Great if you are just looking for something to do. Very interesting if you listen to the guided tour. Amazing that someone took the time to build a castle in the middle of nowhere. Check out the Bellville Meat Market as well. read more

We Just drove all the way from Houston to see the Castle and were turned away because it was raining and they took their last group at 1230. I got there at 1215 and the girl at the gate turned us away. I called ahead of time to be sure we could still get in and was still turned away. Called the front office and was told I refused to pay. I wasn't given the option to pay, ever. The girl just said that it was raining hard and so we had to turn around and leave. Clearly the employees were just ready to go home and didn't care to have our business. Extremely disappointed and 3 hours of travel time wasted. In response to the reply from them below that I was rude and refused to pay: I was told how much it was and then not given an option as to how to pay. It wasn't raining that hard. In fact, the rain stopped right after we left. There's nothing on your website that says that we can't see the castle if there's a little sprinkle. I never refused to pay. I had both of my little boys with me who were very disappointed after coming all that way. I also called ahead of time since we were traveling so far. My rude comment was that the staff needed better communication skills. Very poor customer service and unprofessional to argue with your patrons. read more

Have you ever wanted your own Castle? How about exploring someone else's? Now imagine instead of this being a historical castle that's huge and old with a lot of history, a local man made it because he always wanted a castle a few decades ago and it still a work in progress. It's a neat thing to see. You can tour it on your own for about 30 minutes and see and do all there is to see and do. There's a guided tour which gives you a bit more history and what's going on today, like trying to finish some more rooms to use it as an event space or Airbnb. If you're looking for something to do that's different, and maybe something Instagram worthy, It's worth the $15. I'm sure kids would have a field day here. Just be aware of what you're getting. read more

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I had no service here to check in over the weekend but this was such a neat little place. We made a reservation online before we went and they were great communicators. I couldn't find my email of the place and when I called and left a voicemail, they immediately called me back and told me they were going to text me when they found my reservation. That all happened in a matter of 5 minutes and I got a text with a picture of my name on the reservation. When we arrived (we stayed the night in Brenham) there was a person with a list and we had paid a deposit for our tickets. She ran the rest and then we parked and walked in. It was a super cool experience because it's so random and also an hour and some change outside of Houston. My kid and my husband loved it and so did I. read more

Newman Castle - Bus Tours Near Me - Bellville, Texas

Saw an article on the castle in Texas Highways magazine. Coincidentally, mom also mentioned wanting to visit. So we decided on a day trip. The hour-and-a-half drive was pleasurable and smooth. The sister of the former builder and owner of the castle provided a quick run down on the history and story behind the site. Afterwards, the remainder of the time spent looking around was on a self-guided basis. The time spent was well worth the $12+ fee. I could definitely live here. Ha ha! I'll be back again. read more

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Make sure you use your GPS or you will miss your turns. My Mom is the one who read about this place. I never knew there was a castle in Texas. I've only seen castles in Europe. There are huge, beautiful castles in Europe. So when my Mom mentioned a castle in Texas and everything in Texas is bigger, I wanted to know more. We looked into it. The info she read stated that we needed to buy our tickets at Newmans Bakery in the town of Bellville. It also stated that it would be at least a four (4) hour walking tour. We needed to be there by 10:50am. We also got lunch with the price of our tickets. Well, we stopped at Newmans Bakery and they don't sell tickets. You have to buy your tickets at the castle. So we got back on the road. Thankfully we were using our GPS and our eyes, because the signs are non existent and/or small and confusing. It was like going to Ren Fest (Renaissance Festival). It was out in the woods on a small dirt road. There was a young lady at the gate that we paid for our tickets to. Then it was park wherever. We parked up close in some trees. The castle looks nothing like it does online. It's small. Very small. Nothing compared to the castles I've seen in Europe. The story behind the making of the castle is very interesting though. I won't tell you. You'll have to go see it to find out. It is worth seeing one time. You can rent rooms there and stay the night. We did get a free lunch. You have to get there before a certain time to get the free lunch. If you use the restrooms, make sure someone stands outside and guards the door so no one opens the door!! One bathroom has the directions on how to lock the door, the restroom on the right did not have directions. Guess which restroom I got!? My mom didn't stand outside the door either!! Guess what happened!!?? Yep!! Knock before you open a restroom door!! The tour guide (now owner) was very knowledgeable of the place. He is the nephew of Mr. Newman. read more

