Pythian Castle
Pythian Castle
4
About
Springfield's most enchanting events venue offering history tours, ghost tours, murder mysteries, holiday events, private rentals. Must attend a scheduled event to visit the castle. Come to a scheduled event, pay the entrance fee; otherwise, you will not be able to visit the castle. Fee varies depending on the event. Discount for on-line reservations. Higher if paid at the time of arrival.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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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
4.0
354 reviews
Excellent
159
Very good
92
Average
40
Poor
12
Terrible
51
Happiness53127318417
1 contribution
Jan 2021
You don't need to go inside the Pythian castle to see a ghost. There is plenty of evil spirits on the outside. A horrible, mean, rude woman chased us off the property with her car when I took an out of town guest to see the home. We noticed a sign as we drove in that said OPEN and in tiny print underneath that said an appointment was needed to take a tour. All we wanted to do is drive up and look. As soon as we drove up the drive a woman in a red car came up to us and so we put our window down to hear her. She was frantically yelling at us, told us we came in an exit and was trespassing. I told her she didn't have to yell at us. And she informed me that she did. She kept ranting and raving. We finally turned around to drive out and she almost hit my car with her car. She tailgated me all the way to the exit. I have since learned she is an owner. I have always wanted to tour this property but will not give her a penny of my money . If she wanted people to stay off her property than she should put a NO TRESSPASSING sign or put CLOSED. After reading other reviews this seems to be a common occuracnce. She must be getting some pleasure out of this. I would hate for anyone else to experience this. Abosolutely uneccessary behavior.
Written January 17, 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.
ranijeanfletcher
Aurora, CO14 contributions
May 2024 • Family
Do not do this! It's not a real castle, it's a home, that looks like a castle. Slightly rundown. The murder mystery production was really really terrible. Two people, one of whom did not know her lines, read from a script, still got lost. It was very uncomfortable for the audience. The story did not track well, and with the room setup, and acoustics,, we could not hear what was being said at the oppostite end of the space. No sound system. They asked the audience to play parts, which can backfire...no stage, no sets. I felt like we were almost scammed. The dinner, which they pay to have catered in, was really average. I would have been okay with the dinner, if the show was reasonable. It WAS NOT!!! Run away, don't waste your $50 pp.
Written May 26, 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.
Alayna D
1 contribution
Sep 2021 • Friends
My friend got married here and I thought “maybe I’ll want to get married here” but after meeting the owner, I would rather this place go out of business. She’s rude, lies, doesn’t have proper signage, and honestly it should be shut down because of all of the code violations. I hope it’s condemned and it’s not even remotely haunted. Say bye to my $50k budget, hope you lose more business or you get sued for lack of safety again.
Written September 5, 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.
Gino A
Columbus, NC30 contributions
May 2024 • Solo
I drove 90 miles to come see this castle. I plug in my electric car nearby and walk in. I get the the castle and see an "OPEN" sign at the front so I enter to buy my tickets. I see others inside and we begin to talk when a lady comes out and talks to the group. I state that I am not with them, just here to pay for a tour. She cut me off screaming that I am trespassing and runs to escort me out. After reaching for me to push me out she sees a car in the parking lot that pulled up as I walked up. She immediately runs at it screaming. The lady is very unprofessional and crazy. It wasn't till I walked out a completely different way that I saw a small sign stating that tickets were only paid online.
Written May 26, 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.
SaintCharlesLinda
Saint Charles, MO81 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Our family group very much enjoyed our guide Cindy’s tour of the Pythian Castle. Her knowledge of and passion for the Castle made history come alive! In its 100 year history, the Castle was home to orphans, elderly, military personnel and prisoners of war. It now serves as an interesting and off-beat venue for weddingsproms, mystery dinners and ghost tours. Highly recommended!
Written February 8, 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.
Kay D
3 contributions
Aug 2022
Wish there was a lower rating. We were looking for information for a destination wedding, but we were met by a crazy woman running out of the castle yelling and threatening us! We left the property hastily and will gladly spend our wedding budget elsewhere. This is a horrible way to treat potential guests!
Written August 19, 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.
