Walkabout With Wheels Blog: A Visit to Scotty's Castle in Death Valley National Park

We left our motorhome
at 7:30 am to drive to
Scotty's Castle.

We added extra time to

our drive because of

road construction.

We follow a pilot car
through the construction
zone.

A worker is using a portable

tamping machine.

We arrive at
Scotty's Castle.

Albert Johnson, a former mining engineer and Chicago millionaire, met Walter E. Scott, "Death Valley Scotty," in 1904 and invested in Scotty's secret gold mine. After several trips to Death Valley without seeing the mine, Johnson demanded to see it, or he would stop investing. There was no mine. Scotty enlisted some friends to stage a fake attempted robbery to scare off Johnson. The plan went awry, Scotty was unmasked as the con man he was and he and Johnson remained friends.

The courtyard

Johnson's wife, Bessie, traveled to Death Valley to spend time with Albert and Scotty. She preferred the conveniences of a home instead of camping. Albert started building a vacation home for her in the 1922. The house is a mix of Mission Revival and Spanish
Colonial Revival styles.

The carillon tower

Albert and Bessie named their vacation home Death Valley Ranch. Their permanent house guest, Scotty, told everyone that the house was built with the proceeds from his secret
gold mine.

Tours are given by Park Rangers

in 1939 period dress.

We put on booties before
entering the house.

The seating area in

the living room.

Rifles are displayed just
off the living room.

Scotty's bedroom is located

near the rifles.

A photo of Buffalo Bill Cody
is hung in a prominent spot
in the room.

Scotty was a trick rider in
Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild
West show for ten years.

The dining room

The Johnsons had the

dishes designed & made

for this house in Italy.

The Johnson's bought a
refrigerator in 1926.

Albert Johnson had a cabinet
built to hide the modern technology
in the castle.

The music room has

comfortable seating.

One of the house's

fourteen fire places.

The baby grand piano that

is wired for remote play.

Rolls of piano music are

loaded into this device for

the listeners' enjoyment.

Guests were invited to

play the organ.

Construction of the house and grounds stopped after the Stock Market Crash of 1929. The swimming pool remains unfinished. With money concerns, the Johnsons opened Scotty's Castle to the public for furniture tours in 1939. Following the Johnsons' deaths, Scotty's Castle and the grounds came under the stewardship of Death Valley National Park.