Tucked behind the walls of a former citrus property in Glendora, Rubel Castle is a towering, hand-built castle that’s only open a few days a month.
The wonderfully eccentric, 1.7-acre landmark is filled with stone towers, salvaged materials, narrow passageways, tunnels, repurposed objects, and pure DIY architecture.
But as mysterious as the property is, it opens for public tours on just eight days per month, many of which sell out.
Here’s a closer look…
About Rubel Castle
Michael Clarke Rubel bought the property at the age of 19 and began handbuilding his dream castle structure in the late 1960s, with the help of hundreds of friends and volunteers known as “Pharmhands.”
Over the next 26 years, the old complex turned into a creative folk-art landscape with 75-foot towers, a windmill, a printing press, a blacksmith shop, and a packing house called the “Tin Palace.” Construction eventually wrapped in 1986, resulting in a 22,000-square-foot complex.
The property emerged as northern Glendora was transforming from a terrain filled with citrus groves into a residential area, and the castle remains on the area’s last intact citrus farming lot. Rubel eventually donated the property to the Glendora Historical Society in 2005, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.
Rubel Castle operates with a small roster of volunteer docent-led tours that must be reserved in advance.
Rubel Castle at a glance
📍 Location: 844 N. Live Oak Ave., Glendora, CA 91741.
⏰ Tour times: The schedule generally includes 10 a.m. tours on the first Sunday; the second Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday; the third Wednesday and Saturday; and the fourth Saturday. On third Fridays, visitors can usually join an afternoon tour at 3 p.m. in the winter and 5 p.m. in the summer.
🎟️ Tickets: $25 for adults and $15 for children ages 8–18 (no children under 8 are allowed). Advance purchase is strongly recommended because tours often sell out.
👟 What to know: Tours typically last about two hours and include extended walking, steps, tunnels, uneven surfaces, gravel, and bare ground. Wear sturdy shoes; the property is not fully ADA accessible.
🌐 More information: Visit the Glendora Historical Society’s Rubel Castle page to check availability and reserve in advance.