AdambutmostlyTara
Springfield, MO3 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
Beautiful outside, disappointing interior, interesting history. The ghost tour was good, however the tour guide was kind of rude. Tried to stay back to get the crowd out of shots and she would turn the lights out or tell us she was going to shut us out of parts of the tour. I know there is a time limit, it felt super rushed. Also could not hear her very well. Wish she would have talked louder or had something to help with audio. She also wouldn't wait for everyone to get in the room before she would start telling the stories. Its also so smothering hot in here, a lady had a thermometer and it said it was 98 degrees in there! Has a bunch of giant random Halloween decorations. Poorly lit, kind of dangerous walking conditions. DONT GO IN THE TUNNEL it's hot and crowded and you walk through it and walk out of it. That's it. Also reading the reviews you would think they would take the criticism and work on it to make more money. Instead they defend their actions making the customer always be the bad guy. They also need a better system to get into the parking lot. Cars were lined down the road waiting on them to come open the chain blocking the road. Also if people randomly accidentally come in your facility, be nice, that will go along way. Sad to see so many people saying they have been rudely treated here. This is not how Southern folks here in the Ozark are, be better people and your business will do better. Check the other reviews on fb and Google and you shall read.
Written July 15, 2017
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.
Diane M
1 contribution
Jun 2015 • Family
We stopped at the castle to see if we could do the historical tour. The lady (whom we later found out was the owner, Tamara) told us there was a history and ghost tour. We wasted $55.00 and virtually zero history to the tour. All she did was play with her phone and say that the spirits were "talking to her". When she showed us her phone, she said it was a ghost app she downloaded for a $1.00. Really? I didn't know it was so easy to talk to the dead. I could have saved $54.00 and sat in my car instead. She told us very little about the history. Whenever there was a question, she would babble about her phone. I was also looking forward to seeing an inside of a castle. What they did to this place (pulled out the woodwork along the baseboards, put a dirty old raggedy curtain to cover up a wall in the bathroom... which was filthy and gross, btw) was a tragedy. She said that the place can be used as a wedding facility. I can't imagine since they can't even bother to clean the bathroom. All I can think about is some bride dragging her white dress over a dirty bathroom floor or sitting on the dingy tore up sofa in the bathroom alcove. We get to the basement and she has a giant talking ogre that she works with a remote. Lame. I can't imagine ghost hunters finding this the least bit amusing. It's like she is making fun of them while she takes their money. She puts a chair in the middle of small room in the basement and says that people are "touched" when they sit there. Several people sat there and none of them were touched. (My guess is that the only one touched is Tamara, the owner, but that's just a guess.) She spoke in a somewhat snooty voice when we were getting the tickets. When she started the tour, it was like she was trying to be an actress or talk like a stand-up comedian. My opinion, she was acting beyond weird. Everything, right down to the talking toy in the basement was a joke. She would look at her phone and say bizarre things like: "oh, the ghost said toy. He's giving away my secrets." Or, "they are really chattering today. The ghost said "diaper, I'm not sure what that means". However, the volume on her phone was down so no one, including her, heard anything. When we asked to look at her phone, it showed a green voice line that would go up and down like an EKG. She then said that she would have to play it back with her headphones to hear what they say. So if she has to play it back with her headphones, how did she previously know the "quotes" they were saying with the volume down and a bouncing line. JUST A COMPLETE JOKE!!!! I feel ROBBED. I went for a history tour and ended up with some bizarre woman ranting pure nonsense and playing with toys. She also told us that several people would attempt to stay overnight but would never make it through the night. BULL!!! Do the research. She lives there. She also showed pics of "orbs". I'm pretty sure the "orbs" are the dust balls floating around this place. If you plan on having an event here, I suggest you bring your own lysol wipes. Apparently, they ran out years ago. If you want a great history tour, I recommend going a little farther north to the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City. The former guards and employees give the tour and supply plenty of interesting FACTS (that's right Tamara.... FACTS) about the prisoners. I don't want to even give her a star but tripadvisor forced me. Wish I would have read the previous reviews before I gave her my money.
Written July 8, 2015
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.