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A random castle in the middle of Texas, made by a missionary baker using cinderblocks, time, and a desire to have a castle. Randomly wandering around Texas, we find a landmark marker for a castle. Intrigued, we head down the random dirt path and try to find this supposed castle. We get stopped by a lady asking for us to pay a tithe to travel into their lands. So we paid their fee of $20 per person and headed in. Then, lo and behold, there it is. A random castle standing tall, with a moat, drawbridge, a bell tower and everything. We get stopped by another lady, who informs us that the tour will be starting shortly. Once again intrigued, we sat down and listened to her tale. As it turns out, the bakery we visited before was the builder of said castle. He decided, one day, to build a house. And he decided he wanted to go big, so he partnered up with builders and literally built a castle for himself to lord over. So after the story, the young ones were knighted by the new lady of the kingdom (the tour guide was the next in line and the former Newman passed a year prior). The young ones were tasked with rooting out dragons, and the rest were allowed to wander the grounds as they seeked fit. As a castle, there's a lot of neat things to see. Not much to do, but it's very cool to see what one man with a dream and the sole bakery in town can do. The wandering of the grounds takes about 15-20 minutes. So not a lot to look at all things considered. But the tour did include lunch. Which was a basic sandwich on their signature bread, Mexican wedding cookies, and sweet tea. It's not the fanciest lunch, but it does help offset the price of admission. It's interesting, and it's a lunch and a show. I wouldn't try to make a day of it, but it's a neat little attraction to see randomly. Or you can take the tour instead of getting lunch at the bakery. It's a little fun stop, it would be a great venue for a renaissance faire, and it's not much to do but it's cool to see. read more

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From the beginning to the end of my self guided tour this place was breathtaking the lunch was delicious and the owners are friendly and very helpful I look forward to having my wedding there read more

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This is by reservation only. It was difficult to make a reservation because the phone kept on hanging up but we finally got one! The castle looks great! We were able to self-tour inside and outside. The top of the castle is a bit sketchy because the ladders are narrow. Be careful when people are ringing the bells as you are going up. read more

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Castle in Texas? Yes please! Call the bakery a few days ahead to make a reservation and be sure to call between 10:30AM to 1PM, otherwise the phone just keeps ringing and you won't get through. Once I arrived at the bakery, there was a decent line to purchase tickets, but it moved swiftly and seamlessly. When you purchase tickets, they give you a wristband and directions to get to the castle. At the castle, someone gave our group (very large group!) and overview, then you can wander where you'd like and stay as long as you'd like. It was fun walking around to all the rooms. I especially loved the torture chamber and TV room. Oh and ringing the bell! While there, there is a bag lunch prepared with either a turkey or ham and cheese sandwich, chips, tea or water, and some desserts from the bakery. read more

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3.5 I had seen this castle on some TikTok videos about Bellville, so I wanted to check it out. This was a man's home that he decided to let other people tour. So that in mind, it's not a long tour. You could probably see everything after the tour guide's speech in about 25 minutes if you're looking closely or taking photos. That said, I enjoyed it. You can't climb to the very top tower, but you can get close. When I was there, it started to pour down rain, but there were plenty of places to take shelter. There are a few off-limits places, but it's pretty open to explore. That said, it's hard to take photos when people are stacked on top of each other. Parking is in a space between trees. There's a sack lunch, which is nice if you can eat gluten, but I couldn't, so all I got was a bag of Ruffles and a cup of tea. Heh. I would rather have had a cheaper admission, as I couldn't eat the lunch, but it is what it is. Kids will like it, and those wanting cool photos in front of a moat filled with turtles and lily pads. read more

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Newman's Castle was the brainchild of Mike Newman a jack of all trades who always wanted to live in a castle. He broke ground in 1998 and single-handedly built the Castle with some help from electricians. There's a long unpaved road leading to the castle with a working drawbridge to welcome you over the water filled moat and working bells. Mr. Newman's nephew is the current owner, caretaker, and docent. Modern amenities- large kitchen, lighting fixtures, and wooden furniture were all constructed by Mr. Newman. He should have been a furniture builder. Future castle rooms for overnight guests are in the works. Wedding and events are held here with two dining halls and a large kitchen. A lunch of turkey/ham sandwich, chips, tea/water and a Newman's Bakery baked good (he became a baker while building the castle). You're able to tour his personal living quarters as well. Give yourself at least 90 minutes for the visit. It is worth the visit to see the construction. I was awed by his talent. read more

