Castle Mont Rouge

Hidden in a North Carolina forest, the Castle Mont Rouge stands as a fantasy castle fallen on hard times.  

The work of local artist Robert Mihaly, the outsider’s castle sits at the end of a long mountain road past innocuous houses and trailers. The sculptor built the marble and cinder block structure to serve as his part-time studio and home. It is constructed in a mash-up of styles ranging from European-styled towers to fantastical Middle-East-inspired minarets and cupolas which are covered in copper. Unfortunately, while most of the exterior was completed, the interior was left unfinished after Mihaly and his wife divorced.

Since the site has been abandoned, it has become a haven for graffiti artists who have marked up most of the interior. The wooden floors are rotting and unstable and the natural debris that has blown in from the broken windows covers most of the floor. It is rumored that Mihaly still uses the Castle Mont Rouge as a part-time studio despite its current state of disrepair.

In Spring 2014, the artist started a Kickstarter to raise enough money to renovate the castle; however, as of September 2014, the castle remains in its state of abandoned disrepair.

Update as of March 2021: The road is now gated with a cattle gate and is now private property. 

Update as of November 2021: Remodeling of the castle is underway. You can only enter with permission.