A French Priest Built This 1895 Colorado Castle Using Nine Different Architectural Styles
A priest with weak lungs came to Colorado for clean mountain air. He ended up with a castle instead.
Who does that?
The house climbs a hillside in stone steps, with walls two feet thick. Nine architectural styles crowd onto its four stories.
Can you spot the Moorish touches beside the Flemish gables? Even the front door brings a style of its own.
Inside, square corners are rare. Some rooms have eight sides, and one has sixteen.
Then the surprises pile up. A Victorian tea room, a room of mummies, and a firefighter exhibit share the same address.
Where else in Colorado could an afternoon swing from scones to mummies?
Guests can even borrow fancy hats at teatime. So who wants to count rooflines first?
A Priest, A Mountain Town, And A Very Big Idea
Miramont Castle Museum began as one man’s plan for a healthier life. Father Jean-Baptiste Francolon was born in 1854 into a wealthy French family.
He moved to the United States in 1878.
In 1892, he arrived in Manitou Springs, Colorado, hoping the mountain air would help his failing health. His mother joined him in 1893.
Two years later, in 1895, the castle was built as a private home.
That is a big upgrade from a typical house. The finished building covers about 14,000 square feet and rises through four stories.
It stair-steps up the mountainside, so ground-level doors appear on several floors.
The Francolons did not stay forever. They left Manitou unexpectedly in 1900 and never came back to Colorado.
Nobody can say much beyond that, which only adds to the mystery.
After the priest left, the castle still had a future. In 1904, the Sisters of Mercy bought it and turned it into something very different.
That change in purpose is a big part of the building’s story.
It is a lot of history for one address. The story starts with a sick young priest and a mountain view.
Not a bad beginning for a castle.
Two Feet Of Greenstone Keep The Walls Strong
Local greenstone gives the castle its sturdy look. Builders quarried it nearby, so the walls feel connected to the land around them.
Those walls are two feet thick.
That thickness is easy to appreciate once you are standing beside the stone. It gives the building a solid, storybook feel.
A castle should look like it can handle a Colorado mountain, and this one does.
The setting adds to the drama. The building climbs the mountainside in steps rather than sitting flat on one plot.
That design creates access to ground level on multiple floors.
It also makes the castle feel bigger from outside. Rooflines, towers, and gables seem to rise one above another.
Good luck choosing just one angle for a photo.
Greenstone also ties the castle to its town. Manitou Springs sits at the foot of the mountains, and this building looks right at home against them.
The stone and the slope work together.
If you enjoy details, look closely at the walls while you walk the grounds. Texture, color, and shape all tell part of the story.
The materials are as memorable as the styles.
Count The Styles If You Can: There Are Nine
Nine styles in one building sounds like a design argument that never ended. At Miramont Castle Museum, it is simply the plan.
The mix includes Shingle-style Queen Anne, Romanesque, English Tudor, and Flemish stepped gables.
The list keeps going. You will also find domestic Elizabethan, Venetian Ogee, Byzantine, and Moorish touches.
The front door is Gothic, and medieval battlements top things off.
These styles show up randomly across the four stories. There is no tidy order, so the outside feels like an architectural scavenger hunt.
Try spotting a few before you even step through the door.
Photos help here, but standing in front of the castle is better. Look up, then look left, then look up again.
Every angle seems to offer something new.
The castle also holds national historic recognition. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
That recognition fits a house this unusual.
Bring a camera and a little patience. You may need both while counting.
The Room Of Mummies Deserves Its Own Spotlight
Few Victorian castles come with a Room of Mummies. This one does.
It sits among the museum exhibits at Miramont Castle Museum.
The display includes child-size linen bundles from Egypt. You will also see Andean funerary wrappings.
Woven fragments from ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellers round out the collection.
The goal is a cross-cultural look at mummification. Seeing these items side by side shows how different peoples cared for their loved ones.
It is a thoughtful exhibit, and a very different mood from the tea room downstairs.
The museum also covers other topics. Exhibits feature the Manitou Springs Fire Department and local history.
Revolving historical exhibitions keep things fresh, and Victorian artifacts fill many rooms.
That variety makes the tour feel like a treasure hunt. One room might be elegant, and the next might be serious.
Be ready for a change of pace as you climb.
Younger visitors have help too. Scavenger hunts are available for children.