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I enjoyed my visit to Newman's Castle. It's a unique adventure that is sure to be a conversation piece for you when you discuss Texas travel. I mean, who knew there was a castle in Texas! There is a tour guide who spends about 10 minutes telling you the history of the castle and what you will see there. It's worth listening as it gives you a game plan and you can decide if you want to climb the many stairs to different parts of the castle. I had to try them all and nearly had a heat stroke. It was a hot day, so I will suggest you be cautious! I did love doing it and glad I did. We did not get to the top of the highest tower. It is blocked off, probably because there are no stairs. Only a straight up ladder. They probably don't want to chance someone falling. After the tour guide is done, you are free to roam as you please. There are many little rooms, nooks and crannies to explore. I spent about 45 minutes touring the castle. Afterwards there is a bag lunch with bread and cookies from the bakery. Be sure to check out the bathrooms - the spigots are very interesting. Be aware, the lock is tricky. You might have someone guard your door! I had an unexpected visitor because I couldn't figure out the lock! It was a fun day and an adventure you won't find anywhere else in Texas that I know of! read more

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Came here for the first time with the kids. You have to go to the Newmans Bakery about 7mins down the street to get your wrist bands for the castle. The bakery is pretty unorganized and they don't have info on the Newmans Castle conveniently visible for the customers especially when the line is long. Once you get helped, you'll have to ask the staff member about the castle otherwise, they'll think you're only there for their breakfast and baked goods. We ordered 3 admission tickets for $20 each which includes a free ham or turkey sandwich in a paper bag with a bag of Ruffles chips that you receive when you're in the dining hall in the castle itself. Once in this castle, you have an option to do the tour or self-led. I'm sure it would've been cool to hear about the history of this castle, but it was raining and my kids and I just wanted to wander on our own. The castle grounds is pretty cool to look at, but it's so small. Not much to see other than a few stairs that go up and outside or inside someone's bedroom or a chance to ring the bell. They have a small gift shop and lots of places to sit. They give out water or tea and your sack lunch that comes with the admissions. There are so many people crammed in this area especially because of the rain, it was just a sauna that reeked of body odor. The catapult is located outside the castle. Overall, decent priced admissions for mediocre food and a short attraction. We drove a little over an hour to check this place out and it wasn't worth it. Now that I've crossed this off my bucket list for things to do in Texas, we probably won't be coming back unless we're in the area again. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. They have restrooms that are pretty small, but cool to see how they've kept the castle-like theme decorations. The drive into the castle parking lot is horrendous. The roadway have potholes and the it's so narrow so if you have a smaller car, bring it because it can barely fit 2 cars passing each other. If you bring a truck, I'd say you'll get stuck playing "chicken" with an oncoming truck trying to leave or vice-versa. There are no parking stalls so you kind of just park in between the trees so again, bring a smaller vehicle if you got it. I think that staff have to do some traffic control because the parking can get jammed pretty quick. I had a guy pull out and informed me that the parking lot is full so back in the back so that saved me some time. read more

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We made it out here on a Saturday morning. You meet at the cafe to check in and then head to the castle. It was a little crowded, about 150 people. At the beginning, there is an introduction that was a little too looooong winded for me. The guy does a great job at being funny and friendly but tends to go on and on a little too long. The castle is pretty cool with some good picture opportunities. The surrounding trees were really nice and overall worth the trip. At the end of the little tour you get some sandwiches that really lack much substance and a bunch of donuts and cookies. It's worth the $20 for the experience. read more

Newman Castle - Bus Tours Near Me - Bellville, Texas

JEFF! OH, JEFF. What a sweet and helpful guy who truly wants to make everyone's experience one of a kind. He really is what makes this place run. You must get your ticket at the bakery. ($20) Here's my take.. Is it smaller than anticipated? (Yes), and is it a shorter experience than anticipated.. (maybe, yes).. BUT I truly believe that the more people who are coming out to this lovely hidden gem, the bigger the experience will be. The tour comes with lunch. This includes a sandwich, chips, cookies, donuts, and cake. This place is beautiful and still has a lot of unfinished work. It definitely has the potential to be something greater than what it is. I see it! The woodwork inside is phenomenal, and there are a lot of great pictures that can be taken.. I think that this tour is worth $10-$15 due to some unfinished work needing to be done in several of the rooms.. however, it is $20. I urge the owner to make either a farm or a winery. Not only will this help the city of Bellville bring in more outsiders to tour the city, but it will also become a bigger highlight than it already is. (My opinion) Still a great site to stop in and see. THANKS JEFF! read more