Michael A
1 contribution
Jun 2018 • Family
Not a very good experience. We had tickets to do the history tour at 2:30p. We knew we would be early but wanted to make sure we could find the place so we arrived about 45 min. early. We expected just to confirm we could find it and then go get lunch and come back. What turned out to be the owner was sitting and the end of the road to the so called castle (more to come on that). Evidently she was there to run people off from coming up the road. We pulled up after she moved the wire blocking the road. We thought she was just letting us in but turns out she proceeded to scold us for trying to come early. She then told us to back out into the road to leave. We told her that that was dangerous and we would turn around on up the road where it was safe. Also I had my daughter in a car behind us. She proceeded to scold her also. Just a very rude person in general. She could have been a little more pleasant especially since we just dropped 75.00 bucks on this. Now for the review of the so called castle. The story about the Pythians was kinda interesting but it went downhill from there. Evidently a woman named Millie lived in the place and they evidently interviewed her when she was 90yrs old. Almost the entire tour was about Millie’s memories of living there. No disrespect to Millie but it wasn’t very interesting. After the current owner bought the place in 1993 they had to refurbish a lot of the place and they went cheap. Except for the main entry way the place is covered in wall paper made to look like stone. There is nothing interactive to make this place intriguing. And I’m sorry but hearing about Millie playing in the place is boring. Most rooms have nothing in them. My wife tried to ask questions but the owner seemed frustrated that she was asking them. The only saving grace was the escape room. It was pretty fun. I would have rather done it with my family instead of the other 2 quest that were on the tour but still worth the extra 5 bucks. I would give this place zero stars if I could though. This place is not the kind of castle that you would imagine it if you try to compare it to castles say in Europe. It’s more like a big house with a stone exterior.
Written June 3, 2018
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.
nannymel
Springfield, MO1 contribution
Jun 2014
Booked june wedding in feb a. castle so kids could have wine and dance at their wedding.
30 guests and 20 wedding party guestimate. We would decorate and all we needed were two rooms. Theatre for ceremony and girls dorm for reception.
No rehearsal offered night before unless we pay extra (declined) we would rehearse day of wedding.
Total for weeknight wedding $575
Changes made by owner Tamara 24 hours before wedding
* $10 per bottle corking fee
* cannot throw birdseed cause it grows in the grass (duh it is grass)
*Tamara would dictate how ceremony would proceed
*Tamara would decide how to set rooms up
*Tamara was mad because there would be more than 30 people total at the wedding
Bride and groom came home upset but too late to change things now.
The day of the wedding
*Tamara would change what she didn't like
*Tamara hatefully pulled extension cord dragging it through the side of wedding cake knocking all icing off top and side of cake
*Tamara was hateful to more than one guest running them outside the building until time to be seated
*Tamara did not like where groomsmen were standing when ceremony started and literally stopped the ceremony and made them move.
*Tamara had parents chairs sitting where they could not see ceremony (chairs got moved by parents)
All in all was hands led well until an hour after the ceremony when Tamara started being hateful to the bride.
Nothing like a bride crying because venue owner (Tamara) is being horrible to her on what's supposed to be the happiest day of her life
Nope it us NOT recommended to have your wedding at Pythian Castle!!!
30 guests and 20 wedding party guestimate. We would decorate and all we needed were two rooms. Theatre for ceremony and girls dorm for reception.
No rehearsal offered night before unless we pay extra (declined) we would rehearse day of wedding.
Total for weeknight wedding $575
Changes made by owner Tamara 24 hours before wedding
* $10 per bottle corking fee
* cannot throw birdseed cause it grows in the grass (duh it is grass)
*Tamara would dictate how ceremony would proceed
*Tamara would decide how to set rooms up
*Tamara was mad because there would be more than 30 people total at the wedding
Bride and groom came home upset but too late to change things now.
The day of the wedding
*Tamara would change what she didn't like
*Tamara hatefully pulled extension cord dragging it through the side of wedding cake knocking all icing off top and side of cake
*Tamara was hateful to more than one guest running them outside the building until time to be seated
*Tamara did not like where groomsmen were standing when ceremony started and literally stopped the ceremony and made them move.
*Tamara had parents chairs sitting where they could not see ceremony (chairs got moved by parents)
All in all was hands led well until an hour after the ceremony when Tamara started being hateful to the bride.
