There’s some good news coming out of Death Valley National Park: Scotty’s Castle is finally reopening. Closed for nearly a decade after a massive flash flood isolated the property from the public, weekend visitors can now schedule a walking tour of the near century-old Spanish-style villa.
Tours of the castle and grounds ($35 per person) are available on Saturdays and Sundays through March 23, 2025. Space, however, is limited to 20 participants per tour so bookings are difficult. Proceeds from ticket sales will go toward the continued conservation work at Scotty’s Castle, which has been closed since October 17, 2015 following a storm that dumped 3.5 inches of rain within five hours. The area will not be open to visitors without ticketed tours.
The story of Scotty’s Castle is legendary and guests taking the tour will find out exactly how a con man convinced a millionaire to build an extravagant mansion in the middle of nowhere. They’ll also learn about the more recent history of Death Valley, the flood and $66 million restoration.
The mansion was built in the 1920s because Walter Scott, a cowboy who performed in Buffalo Bill’s “Wild West” show, met, schmoozed and duped insurance businessman Albert Johnson into investing into his search for gold in them thar hills. None was found. But that didn’t stop Johnson from pouring money into the elaborate villa, which he used sparingly with his wife Bessie. Instead, it was Scotty who made it his home.