A Spanish-Moorish mansion from the 1920s, sitting improbably in a remote canyon in the northern park. Albert Johnson spent a million dollars on it and never quite finished it — the unfinished tower and incomplete rooms are part of the charm. The house is closed for flood restoration after a 2015 storm severely damaged the access road, but check the NPS website for current tour availability; rangers lead tours through the period-furnished rooms when the site is open.
Scotty's Castle
1920s Spanish-Moorish mansion built by a millionaire, named after a conman
A story
The 'castle' was actually built by Chicago millionaire Albert Johnson, not by Death Valley Scotty — Walter Scott — whose name it bears. Scott was a charming con man who convinced Johnson to fund a gold mine that never produced any gold. Johnson visited anyway, loved the desert, built the house, and remained friends with Scott for the rest of his life. Scott let everyone assume it was his.