MarknRobin Making Memories: The Antique Boat Museum and Boldt Castle

Today (14th) was a beautiful sunny day in the "1000 Islands International Region of Northern New York State". We spent the morning at the Antique (wooden) Boat Museum in Clayton, NY. Mark's most cherished childhood memories are from the times he spent on his Gramp's boat as a kid, so our visit to "North America's Premier Fresh Water Nautical Museum" was quite a treat for him. I heard him exclaim several times as we wandered among the wooden boats on display, "This is so cool!" :)

My favorite part was a guided tour of "La Duchesse", the 106 foot houseboat commissioned in 1903 by George C. Boldt, millionaire proprietor of the famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

La Duchesse

Master suite aboard La Duchesse

After lunch we drove to Alexandria Bay to tour the incredible Boldt Castle, built by the same millionaire as an expression of love for his wife, Louise (who sadly died shortly before it was to be completed). The castle, which is located on the five-acre picturesque Heart Island, can only be reached by boat.

Boldt Castle on Heart Island

Power House and Clock Tower

Inside the six story, 120 room castle

We thoroughly enjoyed the spectacular architecture and the beautiful gardens and grounds which are also a popular setting for weddings (two took place while we were there).

Boldt Castle

Money saving tip:

Price of admission to Bolt Castle is $8 per person with an additional cost of $8 per person for a very brief Uncle Sam's ferry ride from Alexandria Bay to Heart Island. You can save the price of the ferry by driving your car to the Boldt Yacht House on Wellesley Island, purchasing a $10 combined ticket to tour the Boldt Yacht House as well as Bolt Castle and be transported by a free shuttle boat from the Yacht House to the Castle (and back). This information is not generally known (or given to tourists) since parkng is limited, but was shared with me by a local resident.