Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights

The "wedding cake castle" certainly invites curiosity when one first sees it from the freeway or when one flies into Sky Harbor airport. When it was built in the late 1920, it was meant to become a "boutique" luxury hotel, but the Great Depression curtailed Mr. Cararro's dream. Then the castle became the residence of the Tovrea family who own stockyards in the area. The city of Phoenix now owns the grounds and castle. A tour of Tovrea Castle isn't exactly oriented for the more "casual" or thrillseeking tourist. Why not? Well, for starters the castle is only open for part of the year (September to June) and tours are done on the weekends. There are some midweek group tours available. Always closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. No "walk-in's" allowed at any time. Pre-purchased tickets for the docent lead tours are required. They're only sold on the castle's website, and the tours are generally booked out 6 months to a year in advance. Ticket sell very quickly once released! However, if you're a "local" and are very patient then the wait is definitely worth it! It took me two years to finally snag a ticket...and I still had to wait six additional months! My "twilight" tour was $20 but ticket prices can vary depending on the event taking place. Tovrea castle grounds and patio are available for private events and that includes a tour of the interior. The castle is worth visiting particularly if you are into either early Phoenix history, art Deco architecture or construction. The castle has a very interesting history that spans several families. Urban legends about the place are in abundance. The friendly and very knowledgeable docents are quite eager to set records straight and are very open to questions! The first part of tour is a tram ride through the grounds. They have planted an amazing array of cacti and succulents from all over the world. The white river rocks just gleam in the sunlight! The castle itself is smaller than one initially expects it to be. However, at sunset when the lights are turned on, she is a real beauty. The interior is sparse but much of the original Art Deco design remains. Only the first floor and basement are open to visitors and you are required to wear special booties in order to protect the original flooring. The plateau where the castle is built is a great place to view the skylines for both downtown Phoenix and Tempe. There is a small gift shop with restroom facilities. Lots of parking. Neither grounds nor castle are handicap accessible. Some restaurants are nearby including an iconic steakhouse opened by one of the Tovrea descendents.