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This castle was such an amazing experience!! I went with my mom and we really felt like we were transported back in time! The castle had a bell at the top most tower which is very difficult to get up to. You have to do a bell scramble ....which is basically you avoiding swinging large fully metal bells that could swing and hit you in he head on your way to the top. Me and my mom did go towards the top but rang the bell only half way through because of how dangerous it was to avoid the swinging bells. There was a dinning room area which was made of wood and had several areas of the room that you could go upstairs! Love it!!! The castle spans a few acres. And it's almost like your in a time portal! read more

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Nice little castle and interesting story as well. I've visited castles in Europe, so this experience was a very small tease.

Given the reviews, I think it's important to note that this is the owner's private residence. He is allowing people to come into his home. Yes, you are paying a fee but nonetheless this property and owner should be treated with respect. Kids will be engaged and encouraged to imagine/play around IF your child behaves themselves and respects the property/owner. Same as any other visit to someone's home. Don't talk while he is talking. Don't damage anything. Don't treat this property like a public monument. Rules for children AND adults. If you don't want to be called out on it, don't go. Mike was engaging and funny. Dry humor is his style so if you can't handle it, don't make the drive. They gave us unlimited beverages, donuts, cookies, baked goods, and sandwiches. His staff and companion were incredibly sweet. This trip is what YOU make of it. If you're coming here expecting a grandiose tourist attraction, change your mindset. This is simply a man's dream and labor being open to people who care to go and witness it. read more

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This tour is what you make of it. We climbed, explored and took some pics to make our time worth it. Seems like we got lucky having the owner's family and friends do the tour. They are very nice people and really have fun with the crowd. The owner himself is not very friendly, but we had limited contact with him. He dog Avalon is a beautiful Irish Wolfhound, and the surrounding moat is pretty. read more

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Today 7/19/2022 my husband our 6 year old son and 14 year old daughter visited the castle in the heat of July with temps of 97 feels like 104. We decided to visit despite all the terrible reviews, and I'm glad we did. We had a great time. For those that said he is rude, he is old school. He doesn't tolerate kids that don't know their place, when to talk and when not to. He doesn't like when kids interrupt him as it should be. If you get offended by someone telling your kids to have manners maybe teach your kids manners so others don't have to. From what we experience he also told the kids a lot of positive things like keep your head up, make eye contact, be brave, take pride in yourself, and other uplifting things. The tour is $20 for adults and $10 for kids 6 years and under, which you pay at the bakery then your given direction to the castle. You have to make reservations. The price is reasonable, I think especially since he has about 6 staff on site that he has to pay. After the tour they serve sandwiches (ham & cheese or turkey sandwich) with unlimited donuts, cookies and tea in the kitchen. I'm not a fan of sandwiches but the gesture is quit considerate. You can also sample the honey, which the bees are kept on site. Overall I think it's a cool adventure! It's not a whole lot to see on site but it's still really nice to visit. He gives you information about the castle and you go at your own pace. He doesn't rush you to leave or watches your every move. Your free to roam around as you like. His bedroom is even opened for visitors to see. Oh and the staff at the bakery you and at the castle is super friendly. I would definitely recommend you visit. read more

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Really neat place to tour. It is a persons home but the owner built it himself and it has a lot of unique features.. you pretty much get to run around inside and out, and self tour which is fun.. out in the middle of nowhere.. they give you some guidelines at the start and they even provide lunch from the owners bakery which is a great place to have breakfast at before you go on the tour. It is a lived in home so don't expect it to be a frilly castle, but certainly a neat place.. a must see. read more

