Quigley's Castle, Eureka Springs

The beauty found in a rock or plant and that this woman had the vision to design a home to contain as much of God's creation that she could collect in her life time amazes me. She designed her home to hold her plants and in such a way that she could enjoy them until she passed on. Now it was not in her design to include the traveler, that was just a bonus. As Albert and Elise built their home people came to see the structure because of it's design. As Elise added rocks to her house, more people came. As Albert collected his bottles of every color of the rainbow, Elise devised a way to show case them. When Elise wanted to showcase her collections she spent hours researching how best to do the butterfly collection. Each flower bed was designed to bloom at different times so that none were barren when done, just waiting for the next visitor to bloom. Elise made each pot from a cement and layered rocks, on the outside, that she had collected. That this was designed as a home first and she opened her doors to vistors later made this a trip well worth the time that I invested in seeing this truly amazing home.

We were so inspired after our visit last Saturday. Thank you so much for allowing people to visit your Grandmother's delightful home and gardens. We will be back to Eureka Springs in October, looking forward to seeing the Fall gardens. After we left the castle, we went back so I could photograph the old church a few miles up the road. I took a quick walk through the cemetery and saw where your Grandmother and Grandfather were laid to rest. Thank you again

The garden was full of butterflies. I've never seen anything like it in nature. Mrs. Quigley planted the plants that would attract the butterflies and the plants to feed the caterpillars. Thirty years later it was still working. My family paid $90 to see butterflies in a greenhouse, but it was nothing compared to the butterflies in their natural setting. We enjoyed the house as well. The design is completely green. The granddaughter said the design makes the house easy to heat and cool. The day we were there it was 100 degrees outside and one 110 air conditioning unit was keeping the house cool. Amazing. Don't miss it.

I enjoyed this, very nice and great price. I just love the history of the place.

My recent visit to Eureka Springs included a stop at Quigley's Castle. When they say it is the Ozarks Oddest and Strangest place, they are correct. This includes the family that still lives there! It was "odd" that they were happy to take my money then tell me I only had a few minutes to look around before they set the alarm. It was "odd" to see cement and rock formations that any child could do cluttering what otherwise would have been a nice garden area. Strange also were the dead moths that were mounted behind glass to make a wall of a bedroom. Had the 60-year old plants that were growing inside the house been pretty or anything more than vines, they might have been impressive, but otherwise they were just another whim of an eccentric woman. The lone saving grace of this otherwise huge disappointment were the flowers and vegetation in the garden area. But even there, the beauty was obscured by "odd" and hideous bottle trees made by the owner in her twilight years. Sure, the fact that the lady and her children tore down their home in order to force her husband to build her rock dream house is quirky, but hardly worth you taking the time to stop and spend your money on it. There are far too many other sites in Eureka Springs that are worth your time and money and will provide much more enjoyment and entertainment than Quigley's sideshow. If you want to see "odd" or "strange", I have a 6-foot Man-Eating Chicken to show you....and I'll only charge you $5.00 and you can stay and watch as long as you want! Avoid this waste of time and save your money!

It was beautiful and we loved it. Will for sure be making a second trip.

My family and I really enjoyed this place. The garden is wonderful and the house is sooo unique! It has a wonderful story and it is still owned by the Quigley family. We will be back for another visit!

The Castle was so beautiful and fit in perfectly with the Ozark's beauty. The garden was spectacular and well kept by the owner who was the granddaughter of the lady who designed the house. It was secluded and peaceful in the Ozark's countryside. It's true I had to go back into town to get cash but it was worth it. It was only $7 dollars. Many businesses in Eureka Springs only take cash, so be prepared. The trolley system won't take your credit card either. The granddaughter told the history of the house and was happy to answer any questions I had. The plants inside the flowerbed inside the house are 65 years old. Its like being in a livable green house. And the design is very livable and envirormentally friendly. Mrs. Quigley got a patent on her design. The varnished wood work was beautiful and the wood was cut off the farm by the family. How wonderful this family is to open their historic home for people to see.

Quigley Castle is folk art on par with Watt's Towers in LA. In her work, Mrs Quigley made visible her unparalleled humor and zest for life. Like many of the most famous American folk artists, her work was her entire house, including the wonderful garden. As my friends and I walked though the "castle" and gardens, we found ourselves inspired with many ideas for our own homes. We also overheard other visitors commenting "OH!- this makes me want to build/make/create A..... Truly inspiring. A National treasure.

First of all, let me begin by saying that I run a small travel business. The joy about traveling and going to places like this is that you get a real feel for the people, the atmosphere and the history of a place. Quigley Castle is a fun, interactive exhibit of family building, art and sculpture which excites and interests everyone in the family. Everyone around us was intrigued by the building design, the garden design, the native and not-so-native plantings inside and out, and the intriguing family history that began this fascinating exhibit... We were too! Speaking briefly with the curator, we also got a few more informational tid-bits about the home, gardens and sculptures that really demonstrated how much fun the family has always been to be around! KUDOS Quigley Castle!! ($7 cash for anyone over 14, as of our visit: July 1, 2011)