Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Preston Castle Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Preston Castle

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Kristin T.

    This review is for the Preston Castle HAUNT (not the castle itself). Apparently the Castle offers tours which are pretty cool, but I've never personally been. The haunt sells out so you have to be on top of getting tickets. Personally I felt like prices are too high for the length/size of the haunt as the full walk through is only about 30-40 minutes. The haunt has mostly live actors in various scenes throughout the case that pop up to scare you, no one touches you or chases you but they do antagonize you some. They do a good job with the sets and costumes so it's easy to "get into it"; however, I wish there was some more variety or that it was longer. It gets fairly repetitive as you walk as there's really no other types of scares or experiences, only jump scares and vaguely creepy setting. It's dark and difficulty to see at times. It zig-zags you throughout several floors of the castle and outside briefly, so you need to be ready to do multiple flights up/down stairs and walk on uneven ground in poor lighting. You also have to hike up a small hill to get to the castle, they they did offer a ride on a golf-cart if you needed it. Because of the stairs and uneven paths inside the castle, I don't recommend for those with mobility issues. My dad had walking sticks and was really struggling. It's well organized and they force you to queue/line up at several check-points. First is security screening and then again to enter the castle. Overall we probably spent an hour or so in line and we had VIP and arrived like 45 minutes early. Without VIP I'd expect much longer waits. They have food trucks and a small gift-shop infront of the castle outside. Porta-potties only, no real bathrooms/toilets. Overall, it was fun but I won't come back. It's out in Ione away from all major cities so it's a trek to get to. It's also really pricey. I feel like you're better off with just a local haunted house if you want some Halloween fun, though maybe because this is in a historic site good for a one time visit.

    First investigation of 2024, 7pm - 2am, April 6!
    Cynthia C.

    LOVE this Paranormal Investigation site! Small groups and an incredible property. Just getting started at 7:30pm, and looking forward to posting some great night time pics. Hubs and I were here 6 years ago and had more than a few interesting experiences. Very excited to be back with a smaller group - 3 sets of groups, 5-6 adults per guided group. Docents are experienced in leading investigative teams. This investigation was for adults, but I believe they do offer family friendly projects. Building is absolutely stunning with very unique architectural features.

    Entering
    Juls B.

    This place did what it was supposed to do! Lots of scares and laughter at getting scared! They are very well organized, lots of work went into the different scenes and line flows quite quickly. We were fortunate to be selected to "win" VIP passes and learned the history of the castle. Not for kids! Very dark and jump scares, inappropriate scenes for young children. I would not recommend anyone under 18. I would love to come back and learn more about this historical place.

    Lin L.

    Wow! 6 stars!! I'm glad I chance upon this information while reading up reviews on a scream park. This was way more worth it and my kid and I we had FUN!! We bought the general admission tickets online - $31 plus tax and fees, $111++ for 3 people. We parked, a shuttle drove us to the castle. I suggest coming half hour before your schedule ticket time. There was a long line, no biggie, the crowd we were with in shuttle and line was fabulous, fun, happy and can't wait to be spooked! We screamed our head off, the place reminds me of those horror movies in boarding school, castle old buildings... authentic feel of spookiness! Go here, no age limit, there are food stall for drink, tacos, tamales and kettle corns. Several Pot-a-potty, users must have been educated in keeping it clean. If you love scream park, you'll love this! :) friendly staffs and the sugar cookie was yum (they hand it out to you at the end). So not bring babies, some areas in the castle is super dark.

    The castle with the haunt ticket you receive before security.
    Lexi D.

    The Haunt was so fun! We arrived 30 minutes before gates open and had no issue parking in the upper lot. Porta potty's were available in the parking lot before security AND inside the Haunt. Security line went fast and they didn't check very hard. We were able to bring in sealed water bottles but that may not be the same for everyone. When they began letting people in the castle we only waited about 25-30 minutes. The line was really dependent on how many VIP people showed up. At 7:30pm the line had tripled and was VERY long, so get there early or do VIP. They had a good amount of merch, including some great stuff for history lovers. Food inside of security included a taco truck, potstickers, fish and chips, fudge, kettle corn, shaved ice, and a few other small things. The actual haunted house was cool. You got to see historical artifacts before beginning the scares. It took us about 20 mins to walk through the entire thing. Lots of stairs, but they were well-lit with hand rails. There was also a small portion outside. Not the scariest one I've ever been to, but I did scream a few times! At the end they gave us each a cookie!!

    Infirmary and Annex Day Room
    Annabelle R.

