds, room by room, at your own pace. The story behind the castle is awesome and heartbreaking at the same time. There are guides there to answer any questions. What a great experience! The property is breathtaking and very well maintained. It is also accessible with wheelchair access and an elevator. It took us about 2 hours to tour all the rooms! Don’t miss the opportunity to do this tour! You won’t regret it!Visited August 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten August 20, 2024
- Sharman FAlbany, New York31 contributionsThe BEST to see and do. Alot of walking.My kids and I went here, them for the first time. Except my daughter I have brought in ages past. I love this place. I have some fantastic pictures and we all had a great time. The walking was alot for me, I'm 74 and knees are not great, but I made it with sit downs here and there. I spent a BUNCH in the gift shop, bought them all something. Love it!! There was a wedding going on that day and this would be a great place for a destination wedding for one of my girls, in the future. Definitely worth it. And we parked over the water at the Yacht house, cheaper, quicker and easier. I didn't even know about it. We had a ball. My aunt used to live here and had a hot dog stand at the water's edge in Clayton. It's gone now of course, but memories are great.Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 31, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
2,027 reviews
Excellent
1,492
Very good
434
Average
80
Poor
16
Terrible
5
JudyMetroNYCarea
New York City, NY1,956 contributions
Sep 2022
We took the 2 nation boat tour to get to Boldt Castle, which was the entire point of the trip to Alex Bay.
The grounds are very well maintained. The exterior of the main house and other buildings were also well maintained.
Once off the tour boat and onto the island, there were bathrooms (very clean) a small deli type shop and an info booth as you walk up the path towards the house. There was someone in the booth with the sliding glass window closed. I think there were printed instructions with a barcode to access an audio tour. Well, it didn't work.
Once we got into the house, there was a person monitoring the coming and going of people but offered no help connecting to wifi and the audio tour. We approached a second person who also was unable (or unwilling) to help, so we never connected to the tour.
On one of the upper levels, there is an unfinished room with a history of the castle, floor plans and still crated finishes that were to be added to the house. The house was at some point abandoned and they are slowly rebuilding the house the best they can. There does seem to be a US/Canadian partnership to restore the full castle but the project is still ongoing.
While others may have been disappointed in the unfinished rooms and upper levels, I found it interesting that there is still interest in the full restoration. I guess many don't realize how expensive such an endeavor really is. Even with all the visitors, they still need funds to keep the project going.
I would highly recommend a visit to the island and to the Castle. On a beautiful day it would be lovely to sit outside and have lunch.
The grounds are very well maintained. The exterior of the main house and other buildings were also well maintained.
Once off the tour boat and onto the island, there were bathrooms (very clean) a small deli type shop and an info booth as you walk up the path towards the house. There was someone in the booth with the sliding glass window closed. I think there were printed instructions with a barcode to access an audio tour. Well, it didn't work.
Once we got into the house, there was a person monitoring the coming and going of people but offered no help connecting to wifi and the audio tour. We approached a second person who also was unable (or unwilling) to help, so we never connected to the tour.
On one of the upper levels, there is an unfinished room with a history of the castle, floor plans and still crated finishes that were to be added to the house. The house was at some point abandoned and they are slowly rebuilding the house the best they can. There does seem to be a US/Canadian partnership to restore the full castle but the project is still ongoing.
While others may have been disappointed in the unfinished rooms and upper levels, I found it interesting that there is still interest in the full restoration. I guess many don't realize how expensive such an endeavor really is. Even with all the visitors, they still need funds to keep the project going.
I would highly recommend a visit to the island and to the Castle. On a beautiful day it would be lovely to sit outside and have lunch.
Written July 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BillyDee2014
Allentown, PA68 contributions
Sep 2021
Loved the visit.
It was a cold and windy day in late September 2021 when we visited.
The grounds are nice. The location is amazing and the "castle" itself is an education on what one can do when you tell the architect that money is no consideration. Even the servant's quarters were designed and built beautifully.
Sad that the family never lived here
It was a cold and windy day in late September 2021 when we visited.
The grounds are nice. The location is amazing and the "castle" itself is an education on what one can do when you tell the architect that money is no consideration. Even the servant's quarters were designed and built beautifully.
