The Loveland Castle… a must visit in Cincinnati2 min read

What?… A castle nestled in a neighborhood by the banks of the Little Miami River? Yes, The Loveland Castle and it is so flipping cool and it’s right in the heart of Loveland, Ohio. A man named Harry Andrews, who was highly educated and had a love for European Castles, took 51 years and he built it by himself.  Renovations and more construction continued after his death in 1981 by a group he organized called the Knights of the Golden Trail. This group continues to maintain it and provide historical tours today.

Chateau La Rouche, which means “Rock Castle” in French, was the name Harry appropriately choose for his castle and was also the name of the military hospital where he was stationed during WWI in Southwest France. This land was promotional land in the 1920’s that he obtained by paying for a one year subscription to the Cincinnati Enquirer. For each subscription you got a 20 by 100 foot camping lot. So he bought 11 subscriptions!

You can take a self-guided tour of this amazing place after getting a detailed overview by one of the volunteers. This is another hidden gem with such a cool story that you just have to go check out.  The story of Andrews pulling stones out of the Little Miami until there were no stones left, is crazy enough. But you also learn that he molded bricks with cement and used quart milk cartons to form them. And he did this for over 50 years… just insanely cool. You will also see rocks in the chapel that have other locations written on them. They came from his travels or were brought by others and used to help build it.

The stories you will learn from your guide are very interesting and you can also see a video that is about 20 minutes long where Andrews tells his own story. I promise this is a win for family fun.

The beautiful grounds surrounding the castle are picturesque!  You can enjoy yourself as long as you want. You may even want to bring a little lunch and eat at the picnic tables or anywhere you want around the area.

More to do in Loveland:

If you want to make a day of it the downtown Loveland area is full of fun places to eat, drink and shop.. click HERE for my blog on the area. Due to a fire there are a couple changes in places mentioned. Also, there is a beautiful bike trail with a couple places to rent bikes. Take advantage of this great area.

Fun Facts about the Castle:

•Hours: 11a.m -5p.m. April 1^stto September 30^th7 days a week

•Cost is $5 per person (kids 5 and under) Free

•12025 Shore Dr. Loveland Ohio

•Rumor has it that it might be haunted :)