Newman Castle - Courtyard - Bus Tours Near Me - Bellville, Texas

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I'm just going to start my review by saying, don't visit this dump!! Now since that is out of the way. . .the first thing I noticed about this place was the upkeep/grounds. It was dirty! I mean absolutely filthy!! The owner (I will get to him next) has a beautiful dog, Avalon, who poops any where she wants and it's like, they refuse to clean it. As soon as we stepped off the bus there was a big pile of dump, going to see the catapult there was another 2-3 piles and there were other piles near the awning where you sit before going in the castle. Can you imagine the smell? I'm not sure why they don't clean this up, but it's disgusting and needs to be picked up. There is no way your guests should be seeing those types of things. Secondly, Mike Newman, the owner of the castle and bakery is VERY rude, his tone is demeaning and he is not a friendly person, AL ALL. He spent 30-40 minutes (before the tour) talking about himself and BEES! He basically told someone in our group to "Walk away if you're going to keep talking!" The man, who has a partially def wife was relaying what Mike was saying to his def wife. Unfortunately, the couple noticed his demeanor and nastiness and got quiet out of embarrassment. How could you do that to a customer/visitor? This guy is not a very nice person and he is the reason I will never ever visit the bakery OR castle ever again!! Third, IF and that is IF you decide to visit, you need to stop at the bakery first and then they will give you directions to the castle. That is important information. I could not imagine what kind of horrible treatment you'd be in for if you decided to just go by the castle first. Lastly, he and his helper, who is much more pleasant, mentioned that they are still doing work on the castle. We also did not know this is where Mike Newman actually lives! He seriously lives here. From what I understand, you build a castle and a moat to keep people OUT and not invite them in. . .Mike must have missed the memo and he probably did build it to keep people out because he is so mean he should stay to himself, but I assume someone talked him into letting people tour. Do yourself a huge favor and stay away. I thought I was crazy until I looked at some of the other reviews, he's a Grinch! Stay away! read more

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If I could leave fewer stars I would but I could tell the kids liked it so I'll leave one. First off this place is a little hard to find but you drive down a dirt road between a house and a field.. on the gate the number portion of the address is on the gate so helps a little. We get here and it's a scorching 94 degrees Texas heat out. Not bad if we are going inside to tour this castle but we sit outside on these wooden benches under a shed canopy style seating and wait for the owner to come out and talk which he does for about 30 mins. Now he's not talking about the castle the whole time he's talking about being a beekeeper and honey etc... he has his own agenda at this point and it's not well received in the middle of this summer heat. He does mention we can go inside where there is ac and when I raise my hand during question time to double check I heard clearly, he responds with "have you not been listening?" -- wow, as if I don't have 5 kids with me dying to go home bc u got us sitting out here in the heat .. so instead of the back and forth we all get up and decide to skip the catapult portion and head inside . The inside is an American replica of a castle, so not quite like u would see in a real one that's hundreds of years old but the kids don't know any better. You can tour the entire castle, Including his room, which I felt was kind of odd. He also has a dog that is about waist height and if on hind legs would be taller than myself. This dog roams freely and since one of my nephews is allergic to dogs it would've been nice to have this mentioned in the website. He also had baked goods out in the kitchen area uncovered so I most certainly wasn't going to try any. He does tell the kids during the tour if they find 13 dragons they get a treat, mine had found 10. When my 6 yr old nephew asked him if they could look in his room, he said no place is off limits, you can look anywhere you'd like. Being six, he asked again, so can we look in your room? Much to his annoyance he then said, I've changed my mind, no you cannot look in my room and now you all will have to find 14 dragons. Not sure if he knew I overheard all of this but i did and I also snatched the wooden swords out of their hands and dumped them in the bin and told them and him we were leaving this place. (They were done anyways and they were only looking for dragons at this point) He followed behind us as we stormed out and stayed at the edge watching us leave. He does have an assistant and he is actually quite nice and much friendlier but my tour was done by the owner. Good riddance to this low budget shit show. This is not a free tour. I wasted a 2 hour drive and $100 for myself and 5 kids. We didn't eat your food which was sitting out and we didn't enjoy the conversation about the bees. I probably would've endured it and had a better review if the grumpy old man had better customer service and presence. To be honest he seems sad, lonely and this is a desperate attempt to live out a child hood dream. Good for you and bad for the ones paying to see it. I was actually looking forward to this seeing as I have been to real castles but I am extremely disappointed. read more

