Why New York's 'Crown Jewel' Landmark Was Never Finished

Did you know that you can buy tickets to take a tour of this breathtaking island hiding in Upstate New York?

When you think of New York landmarks you might immediately think of some large structures like the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty or Rockefeller Center. Others may immediately think of parks, mountains or even bridges. All of them are impressive in their own right but they may pale in comparison to an enormous and beautiful mansion sitting on its very own island. I'm sorry. Did I say mansion? I meant castle.

What is the Boldt Castle & Boldt Yacht House and where is it located?

According to their website, George C. Boldt, was the wealthy owner of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City and wanted to build a home in Alexandria Bay near the Thousand Islands. Boldt chose the beautiful Heart Island as the location for his castle.

The castle has 120 rooms inside, gardens and even underground tunnels but construction was tragically never completed. It has been preserved well though. When Boldt's wife died he had ordered a halt on all construction as he could not see living in their dream home without her.

The Boldt Castle & Boldt Yacht House is a tourist attraction and you can purchase tickets to take a tour when they are available. The experience is extremely popular as it has almost a 5 star rating from over 5,000 reviews on Google. The island is located in Alexandria Bay, New York.

I don't think I have ever seen a more magnificent place before. An extensive video tour was posted on YouTube about 5 years ago.