Looking at a photo of today’s Castle Farms, you might think you’re in Western Europe as opposed to Northern Michigan. And you’d be close in your estimation of the property’s design roots. Built in 1918 by Albert Loeb, Castle Farms was initially concepted and built as a model dairy farm; it used all the latest (of the time) techniques and equipment, and even tested new items found in the Sears catalog. And all of the buildings were intentionally built of stone in a style similar to what you might find in the Loire Valley in Normandy, France. “The farm was wildly successful, but not necessarily profitable,” explains Castle Farms PR and tour guide Marsha Braun, “and it was closed in 1927.” Castle Farms would be something of a hot potato from that point on. It stayed dormant for many years; then, in the early ‘60s, some of the land and buildings were sold to the second owner, John Vanhaer, who used the property as a foundry for cast aluminum and opened it to the public for tours. The late ‘60s brought the third owner, Art Riebel, who constructed a stage area and turned the grounds into, as Braun puts it, “rock n’ roll central.” “Anybody that was anybody in the music business played at Castle Farms,” she says. “Thousands of fans traveled from all over Michigan and Canada to take in their favorite band’s performance.” Braun says that shows in the ‘70s included Chicago and The Beach Boys, while shows in the ‘80s featured the likes of Bon Jovi and Aerosmith; early ‘90s concert events included The Moody Blues and The Monkees. The concerts ended in the early ‘90s, to the detriment of both the community - now deprived of one of the few real concert venues in the region - and to the property itself. “The concert years had taken its toll on the property, and most of the remaining buildings had been badly damaged,” Braun remembers. But in 2001, Linda Mueller would arrive to take Castle Farms into its next era.
QUEEN OF CASTLE FARMS “After Mr. Reibel passed away, the property went up for sale and later went up for auction,” Mueller explains. “I was one of only two bidders, and I acquired it on January 4th, 2001. My husband’s family had owned property in Charlevoix, and had vacationed here for decades. We had visited the castle whenever it was open for tours or concerts; we have always loved the property, so when it went up for auction, my family encouraged me to buy it.” Mueller - who has had a lifelong fascination with castles and chateaux and could now be considered the informal Queen of Castle Farms - has spent a great deal of time and effort carefully restoring each of the buildings with the help of skilled Petoskey builder/craftsman Larry Shawn. The property is now on both the state and national historic registries. And as much as Mueller enjoys sharing the property with visitors, she also finds it a great place to seek out a little quiet time for herself. “I often stay late after the castle closes, or visit in the evening to stroll through the gardens or feed the fish,” she says. “Sometimes I work in the gardens by myself, just for the peacefulness of it; and sometimes I enjoy it with family members.” Now that Castle Farms is open again to the community, many special events, including weddings and other large-scale gatherings such as the Royal Craft Show and a Renaissance Fair. “I love it when people visit the castle and spend an enjoyable day here,” Mueller says, “I remember traveling here with my family, and I hope these families also have memories to last a lifetime.”
CASTLE EXTRAS Castle Farms also offers daily historic tours. “We offer both self-guided and guided tours - the guided tours being for 10 or more people,” Braun explains. “Both tours include history about the property throughout the years. Self-guided tours received a numbered map of the property with a description of each area you go through; all of the buildings and grounds are available for you to stroll. The guides for the group tours will share stories relating to both the buildings and each time period.” It takes around an hour and a half for each tour, and visitors can also bring a picnic lunch, have lunch arranged, or purchase light snacks on site. And in case you’re thinking of this as nothing more than a dry architectural or educational tour - well, you’d be wrong. “Castle Farms has something for everyone,” Braun says. “Yes, we have historic stone buildings, but we also have beautiful collections of toys, royal memorabilia, a hedge maze, toy trains on several levels of track and more. The gardens continue to mature and can’t help but make you smile. And for those with a competitive streak, we have what we call ‘Castle Extras,’ including an extra-large outdoor chess set and croquet to test your skills.”
Castle Farms, located at 5052 M-66 North in Charlevoix, will host a Grand Bridal Expo on Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., with a fashion show at 3 p.m. For more information, visit www.castlefarms.com, or telephone 231-237-0884.
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