Sad that the family never lived here
Written October 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike G
Toronto, Canada8 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
We took a lot of pictures of all the different islands and the views of some of these houses if not mansion were exceptional, would recommend this trip to anyone, finally got to castle 1hr and 20 minutes after we left Gananoque. Trip was fine, boat was pretty full, but not enough seats for everyone. Castle is amazing with all the antiques back in the day as this has been renovated a few times,you need passport to get in and please do not bring any food on the boat except water, there is food and drinks on the cruise to be purchased. As I said the castle was great but you have to try and view everything in 2 hrs, there was lots to see, the grounds are immaculate and there is a small restaurant where you can buy sandwiches and drinks as well, there is also an ice cream vendor there. The castle has app 5 floors and it looks like they are doing more restorations, this place was huge but I don’t believe we saw everything.
Written July 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PaleoGypsy
Philadelphia, PA2,348 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
Depending upon your level of interest, you may be spending the entire day touring the grounds, building, and water. What really shocked me is all of the graffiti that is located on the upper stories. The reasoning behind this was explained by the tour guide. Hopefully, all of the graffiti and damage will be repaired at some point. What has been rebuilt is truly amazing. It is a real treat to see all of the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into the restoration of an incredible icon. If you are into art, architecture, and history, you may very well enjoy this trip to the Boldt Castle and grounds. Assess your fitness level. Wear comfortable shoes. Bring, or plan on buying, water.
Written July 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shawn H
Washington DC, DC408 contributions
Aug 2021
We stopped at Boldt Castle on the return trip from Singer Castle on an Uncle Sam Boat tour and the history and construction of the site is a fascinating look into turn of the century wealth, darkened by tragedy. The site is in various states of renovation and disrepair, never having been finished originally, and subsequently abandoned for decades. Work is being done to bring the site back, but it is already something really special. The huge rooms, landscaping and outbuildings reflect massive ambition with money behind it. The upper unfinished floors, covered in decades of graffiti all the way to the rafters reflect the grinding halt to construction here. The location has restrooms and a gift shop in the house, with a snack bar down by the dock.
We also took the little ferry boat over to the boathouse and saw the yachts and the quarters on the other side of the river. That was interesting enough, but probably not worth the trip and waiting for the boat each way. If I did it again, I'd enjoy the castle and then spend more time in Alexandria Bay.
We also took the little ferry boat over to the boathouse and saw the yachts and the quarters on the other side of the river. That was interesting enough, but probably not worth the trip and waiting for the boat each way. If I did it again, I'd enjoy the castle and then spend more time in Alexandria Bay.
Written September 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
George N
50 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
A must visit grounds are beautiful! Pack a picnic basket and enjoy! They have a cafe and outdoor kiosk (yummy ice cream). We took the Uncle Sam Cruise which you can disembark and pay $10 to enter the area. It is worth it! We had a wonderful time! Go and enjoy!
Written August 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pamela P
Clifton Park, NY27 contributions
Jun 2021
I found the castle very beautiful and sad at the same time. Beautiful that the lower floors and the out buildings were beautiful, full of history and carvings - the architecture alone is incredible and sad because it can't ever be finished according to the rules of ownership. On the upper floors, people have carved graffiti into the walls, showing major disrespect to the structure and history. Was it worth the money? Yes, to explore and see the details and beauty of the structure and to be able to explore at your leisure all the outbuildings, gardens and the castle itself. The Yacht House wasn't worth the money, in my opinion. Yes, there were boats there but it seemed an afterthought to the castle and very little to look at and admire. The place where the boats were actually made wasn't open to the public and I would have loved to see how they made the boats back then. It could have been so much better.
Written June 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marla Z
New Jersey76 contributions
Jul 2021
What a great, comprehensive visit we had to Boldt Castle. We were able to download the app, and listen to the information at each of the 30 stops on the self guided tour. The information was invaluable as we tried to paint the picture in our minds of life in the late 1800's. There was so much to see and take in, and so much was accessible. We were there for about 2 hours - and we could have easily used another hour. We had transportation commitments on the front and back of our tour, which limited our time a bit. But that's on us - not on Boldt Castle. The grounds were beautiful and clean, and there were 2 food concessions with plenty of healthy food choices! There were 2 sets of spotless bathrooms on Heart Island that helped to make our trip successful. There were park guides available to answer questions and help direct anyone who wasn't sure of where to go.