Newman Castle - The castle - Bus Tours Near Me - Bellville, Texas

Hmmm... would I suggest this place again? Probably, for the kiddos. Its definitely a nice place to visit once as an adult, and I would imagine, as my grandchildren loved it, it would be great for them to go again. This last time was a third trip and my grandchildren had a blast and loved it. As an adult, well, there are a lot of 'swords' and swinging and hitting and I see great potential for injuries, but as long as you are aware of this in advance and are willing to deal with the inevitable, then by all means, take the kids. I definitely suggest doing this when it is cooler outside, bring your own water and be prepared for a lot of walking. and stairs. My grandkids wanted to go everywhere, which of course meant we had to as well. up ladders, up stairs, down ladders, down stairs..and not all were what I would consider 'safe' What I did like though, is the owner of the castle, apparently Mr Newman. he is a crotchety old fellow with rules that would apply to a much older generation. His speech is geared to those who know how to behave and were brought up right, not necessarily this current youngins generation. His house, his rules, which again, I applaud at a mid 50's person, who knows how to act, but couldn't help but laugh when he noted some rules that clearly the 30 year old generation, and their 'darlings' wouldn't even be able to fathom as proper behavior. I actually felt sorry for the guy. read more

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1. The place is really impressive there is so much love to this home 2. The sandwich bread the give you is really good Now a there are a few things I want to point out, if you are looking to take pictures this is the place! Recommend taking your best outfit and camera. The tour basically is you wandering around by yourself there is no historical background to this place, it was built by the current owner so there is no story behind it. The owner/tour guide introducing includes a 30-40min role-playing for the young kids he is not the best storyteller so it gets boring quite fast, the catapult demo is cool but again this comes with a roleplay before it launches, not sure how the whole experience is for kids but not that fun for adults unless you go there with the intention of a photoshoot the castle still under construction in some areas which is understandable since only one person has worked on it for 20 years, there are some room unfinished Lastly, while the highest tower (the bell) tower is available to explore going all the way up there is extremely dangerous, Some of the stairs at the very ends are awkwardly placed making it scary don't recommend letting minors/elderly or really nobody that isn't in a fit condition go up there and personally while is cool to see it definitely needs to be off-limits or have better safety measurements, its really is just waiting for an accident to happen ps: the dog is very cute read more

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Only in small-town Texas does a private citizen build a castle as his primary residence and then open it up to the public to fully enjoy. Visiting Newman's Castle was such a fun, unique experience that my husband and I will fondly remember always. Reservations are required, and the tour starts with a stop at Newman's Bakery - which is, in my opinion, a pretty fantastic place to start. There are treats and snacks aplenty at Newman's Bakery to be enjoyed before, after or during your tour. We asked the sweet ladies at the counter how the tour worked and they had us pay, and then provided us with our wristbands and written directions to the Castle (which is about 5 miles from the bakery). Upon arriving at the castle, we were greeted by the sweetest giant dog (can't remember her name now but other people have it in their photo captions). She fit right into all the medieval surroundings and was the greatest diplomat. A tour guide greeted us next, checked our wristbands, and directed us into the castle, past the [fully-functioning] moat (!!) and into the main dining area. Upon entering the mercifully heated room (it was around 34 degrees that day), we were greeted by the king himself, Mr. Newman, situated warmly by his fireplace - sword in hand and, of course, wearing a crown. The tour was pretty full, so it was a little hard to hear all the details he shared with us but the gist was that he basically built the entire castle himself (with some help I'm sure) and it took 8 years of construction before it was habitable and then over a decade more to get it into its current state. He said he enjoys watching kids come and play make believe with dragons and knights and swords. He's also the owner of Newman's Bakery and had tables upon glorious tables of confectionary treats all around us, as well as lunch provided for us whenever we were ready to eat. What struck me most is that as he spoke, he'd mention this tall ladder here or this bell tower there and I fully expected him to follow up each location with a disclaimer not to touch this ladder or that staircase. Instead, he basically gave us full access to everything we saw, to explore as we pleased. This is his private residence, and he freely opened it up for everyone to enjoy. Pretty cool. Next we all shuffled outside to watch a demonstration of the catapult he'd built in action. He selected one of the visiting kids to be the "leader" and played make believe with her and the rest of the kids with us adults watching and cheering them on. Very sweet, and I'm sure each one of the kids who visited will cherish that memory for a long time to come. Mr. Newman is, as most people have asserted, a little rough around the edges, but his heart is purely good. He didn't intend to share this little medieval gem with the public when he built it but decided to later on. We're still not entirely clear on how long the building process actually took - maybe it's ongoing. When my husband asked him how long construction took, his response was, "I started 20 years ago." read more

