His Teacher Said He’d Never Amount to Anything— So He Built This Medieval Castle in Response

Bishop Castle in Rye, Colorado

Back in high school, an English teacher told Jim Bishop he’d never make anything of himself. Instead of believing it, he went and built himself a castle in the Colorado mountains. Not a model castle. Not a tiny house.

A full-on, 160-foot-tall medieval castle, complete with towers and a great hall. And he did it all by himself, one stone at a time. Here’s the story.

He Was Only 15 When He Bought the Land

Jim Bishop devoted his life to building this stone fortress after buying the land for just $450 as a teenager. He worked on weekends while keeping his day job, hauling every stone by hand.

A Relaxed Building Philosophy

The castle’s structural complexity came without any formal blueprints. Bishop’s building philosophy was refreshingly simple: “What’s real neat about not having blueprints is that if you make a mistake, you call it art.”

The entire structure existed mainly in his head, with almost nothing on paper. This go-with-the-flow approach gave the castle its unique look with uneven towers, winding staircases, and surprising architectural elements that wouldn’t exist in a traditionally designed building.

Jim Was Never Afraid of Authority – Even the Government

For more than 40 years, Bishop fought ongoing battles with government agencies over the stones he used for his castle.

He collected rocks from nearby road ditches and creek beds in the San Isabel National Forest, thinking he was doing a public service. The Bureau of Land Management didn’t see it that way, leading to decades of disputes.

His problems with authority expanded to include the IRS, Department of Transportation, county commissioners, and zoning officials. You can read all about these conflicts on hand-painted signs throughout the property, where Bishop shared his unfiltered opinions.

He Also Built a Fire-Breathing Dragon Just Because

You can’t miss the castle’s signature feature: a working fire-breathing dragon made entirely from recycled hospital cafeteria warming plates. It has a hot air balloon burner in its throat that lets it shoot real flames up to six feet. The castle’s fireplace cleverly sends smoke through the dragon’s nostrils, adding to the effect.

There’s a Bat Signal, But for Aliens

Look up at one of the castle towers and you’ll notice a wireframe geodesic dome that spins around. Bishop wanted to cover it with mirrors so moonlight would create a flashing beacon visible for miles around.

He believed this light display would attract visitors from outer space to his creation. While he never completed it exactly as planned, this unusual feature shows how his imagination extended beyond Earth. The dome still works today and can be rotated by hand if you visit.

He Channeled His Grief Into the Tower

The castle stands firm on a foundation that goes twelve feet deep into mountain bedrock. Its tallest tower reaches up 16 stories, and Bishop only stopped building higher because his homemade equipment couldn’t reach any further.

Throughout construction, he faced terrible personal tragedies, including losing his 4-year-old son Roy in a 1988 accident at the site and his wife Phoebe’s death in 2018.

Rather than giving up, he channeled his grief into his building work, saying the castle walls “catch his unending tears.”

A Grand Hall With Amazing Windows But Almost No Furniture

Step inside and you’ll find a magnificent Great Hall with high cathedral-like ceilings and beautiful stained glass windows. Despite how grand it looks, this ballroom contains almost no furniture, just a few folding metal chairs, which creates a space where sounds echo dramatically.

Many couples have chosen this unique spot for their wedding ceremonies, exchanging vows with mountain views framed by colorful glass panels. Bishop installed all the stained glass himself, learning the technique through trial and error.

Jim Was Always a Rebel

During the early 2000s, Bishop allowed the castle to host raves fueled by drugs, thanks to his belief that people should be free to do whatever they want. This controversial period led to multiple arrests as authorities tried to shut these gatherings down.

Despite legal troubles, he always came back to continue building. His rebellious streak became more obvious in his later years through politically charged signs posted around the property. The castle reflected his personality in every way, including his views on personal freedom.

How Someone Almost Stole the Castle While Jim Had Cancer

While fighting a rare and aggressive cancer in 2015, Bishop met David Merrill, who convinced the weakened builder to name him trustee of the castle. Merrill then changed the property name to “Castle Church for the Redemption of the Office” and claimed he owned it.

The Bishop family fought back with legal action, saying this was elder abuse. After six months in court, a judge ruled in their favor, returning the castle to its rightful creator.

Why This Amazing Place Will Always Be Free to Visit

Bishop really disliked attractions that charged high admission fees. He made a strong commitment that his castle would always be free to visit by creating legal documents stating that as long as Bishop Castle exists, no one can ever charge for entry.

He felt this was right because the public gave him the idea for a castle in the first place. The site runs completely on voluntary donations, with collection boxes placed around the grounds.

Like Father, Unlike Son

When Jim’s health began to fail, his son Dan Bishop took over running the castle in 2023. Unlike his father’s sometimes difficult personality, Dan is known for being “jovial and outgoing,” bringing a different approach to managing the attraction.

Dan has faced his own challenges, including a serious incident in 2021 that resulted in 17 felony charges after he used a shotgun to clear visitors from the property. The castle has now entered what some call the “it is what it is” phase, focusing more on keeping things going than major new additions.

Visiting Bishop Castle

You’ll find it at 12705 State Highway 165, Rye, CO 81069. You can visit any day of the year from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm without paying an entrance fee, though donations help maintain this unique structure. 

The castle includes three full stories to discover, iron walkways to traverse, and bridges offering incredible views of the San Isabel National Forest stretching for miles.