In 1959, a California teenager began building a castle from bottles, car parts and scrap metal; decades later, it had towers and a giant clock

Over the span of 26 years, Michael Rubel transformed discarded materials into a remarkable castle in Glendora, California.

In 1968, a California man began building a castle from scrap steel, bottles and old motorcycles; 20 years later it had a 74-foot clock tower

On his family farm, Michael Rubel created a breathtaking castle using recycled bottles and other reclaimed materials over ...
Smithsonian Magazine

A Look Back at the First Time the Smithsonian Castle Closed for Renovations

Dr. Richard Kurin | Ambassador at Large, Smithsonian Institution. Author, History by a Hair The Smithsonian Castle Building, in a colorized photograph taken by Alexander Gardner, was severely damaged ...