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Drove from Louisiana to visit this beautiful spot, however when arriving at the gate there is a telephone number posted 979-865-9804 who stated visits by reservation only who turned us away. Merry Christmas read more

Newman Castle - Bus Tours Near Me - Bellville, Texas

We had such a great time! Worth the drive. He literally let's you go all over the castle! The best was climbing to the roof of the bell tower! Must visit!!!! read more

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It was really weird experience honestly and really awkward. The "king" is such a weird odd guy and really mean to everyone he rbeled for 40 minutes outside on the heat talking about honey or something something about a trip either way it was pretty awful being kept in the heat for so long. The place was really filthy honestly the bathroom is full of filth and has Mr. Newmans' denture which is really gross and it should be locked along with his personal bedroom which was disorganized and filthy as well with his private things it was really odd. The place is quite dangerous for older folks the bell tower has awkward and dangerous ladder layout. We had to go to the bakery first as well to make things more complicated for no reason. I saw many people didn't finish their food so probably was not that good. The bathroom in the bakery was the most disgusting place like 5 times worse than a gas station . The sandwich was good tho. bit the pastriests where left out so any flies could get to them. read more

If I could give it a 0/5 stars I would. I just left early from this terrible experience. 1) The food was some piss poor excuse of a sandwich and plain ruffles chips. Oh don't forget the dry cookies too! Just what you want after sweating your butt off in an uncovered "castle". 2) This "castle" seemed very unfinished. Every room was so bare. In one room there were even storage bins out in the open with different decorations in them. Like they forgot or didn't care to put them out anywhere? Not sure what happened there. 3)The so called "king" is what REALLY made this so unbearable. We were placed in a sitting area (which is outside in the Texas heat of course), but he took his sweet time walking from this tiny castle with a glass of some liquid in hand. He began to give an extremely long speech which went on for an hour and a half. I'm sorry, but if you say you're a king act like one. Don't tell stories about how you would lay bricks to build this. I'm sorry, but he kept dragging it on and on. The kids were so bored they started playing with the dirt. Then he turned passive aggressive . He would degrade the children and make fun of them for asking questions. Let kids be kids man. 4) I was tolerating this whole thing, but when he started to degrade me and my friend who is an ex marine corps SRGT, I had enough. I was conversing with my friend next to me (we were in the very last row off to the side btw), he then turned it into a high school moment. He proceeded to tell me that I needed to "come up to the front if I have something to say", to which I replied with "Who are you talking to? No thank you." He then moved on but really? We paid a lot of money and drove a little over an hour to be treated like that? Especially to a woman who has literally fought to save your life? I think not. Definitely do NOT waste your time and money here. read more

The "king" owner was an absolutely rude man. He told women to zip it and yelled at people to be quiet he had already had everyone waiting the Texas summer heat till he felt like making an appearance. He talked about himself non stop and I don't think he made a single smile at all of the kiddos trying to talk to him. He was basically whispering while talking about himself and how he has a bakery and built this castle so no one could hear and the audience was extremely restless. You have to go to the bakery first to wait in the long long line just to get a paper slip of directions. So for us we passed the castle went to The bakery waited in line for 20 min just to drive back towards home to the castle then to be talked down too by this man who was getting all of our money. read more

Newman Castle - Stairs - Bus Tours Near Me - Bellville, Texas

I'll start by saying that I was a little worried since I had read a lot of bad reviews. However, I decided to give it a chance & I'm glad I did. The owner Mike came out & did do a bit of interacting; mainly for kids. Was he rude? Not to us. Was he friendly not really. But we were really there to tour the castle. I think folks should view this experience as an "open house". Except it's not a house. I think Mr. Newman creates a really cool day trip experience for people who simple want to enjoy walking around his castle & chill for a bit in his kitchen to have a Sandwich & Baked goods. My family & I enjoyed our time together in this cute town. I would say some of the people visiting forgot this was someones private home & were not treating it as such. Again, I would say treat this as if you are going on a really cool open house. If you have kids please supervise them & don't let them treat Mike's castle like a playground. read more

