When you visit the Thousand Islands, there’s no shortage of things to see, do and enjoy. But did you know this area boasts not one, but two historic castles you can visit? Both are located on islands, but local boat tour companies offer shuttles and trips regularly, if not daily, throughout the summer.
In Alexandria Bay, iconic Boldt Castle presides over the area on Heart Island, where it remains as a testament to George Boldt’s love for his wife Louise, who passed away tragically during its construction. All work was stopped when word arrived that Louise had died, and the castle sat vacant, abandoned, and often vandalized from 1904 to 1977, when the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority bought the property and set about restoring and improving it before opening it up to the public.
Today, the six-story, 129-room castle is one of the most famous Thousand Islands attractions, and the love story of Heart Island remains amongst the most heart wrenching legends of local folklore. Every Uncle Sam Boat Tour stops at Boldt Castle to give visitors an opportunity to stroll the grounds and explore for themselves, though admission to the castle is an additional charge. Uncle Sam also runs exclusive ten-minute long Boldt Castle shuttles, departing from Alexandria Bay every half hour, so that visitors can explore the castle at their own pace. Clayton Island Tours, operating out of the nearby village of Clayton, also offers trips and tours that stop at Boldt Castle.
Don’t miss the opportunity for a tour of Singer Castle, just 11 miles upstream from Boldt Castle on gorgeous Chippewa Bay. When you arrive at the eerily named Dark Island, friendly and experienced tour guides will escort you through mysterious Singer Castle, which remains furnished with authentic artifacts from its previous owners and hums with the unique energy of a castle that, unlike Boldt Castle, saw almost a century of life and a series of different owners.
Built by the owner of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, Commodore Frederick Bourne, in 1905 and used as a hunting lodge by his family for more than 50 years, the castle boasts the distinction of having been the only Thousand Islands castle that was actually finished, furnished, and lived in during the turn-of-the-century great builders’ age that swept the area. Tour rooms where ages of family history unfolded, and allow the tour guides to paint you a picture so vivid of life on Dark Island, you’ll swear you could be one of the family’s guests, sipping tea on the patio and watching the ships go by. In July and August, there’s an option to take a shuttle directly to Singer Castle from nearby Schermerhorn Harbor, but if you take Uncle Sam Boat Tour’s 3.5-hour Singer Castle trip, you can stop at Boldt Castle on the way back for a self-guided stroll, making it easy to create a whole day of castle exploration that’s sure to be one of your greatest Thousand Islands memories.
PHOTO CREDITS
Boldt Castle aerial view photo credit Boldt Castle
Boldt Castle front view photo credit Boldt Castle
Uncle Sam boat by castle photo credit Uncle Sam Boat Tours
Singer Castle view from water photo credit Singer Castle
Aerial view Singer Castle photo credit Singer Castle