DEATH VALLEY — The National Park Service is offering guided exterior tours of Scotty’s Castle this season while repairs and restoration work continue at the historic site, the agency announced.
Tours are scheduled most Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 10 through April 17, according to the NPS. Small groups can request private weekday tours. Park rangers and guides from the Death Valley Natural History Association will lead the tours, which also cover the ongoing restoration. Tickets for all tours are available at dvnha.org.
Scotty’s Castle sits in the northern part of Death Valley National Park. Chicago businessman Albert Johnson built the 1920s Spanish Revival-style estate as a winter retreat for himself and his wife, Bessie. The site became widely known through Johnson’s friend Walter “Scotty” Scott, whose colorful stories drew public attention, the NPS said.
The castle has been closed since October 2015, when a flash flood damaged buildings, roads, utilities and the historic landscape. The NPS said it has completed significant repairs to critical infrastructure since then and is working toward reopening the site.
The next phase of construction is expected to begin in 2027, the agency said. It will cover the parking lot, the historic Longshed and the historic Gas Tank House, which will also be converted into a small visitor contact station. After construction, curatorial staff will return historic furnishings and museum collections to the castle in preparation for resuming interior tours.
Based on current project timelines, the NPS said the earliest anticipated date for a full reopening is November 2028. The park will continue to provide updates as work progresses.
Source: Oct. 8, 2026, NPS news release