Castle in the Clouds — Attraction in Moultonborough

Castle In The Clouds is a victorian home from 1913 on 5500 acres of land on a mountain with beautiful lake views. Sixteen room mansion, all furniture is from that era. They are open seasonally with tons of employees on site telling you about the history of the mansion and property as well as information about the original owners. You take a trolly up to the castle that runs every fifteen minutes. It has a restaurant and gift shop which is at the bottom of the mountain, the lake views from the restaurant is beautiful even more so at the top. The restaurant is very high priced, I suggest bringing your own food unless you want to experience the restaurant. Inside the restaurant they have a public bathroom and history on the walls about the property. Up at the castle they only have porta potty, so for running water to wash your hands use the bathroom at the restaurant first. Inside the castle you can tour the rooms but you can't touch anything not even the walls. The tickets aren't very expensive, it was only twenty five a person when we went last week, you can stay all day if you want, there's no time limit. You have to buy your tickets in advance, you can't buy them at the castle.

On the property there are hiking trails that lead to waterfalls, there's several along the path but there's only one waterfall that's close. It's a easy/moderate walk towards the first one. They have a sign that directs you towards the first waterfall, not sure about the rest because we didn't walk that far. The first waterfall is beautiful and very peaceful out there. The paths seemed pretty clear and no trip hazards, very maintained. There are a few benches along the way to sit. To get to the first waterfall it takes about ten minutes. It's a beautiful experience, I've checked it off my bucket list. I probably wouldn't go again. The employees were friendly and knowledgeable and it was a great experience but once you see it, you've basically seen it. But I absolutely recommend it to anyone who wants to...

This place is truly astoundingly beautiful! My husband, service dog, and I stopped by on a whim while passing through on our way to the State Park, and it was well worth it! To come in you follow a somewhat windy, hilly road that admittedly could get a little steep and narrow, but was at most points wide enough for our class C RV. There’s ample parking in several spaces out lots after you pass through the gatehouse that marks the entrance into the property, so unless you were coming at an unusually busy time, I wouldn’t worry too much about parking, at least not during COVID times. The parking lots and paths are relatively accessible, though there’s certainly a lot of walking, so be prepared and bring some water and a good pair of shoes! There’s a small outdoor cafe set up near the parking area which seemed properly socially distanced- we had already eaten, so we we went straight to the view. The view from behind the lodge was breathtaking, a look down at the mountains and lakes and rivers from near the peak of the mountain the castle is located on. It would’ve been worth the drive up there simply for the view alone!! But then there’s the trails! My husband and I opted to simply enjoy the trails and to try to come back for a tour another time, considering the pandemic and all, and just coming up for the Falls of Song trail alone was well worth it. Friendly and helpful staff helped us find our way to the trail’s entrance, which wasn’t as clearly marked as it could’ve been, though the trail itself was east to navigate. In addition to being cheerful and personable, the staff was entirely service-dog friendly, which is always a huge plus in my book. We spent a couple of hours exploring and enjoying the beautiful series of seven waterfalls and cascades under a beautiful, lovely green forest, and even still didn’t see everything there was to see. It was fantastic! We’re so lucky that we happened by this place, and we’ll definitely be coming back when we can to...

The staff were excellent, the brief overview of the castles history and the backstory behind not only it's architectural integrity, but also the husband and wife who lived there, helped in adding some extra appreciative value I'm not sure would have been there otherwise. The bonus of being able to easily pull off and park in a designated area and take a short walk to see the amazing beauty if the Falls of Song was a very rewarding and redeeming aspect in my opinion.

The grounds were beautiful and well maintained. The trolly ride is an exciting element for any little ones. The only reason I give a 4 star rating is because the enticement of a "Castle" in the clouds is a bit of an overstatement. Especially when advertised as a family friendly attraction. It's more along the lines of a very well maintained and history rich manor than a castle. My daughter kept asking the whole time when we were going to see the castle. Which given the time in which the place was built, very well may have been considered a castle to most. It however does not live up to ones ideas of a castle in any sense of the word. Not even when remaining realistic about what to expect.

That being said, the place is beautifully maintained and the other elements offered seemed very enticing given the right crowd and given the reasons for going. I have to agree with others I've noticed mention in their reviews that the place seems more tailored for the "snobby" as myself and my fiance felt as though we were being looked down on and didn't quite "fit in" among the others touring. Although this may be true, don't let it deter you from visiting as it is an incredible piece of property worth experiencing, especially if architecture and history...