The Skyland Manor Castle
5 Morris Rd, Ringwood, NJ 07456
(973) 962-9370
Welcome :) the Castle was built to look much older than it actually was and the exterior was built around the interior - most of which was brought over from Germany.
Inside holds the first elevator ever to be built in a home in the USA - still working too!
The
fascinating library, stocked with books and chaise lounges, also holds a signed
Ernest Hemingway book (the Castle actually has 4 copies)! Said to have been
gifted to the castle by his granddaughter Mariel Hemingway when she visited years
ago.
The next fact completely excites me! Please notice the stunning, detailed fireplace.. beautiful right?
Oh, wait.. I'm sorry - what did you say?? You didn't notice the metal TRAP DOOR in the back?! :) Allow me to show you a bit closer..
That
is right! Mr. Lewis (owner when first built) installed a trap door that brought
people underground and led into his open backyard, and vice versa! Allegedly,
to bring in alcohol during the Prohibition days...
One
more interesting fact I didn't even notice at first, the same room that holds
the fireplace shown above (did I mention the Castle holds 46 more fireplaces??
Only one still working that sits in the bedroom of the Inn Keeper/History Tour
Guide) - has this tiny room above which you can vaguely see through the open
wooden windows shown below. This smaller room was built as a Choir room and it
was designed to clearly have the music take over the room and dance
floor!
*If
you join the nightly tour, which I highly recommend, you will have the chance
to experience it firsthand*
If you have time after visiting this wonderful, old world Castle (which you can sleep in for a very decent price!), you can also visit the NJ Botanical Gardens which is less than 2 miles away and a few more miles away is the Tuxedo Country Club - where the first Tuxedo was introduced! This is a member's only joint so the gate was the furthest I could go :(
Thanks for reading!!