They turn a long walk through history into a game.
Rooms With Eight Sides And One With Sixteen
Square rooms are boring, apparently. Inside the castle, very few corners are traditional.
Some rooms have eight sides, and one has sixteen.
The building holds more than 40 rooms, and about 30 are open to view.
That number depends on how rooms are counted, but the point is clear. There is a lot to explore, and the shapes keep surprising you.
The solarium is another highlight. It was once a conservatory greenhouse, a bright space that fits a Victorian mansion.
Light and glass make it feel different from the stonework outside.
The tour is self-guided and usually takes 45 minutes to an hour. You move at your own speed.
That means you can linger in the rooms that catch your eye.
Plan on some stairs. The castle rises through four stories, and the layout follows the mountainside.
Two chairlifts make most of the castle accessible, which helps many visitors.
Bring comfortable shoes and a little curiosity. Corners might be rare, but surprises are not.
Every turn offers a new shape to study.
Tea Time Happens In The Queen’s Parlour
Reservations matter here. The Queen’s Parlour Tea Room has limited seating, so booking ahead is highly recommended.
Seatings are at 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM, Tuesday through Sunday.
The tea room is inside the castle. It offers a modern take on multi-course Victorian afternoon tea.
Lunch items and fresh baked scones are part of the menu.
Here is the fun part. Guests can borrow fancy hats.
It is a small touch that makes the whole afternoon feel like a costume party with better manners.
The tea room is closed on Mondays. Plan your visit with that in mind.
A castle tour before or after tea makes a full day.
The castle also hosts themed teas and events. Examples include Mother’s Day Tea and Halloween High Tea.
Poe Night and Victorian Christmas celebrations join the calendar too.
Check the schedule before you go. Special events can fill up fast.
A little planning keeps the fun going.
From Sanitarium To Boarding House To Museum
After the Sisters of Mercy bought the castle, a new chapter began. The Sisters of Mercy ran it as the Montcalme Tuberculosis Sanitarium.
That lasted from 1907 to 1928.
They used the local healing waters and clean mountain air. It fit the town well.
Manitou Springs has long been tied to its mineral springs.
After 1928, the building became a high-end boarding house. It later served as a retreat house for clergy and then sat empty until it was sold in 1946.
Over time, the building was neglected.
Then came a rescue. In 1976, the Manitou Springs Historical Society bought the building to save it from demolition.
Sources differ on the price, with figures of $65,000 and $60,000 reported.
The society reopened the castle as a museum within six months. A year later, in 1977, it joined the National Register of Historic Places.
That is quick work for such a big job.
The story shows how a community can save a landmark. Every room you tour exists because people stepped in.
It makes the visit feel even more meaningful.
Gardens, Gifts, And Seasonal Surprises
Summer brings the gardens to life. The castle grounds include gardens you can explore, especially in warm months.
They make a nice pause between the tour and tea.
The calendar is full of themed events. Friday the 13th Midnight Tours sound delightfully spooky.
Emma Crawford’s Victorian Wake, Poe Night, and Halloween High Tea add more theatrical fun.
Holiday visitors have options too. Victorian Christmas celebrations and Mother’s Day Tea are on the schedule.
Check which events fit your trip.
A gift shop is part of the experience. Plan to browse before you leave.
It is a good place to look for a keepsake.
Hours change with the season. The castle is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, it opens daily from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Always check ahead before heading out. Seasonal changes can affect your plans.
A quick check saves a wasted trip.
Finding The Castle On Capitol Hill Avenue
The address is 9 Capitol Hill Ave, Manitou Springs, CO 80829. That puts the castle in a small Colorado mountain town.
It also puts it close to other Manitou Springs attractions.
Miramont Castle Museum makes a fine anchor for a day in town. Tour the rooms first, then plan tea if you have a reservation.
The setting rewards a slow pace.
Here is a helpful reminder. Tours are self-guided, so you set the speed.
Forty-five minutes to an hour is typical, though you can linger longer.
Come ready for stairs and varied floors. Two chairlifts make most of the castle accessible.
That said, the layout climbs the mountainside, so it is worth planning ahead.
Start with the outside, then head in. Count the styles, spot the stone, and notice the stepped levels.
By the end, you will see why a French priest’s idea still draws visitors today.