Curwood Castle
Curwood Castle
4.5
About
Curwood Castle. built in 1922, was the writing studio of James Oliver Curwood, a writer and conservationist. The castle, located on the banks of the Shiawassee River near Curwood's home on Williams Street served as the writer's private studio. James Oliver Curwood, a sportsman and pioneer conservationist, wrote more than 30 tales of courage and daring in the Canadian Northwest. Curwood spent much of his time in the north woods exploring and writing about the natural world he loved so well. Curwood Castle was the writer's dream project, fashioned after a 17th century French chateau. It is built of stucco, slate, copper trim and fieldstone that Curwood himself chose from the nearby farm fields. During Curwood's lifetime, the Castle served as a writing retreat, Hollywood office and the site of fabulous parties. Today it stands as a singular architectural treasure, the legacy of a remarkable life and a reminder of glorious days gone by.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Full view
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
62 within 3 miles
Attractions
13 within 6 miles
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
82 reviews
Excellent
46
Very good
23
Average
10
Poor
3
Terrible
0
D C
1 contribution
Sep 2024 • Family
Went to visit after googling castles in Michigan and viewing the reviews here. Took our family on a road trip to visit. Unfortunately, it wasn't worth the trip. On a positive note, the staff person on site was very friendly.
The castle is best viewed from the outside. Inside, the castle is small, cramped and lakes proper ventilation/air conditioning. The stairs are very narrow and difficult for my young child to navigate. Please be advised, there is very limited parking and no public restroom. While the entry fee may seem temptingly low, the self-guided tour will barely last 10 minutes.
The grounds are very well kept and the drawbridge across the river was free and more interesting. There were some rough looking people on the grounds who kept trying to talk to my small child while listening to music with profane lyrics; definitely sketchy.
The castle is best viewed from the outside. Inside, the castle is small, cramped and lakes proper ventilation/air conditioning. The stairs are very narrow and difficult for my young child to navigate. Please be advised, there is very limited parking and no public restroom. While the entry fee may seem temptingly low, the self-guided tour will barely last 10 minutes.
The grounds are very well kept and the drawbridge across the river was free and more interesting. There were some rough looking people on the grounds who kept trying to talk to my small child while listening to music with profane lyrics; definitely sketchy.
Written September 1, 2024
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.
Shelley E
Brownstown Township, MI5 contributions
Sep 2014 • Business
After seeing the Curwood Castle personally, I am undecided whether to include it as a stop for my senior travelers. There are stairs to contend with that make it difficult for them to navigate. I think if my group were younger it would make a good stop, the history was presented well by the volunteers, and it was very interesting. I"m just unsure of the audience that I have, I may just let them get out and walk around the building enjoying the beautiful grounds. Then walk to the Shiawasse Art Center, that was a gem, right next door!
Written November 9, 2014
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.
Carol T
Owosso, MI4 contributions
Jul 2012
its' worth the price to walk through this quaint little castle and learn the history, if you are ever in Owosso, go here!
Written July 12, 2012
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.
teamdesign
Owosso, MI15 contributions
Jun 2013 • Friends
Take your camera and a picnic. Curwood Castle sits right on the wonderful Shiawassee River next to the arts center. Go to both and if you happen to be in town on a Saturday hit the Downtown Owosso Farmers Market, it runs two city blocks right in the heart of this historic downtown on Exchange Street. Its more than just a market be prepared to shop, eat great food, and listen to music. What a gem of a town. The shops are so nice. A lovely tea shop called Abiding In The Vine that has awesome food and is charming.
Written September 5, 2013
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.
Vulcangirl96
Michigan47 contributions
Jun 2013 • Solo
The exterior of the castle is much better than inside. When you walk in you either go upstairs or down. Upstairs has a few display areas on the wall and one in the open roped off. Nothing exciting. You go downstairs and there are a few more display cases with a movie playing on loop about a bear.
The castle does run along the river and I enjoyed watching the ducks try to swim upstream more than the castle. There is also a foot bridge with 2 stone pillars on each side to cross the river...kinda old school looking.
The castle does run along the river and I enjoyed watching the ducks try to swim upstream more than the castle. There is also a foot bridge with 2 stone pillars on each side to cross the river...kinda old school looking.
Written June 24, 2013
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.
eickfarm
Corunna, MI21 contributions
Local jewel on the banks of the Shiawassee River near the footbridge and the Shiawassee Arts Center. Great place to visit, and a favorite backdrop for graduation and wedding photos.
Written July 25, 2012
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.
Jeff C
Alamogordo, NM13 contributions
Mar 2014 • Solo
Curwoods Castle is still one my favorite places to go. When you keep in mind its history you feel more compelled to slow down and look at everything in detail. Many people i have talked to never realized that it was completely made from an actual castle in England (actually a rear wall of the castle) and assembled to resemble that English Castle.
Written May 27, 2014
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.
48912glb
Lansing, MI43 contributions
Jul 2011 • Family
Right on the river, this Owosso must stop celebrates the life of a unique man. However, there are plenty of steps and if your closter phobic the stairways get extremely narrow. And if the woman doing the tour asks if you want to hear "a song" say no unless you want to spend the next few moments in the most uncomfortable situaiton with her singing. Yikes.
Written June 10, 2012
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.
Ginger F
Flushing, Michigan, United States34 contributions
Oct 2011
has a number of stairs but worth the effort. Learned a lot about the owner and the books he wrote.
Written May 18, 2012
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.
Tamara F
Mafinga, Tanzania10 contributions
Oct 2011
We visited the castle with our nine year old. It is very appealing from the outside and interesting on the inside. It was rainy, but we still walked over the suspension bridge before visiting inside. There is a lot of history in the castle and the staff member was full of answers to any questions we asked. The pictures and display items were very interesting. For people who have lived around Owosso, MI there is a lot of items downstairs of interest. Even my mother-in-law and husband who were both born there found a street on the old city map that they had never heard of. We drove and found it after leaving the castle.
Written October 20, 2011
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.
There was no tour, but there was a very knowledgeable person who was able to answer all questions. We spent about 45-60 minutes, which was plenty of time.
Stu
Written January 8, 2019
I never realized you could rent it out. I was wondering how much it costs to have a wedding in the castle?
Written December 5, 2016
Showing results 1-5 of 5
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 listing