In its prime, the castle was a magnificent structure – all terracotta roofs, winding staircases, elegant arches and intricate ironwork. Yet the castle was never actually completed. In the 1930s, Johnson discovered that he’d accidentally been building on federal land and after the Great Depression, funds dried up.

Today, the historic building is protected as part of Death Valley National Park. It is currently closed for restoration after being damaged by flooding in 2015 and can only be visited as part of a ticketed tour.

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America’s eerie abandoned castles