We have visited many landmarks in the U.S. and Canada. This was an excellent place to visit. It was far, far worth the money, and there was something for everyone. My feet gave out before my interest did! There are many stairs, and some outdoor inclines - but there is also an elevator for the inside floors, and the outdoor inclines are optional. It really is excellent.
We have visited many landmarks in the U.S. and Canada. This was an excellent place to visit. It was far, far worth the money, and there was something for everyone. My feet gave out before my interest did! There are many stairs, and some outdoor inclines - but there is also an elevator for the inside floors, and the outdoor inclines are optional. It really is excellent.
Written July 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jerrythetraveler
Orlando209 contributions
Jul 2022
Boldt Castle was an unexpected treat, we just happened to be passing back into the states via the Thousand Islands since the ferry off Wolfe Island is apparently closed. Boldt Castle is home to a complex story of love and death. The Castle was started on a "heart shaped" gem amount the thousand islands and since nothing I can say here will prepare you or be anything more than anything else already said, I will tell you what I could not find yourself. You can save both money and time by parking at the boat house on Wellesey Island and both save time and money as apposed to driving to Alexandria Bay and taking the slow, old and nasty Uncle Same boat over. You can buy your tickets at the boat house, check it out and take the FREE ferry to Boldt Castle.
Written July 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan Ellen R
5 contributions
Sep 2022
This place always leaves me with such an appreciation for Love through the ages. The story of George Boldt and his family is like a fairy tale met tragedy. The Seaway authority has done amazing work to restore and go far beyond the original state of the castle. WORTH every penny of admission.
Written September 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are there any vegan (or at least vegetarian) options from the Castle Cafe or other island vendor?
Written July 16, 2024
What are mask and vaccination requirements if any, to visit the Castle
Written August 17, 2022
Can you access the Boldt Castle Yacht House directly from Wellsley Island? Thank you!
Written March 24, 2021
How much time do you need for the castle and yacht house?
Written August 17, 2020
Really difficult to say. The castle itself was 90 minutes. The rest of the island another hour and my timing was just a bit off so I waited almost 30 minutes for the shuttle to the yacht house which in hindsight I would have skipped.
Written August 23, 2020
Hi. The website says open daily through labor day. Does anyone know if that means they completely close up after labor day or that they have limited hours. I already booked a hotel for the first weekend of October and probably will cancel if we cant tour the castle
Written August 11, 2020
Did you call? That’s your best option.
Written August 12, 2020
Tiffany Cardosa
Adams, New York
If you are from New York and 18, do you need a passport for the tour and Boldt castle and much are they altogether? I’ve been here before with my parents but me and a friend are thinking of going this summer and I don’t know about the pricing, passports, ids and other things like that. Just to be on the safe side and I’ll know what I need to bring with me. Thank you.:)
Written February 12, 2020
There’s no need for a passport to tour Boldt Castle. You take the boat from New York and return to New York. If you decide to go over the bridge to Canada, thge, yes, you will need a passport.
Written March 6, 2020
Where to stay?
We are visiting bolt castle. Where could be nice to stay in US? Have Captain Thomson booked but a little worried about some reviews. Would like a nice place to stay with water views or on water.
Written July 28, 2019
Edgewood is nice but pricey, Bonnie Castle is OK and probably less, Riveredge is nice but pricey. Capt. Thompson is OK. All have river view rooms but you have to ask for one. Edgewood is not downtown- private area great meals. Capt Thompson is right downtown by boat lines, all rooms are over/ on the river seeing Bolt Castle and all the action. Riveredge is newer hotel with dining / bar and walking to downtown. Bonnie Castle older but being renovated and nice restaurant/ bar just a little further to walk to downtown.
Written July 29, 2019
What tour company or boat line did you go with?
Written May 31, 2019
There is a Canadian Boat tour. Ganagonque Boat line. They have a 5hr boat cruise (2hrs on the island) or drive to the U.S side and the Uncle Sam cruise. It's a 10 min ride over and more flexibility for length of time on the island
Written June 1, 2019
…
Showing results 1-10 of 42
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingScroll back to Boldt Castle and the Boldt Yacht House information