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We have enjoyed ourselves on our two visits to Newman's bakery and Castle. I would suggest you or someone in your group to volunteer to become a knight! Way more fun to participate. We climbed all the towers and snooped around the castle inside and outside the moat! Hearty sandwich & cookies for lunch! Great hosts. The price was $20 including your sandwich & cookies! We were all adults in our group if you have small children you need to hang on to them not let them run wild. It's not a play ground! The owner & builder speaks softly so be sure & listen. He is an amazing person to dream up a castle & then build it on his own. He lives there but opens it for tours because he enjoys people's reactions. Be respectful it is home. I'm not sure about some of the other reviews. It's in the country and two guys work there. It's not pristine outside. It was rainy & muddy so he built a fire inside for us to sit around and hear about his 20 year journey to build the castle. read more

Newman Castle - My husband & friend being knighted by King Newman ! - Bus Tours Near Me - Bellville, Texas

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What you need to know be open minded about the heat be ready to here the king talk.He talks a lot but never came off as rude to anyone that was there.Be open minded to walking and waiting you get a sandwich and tea or water when you go inside the kitchen.The place is his private home so for him to allow strangers in that's great what everyone needs to know is just be open minded and don't complain about the heat and all the talking he will do he try's to make it fun or interesting for everyone. This is great for exploring if you are curios the sandwich is ok nothing spectacular but it's great vs getting nothing. So I recommend go but be open minded the king is outside and in the heat as well so if he comes off rude I can only imagine why he's out there all day . Well that's that castle is cool great pictures to be taken there . Ahhh and they kept giving water to anyone outside while he talks. read more

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Do NOT go in the summer. They tell you to show up at 10:30. Newman doesn't come out until 11... we ended leaving at 12 and people still hadn't been allowed in. We weren't able to eat the included lunch because our 4 year old was so hot that she wasn't feeling well so we left before even doing the tour. We were able to take her to the bathroom and the little bit of the castle we saw doing that was not very impressive. The best part was that there was a bagpipe player but my understanding is that he is not there for every tour. There were 150 people there and not enough room for that many in the outdoor pavilion they make you sit in as a holding area. I'm sure weekdays would be better and less crowded. I'm very disappointed that we paid $60 and weren't even able to have the food that was provided. read more

Although I admire the owner's vision to build an unusual structure and open it up to the public, I give this 2 stars because I was rather disappointed that the site primarily seemed to appeal to children thru adolescence. The children that were on our tour (with parents) were notably delighted to see each room of the castle. I was not as wowed as it was much smaller than expected and there was not much to appeal to seniors. The female lunch staffer who served our lunch was very nice, however. So my advice is to bring children, ages 5 thru 14 to benefit more from your visit. read more

It was a cool place to look at but people with kids just know the owner likes to talk and he takes forever to explain stuff and he likes to act like he is putting on a play and young kids get bored real quick. Once you step on the grounds of the house it is very underwhelming. A few stone room and a bunch of steps to look out and really see not much of anything. Lots of wood furniture. I have it three stars because the owner lives in castle and he lets everyone see his home, which is more than I could handle. A bit pricey for a ham sandwich and some stone/cement walls. You do get to see a catapult work which was kinda cool read more

Newman's Castle was a great day trip. We went with 3 mamas and 8 children and everyone left happy as could be. The castle was awesome. The kids got to run around and check everything out, sword fight, and hunt for dragons! The dog was super sweet and let our kiddos hug her over and over. They served a sack lunch that pleased everyone (especially us mamas since we didn't have to pack lunches). I would recommend this to anyone who wants a fun day trip this out of the ordinary at a great price! I can't believe this man opens his home up to strangers every day! The rude complaints are unfounded and must come from people who have nothing better to do than complain on Yelp. 5 stars!!! read more

I visited the castle with about 10 of my friends, one of which had visited before. It was a cool experience if you like that sort of thing. From what I was told it was built my the owner in the past couple of years. It looks like a real castle with a drawbridge and a moat. We took a bus trip to Belleville,TX where it is located and you have to stop at Newman's bakery to get tickets which are $15 per person. This includes a box lunch which our choice was either turkey or ham and cheese with chips. Newman also owns a meat market as well as the bakery and the castle. Once you arrive you are met by Mr Newman who conducts the tours. After which you are led into the front of the castle with a little fanfare, catapult demonstration and knighting of a fellow tour person. Once inside you are free to wander around as you please and take pictures. There are numerous rooms decorated in medieval style. There was a dungeon, dining hall, several bedrooms as well as armor, a crown, ball and chain, etc. Not a bad way to spend a little time on a Saturday. Only 1 1/2 hour drive from Houston. It would be way more enjoyable for kids. read more

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