Despite being a two working parent household, we have managed to fit in a lot of fun things this summer. Today I’m going to show you some of our day at Boldt Castle.
The history of Boldt Castle is a very sad one. George Boldt bought the island for his wife Louise, and designed the castle to be gifted to her on Valentine’s Day. Lousie, sadly, passed away before construction was complete. George halted all construction the day she died and the castle and grounds were left unprotected from time and the elements. That was in 1904.
*Click the images to see them full size. You can also scroll through them in that window.*
In the late 1970s the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority purchased Heart Island, where Boldt Castle is located, in hopes of preserving the island and castle for future generations. The original plan was to restore the castle to the state it was in the day construction was halted, however the restoration has continued past that point. Some of George Boldt’s personal possessions are now on display in the beautifully redone lower levels of the castle.
These are completed rooms on the main floor, and the stained glass dome which is a full reconstruction.
If you know anything of the story of George Boldt, you’ll know he had hearts designed into every aspect of the castle. The original name of the island on which Boldt Castle was built was in fact Hart Island, but George Boldt had the spelling changed to Heart Island. You can see the heart motif everywhere in the castle’s architecture and grounds.
The castle and grounds are not large, so we got through everything in the 2 hours allotted us by the boat cruise we took. I could have stayed longer, but everyone else was ready to go. On the way back, our boat cruise took us further into the 1000 islands to see some interesting sights, then looped back past the castle and took us back to port. The day was a bit hazy for shots across the water, but I really enjoyed framing some shots of the beautiful homes along the water.
Visit my FB page for more photos of our day. (Click the Photos tab and you’ll see Boldt Castle as an album.) I find it quite a challenge to get some great, neat shots at popular tourist attractions. There are always a lot of people to try to avoid, both in the photos, and while looking through the camera and moving around to frame a great shot!
Read more about George Boldt, and Boldt Castle:
And if you’d like to book a tour:
Have you visited Boldt Castle, or taken a 1000 Islands boat cruise? It’s a beautiful way to spend a day. Share your experiences with me in the comments!
~Jess
*This post was not sponsored by Boldt Castle, or any boat lines. I chose to write about our experience because we had a great time.*
If you are interested in having me write about your location, please contact me. I also am available to take photographs of locations, and all my photos are for sale without the watermark. Visit my photography page for more information.
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