Nothing like a bride crying because venue owner (Tamara) is being horrible to her on what's supposed to be the happiest day of her life
Nope it us NOT recommended to have your wedding at Pythian Castle!!!
Written June 14, 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.
Well darn, no good deed goes unpunished. Our hearts melted for this mother and bride. They have a historical connection to the castle that spans decades, but not the budget for big event. Normally, a wedding and reception mid week would be $1,400 for 12 hours, $500 for ceremony only for up to four hours. We worked out a small cake reception in a side room for an additional $50 and an extra 3 hours. We still included the one hour rehearsal the night before which is standard and in their contract. This room is not designed for large crowds or even dancing. We have our main ballroom for those types of events. The day before the bride and groom in a planning meeting said no one could make the rehearsal so we did not have one. We include rehearsals because we think they are extremely helpful in making the wedding day run smoothly. People are too distracted day of event for a rehearsal. The groom said they were going to do one at 5:30pm roughly an hour and half before ceremony. Even after I walked around asking folks to show up, only the officiant and the groom showed up. He already knew his part from previous visits. The mother of the groom (also the main party planner and author of this complaint) did not show up nor did she get others to. Sometimes planners tell wedding party and venue the walking order and this helps everyone. With a list of changes, I go with classic. Classic to me is family, wedding party, ring bearer, flower girl, bride. For the first time in the history of weddings here, she wanted to go after wedding party. We didn't have rehearsal, how was I to know. It is highly unconventional. We always set chairs for family in the front row and try to get the number and location right at rehearsal. Since no rehearsal, I only had four chairs in front row for moms and dads, but left room for possible grandparents. They moved the chairs closer since grandparents were assigned second row. I did stop some bored teenagers from going behind the ceremony set up and into unauthorized areas. I was trying to keep the set up nice for the bride and groom. They were not kicked out of the ceremony space. I did recommend grandparents go up about half hour before since the restroom is on another level rather than two hours before. I did override one staff member and MofG on the placement of the cake extension cord. For liability purposes, it did not need to cross the dance floor. I did make the two groomsmen who showed up late and did not understand minute before instructions move to the dots on floor provided. I apologized for the distraction noting lack of rehearsal. Most folks laughed. We do like to review policies the day before events as we find only one person sees and reads the contracts. After our 9/28/13 wedding brought in own alcohol against policy leading to the best man shattering the front door glass, we make note to tell wedding party our alcohol policy at rehearsal. In this case, it was only the bride and groom since no one else showed up. We can arrange a cash bar, hosted bar, or folks can pay the corking fee if they bring their own. They had not made arrangements for any of the above so I simply reminded them just in case. Most ask us what is accepted to throw outside. They assume restrictions apply. We allow all kinds of stuff except rice that hurts birds and birdseed, it sprouts random plants in the flower beds. We were trying to work with them and we would have appreciated if the planner tried to work with us. They had bubbles. Bubbles are great. Of course, they threw the seeds. And, me the fool, kept refilling the toilet paper in the bath that was repeatedly stolen to decorate the car. Now, if you ask the bride, we gave her the wedding of her dreams (minus the family drama) and her mother cried like a baby as her daughter looked beautiful. That was our goal.
Written June 17, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We are passing thru on Saturday, but there is only 2 of us, do we just go to the castle and try to check in for a tour? Or do you have to call ahead? I tried to book on line but it says you must have 4
Written October 18, 2017
Call ahead and make reservations they will not let you through the "gate" unless you have one.
Written October 19, 2017
We will be passing through this area on an awkward Wednesday afternoon in October so if there aren't enough people for a tour, can we at least stroll the grounds and take some photos without the tour? Thanks!
Written February 1, 2017
PythianCastle
Springfield, Missouri
Actually, October is very busy tour time here and likely to have a tour minimum met. But, you do have to take a tour or attend an event to get on-site.
Written February 1, 2017
They vary from day to day. Your best bet is to visit their website or give them a call. I went to a 4:30 tour. We were the only ones there :)
Written March 14, 2016
Lois C
Tumbling Shoals, Arkansas
Is there ever a dinner theater event held here
Written February 2, 2015
yes but not very often check with them on when there next one is
Written February 2, 2015
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