Newman's Castle

Castle on the moat. tkuo (Atlas Obscura User)

A medieval castle is about the last thing you’d expect to find in a small rural town in the Lone Star State. Yet here one sits, looking beautifully out of place, like something out of a fairytale: moat, drawbridge, dungeon, and all.

Newman’s Castle is the private residence of Mike Newman, who owns a bakery in the small town of Bellville. Newman’s Bakery has long been a local fixture, but Newman “wanted to do more than make donuts,” as he told a local news station. And so he did what any self-respecting eccentric Texan would do and built himself a giant castle.

After several years of construction—during which plenty of people thought he’d gone nuts—Newman finished his magnificent new abode in 2006, and opened it up for guests to visit. Now he wears a crown on guided tours to “let them know who’s king.”

The impressive home has a working drawbridge and trebuchet, a gator-filled moat, a great hall, towers, courtyard, and training grounds. Visitors are taken throughout the entire castle, and encouraged to touch and play with all the curiosities they find.

Know Before You Go

Make a reservation in advance by calling Newman’s Bakery. Since this is a private residence, the address above is actually for the bakery. You go to the bakery first, pay the admission and they give you the home address. It is a bit pricey at $20 per person, but worth it.

The castle is very family friendly and Newman and his helper are kind to the children. The kids can borrow wooden swords and get knighted. The tour comes with lunch and donuts and cookies. There are two resident Irish wolfhounds that will steal your donuts if you are not paying attention.