Located in the Northeastern hills of Death Valley National Park, Scotty’s Castle is one of the most unique and fascinating places you will visit anywhere, much less in such an incongruous location as Death Valley.
Although it’s named after Walter Scott (aka Death Valley Scotty), the Castle was built and owned by millionaire Albert Johnson. This is their story: Walter Scott, a charming and flamboyant con man, scammed his wealth by convincing investors to bankroll his non-existent gold mine in Death Valley. He was convinced that nobody would ever visit such a remote and inhospitable place until Albert Johnson became suspicious and decided to pay a personal visit to check on his investment. In an attempt to dissuade Johnson, Scott staged a bandit raid that went wrong when Scotty’s brother was accidentally shot. Scott might have been a con man, but he was no murderer and came clean. Despite the swindle, Albert Johnson forgave Scotty for the simple reason that he fell in love with Death Valley and would never have discovered the place otherwise. Johnson befriended Scott and built this palatial vacation home now known as Scotty’s Castle, preserved as part of the National Parks system.