    This castle is absolutely beautiful from the outside, built in the late 1800's with bricks made by Folsom and San Quentin inmates. It is still in the long process of being restored, but hardly noticeable. Inside is a totally different story. I didn't come during a special event, just for the self-guided tour, where you can roam the castle at your own pace. I was attracted to the haunted stories behind this former rehabilitation institution for young male delinquents. But I learned a lot more about its interesting history when I visited, rather than the hauntings which resulted from the numerous deaths that occurred over decades at Preston School of Industry. For the self-guided tour, guests can explore freely, with several docents available throughout to answer questions or share noteworthy details about some of the rooms. Know that this is a restoration project in progress. Though most rooms can be viewed from the doorway (roped off), some are full of rubble and just have signs describing what the room was used for in the past. Others are in updated condition with props and furnishings, set up like something you would find at the Winchester Mystery House and you can actually walk inside the rooms and look at everything up close, like the Company B dorm room that housed 60-70 boys, the staff dining room, apartments, infirmary, day rooms, and patio (a giant courtyard similar to that of a prison). In the museum, we got to view original photos and artifacts, and discovered famous names associated with the reform school -- actors, musicians, athletes, and authors who were formerly wards at Preston (ie. Rory Calhoun and Merle Haggard). There was even a section dedicated to the various TV and film productions that depicted stories of or were filmed at this castle, including Ghost Adventures and The Unexplained Files (on Discovery). We had a great experience exploring the museum and castle this past weekend, and all of the docents we interacted with were friendly and knowledgeable. For less than $20 per person, the regular self-guided tour is definitely worth checking out. But they also hold various private events here (ie. weddings), as well as other cool events like the halloween haunt during October, and a beer and wine tasting event, even an upcoming Oddities and Curiosities Show this Saturday, which are all great opportunities to pay a visit if you're curious.

    October 2022
    Julie L.

    This review is for Halloween Haunt season 2022 --- What a disappointment! My wife and I LOVE haunted attractions and history! Historic castle, with haunted theme? Who wouldn't want to attend. . . Here's the thing. If these haunted attractions want to attract huge crowds, you need LINE management, alert staff that are willing to communicate with guests, be gentle but stern, and make it something special for each and every group. This was like a teaser, with full costs. They started out by asking how many per group, spacing people out..... there was potential. About 10 minutes in.... crowds just started filling up. People stopped or dramatically slowed down in front. Crowds behind hurried up like there was a prize for how quick you maneuver through. All the while, I'm thinking, IF you can have this many cameras in our faces..... how about you have that many employees walking among the guests keeping an even pace AND slowing down others so we all don't see the scares from a hallway distance??? It's actually disrespectful to paying guests to literally ruin their enjoyment of the actors, props, and the experience when I'm basically wedged between people at the front getting a scare..... and people behind me practically holding my hand for being so close. Terrible management of lines Mismanaged parking lot structure Running crowds thru like we're cattle in a castle Finally, losing returning guests, integrity, and future referrals. Haunt wise, this is a hard pass

    Erin R.

    Did "The Haunt" tour tonight and had so much fun!! Lots of spooky, creepy, and startling characters. Get there early, as the line to go into the house is long (yes, even with advance tix) but it's totally worth the wait. Lots of up and down stairs but stairwells were well lit. They did a great job!

    So much fun!! Went to the last night of the haunt and it was everything we had hoped it would be. This place is amazing and all the staff and security were very helpful and the actors are incredible. Would absolutely recommend and definitely worth the extra bit of cash for VIP.

    Preston Castle Haunt: Opening Night - 10/12/19
    Aileen M.

    My family, friends, and I went to the Preston Castle Haunt in Ione this past weekend. For three weekends in October, they put on this "haunted house" event that benefits the preservation of this historical landmark. While I've never toured the castle until that night, I did pay a visit to Preston Youth Correctional Facility years ago when it was still part of California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation - from there, I could see the Castle looking foreboding even in the daylight! From Elk Grove, it took about an hour drive for us to arrive in Ione and it was dark when we arrived around 7 pm. Parking was easy - there were plenty of staff directing the cars on where to go. As for the line to get in, a staff person scanned our electronic tickets and exchanged them for paper tickets. Then, before we could enter the fenced property, our bags were searched and we went through a metal detector before getting into a second line to enter the Castle. Inside the fenced property, there was a taco truck, a caramel popcorn vendor, someone selling Jamba Juice, and portable potties. By the time we entered the Castle itself, it was over an hour later - which we barely noticed because the line kept moving and we were all nervous and excited. The VIP ticket holder line went faster than ours but it wouldn't have been worth paying the extra $10 per person for it. Once inside the Castle, the line moved faster. Cell phones had to be put away and nobody was allowed to touch any props. They spaced each party so that we wouldn't run into the people in front of us and the people behind us wouldn't catch up to us. I didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised by how creepy the path was at some points. And, they did a great job with the characters roaming around - some docile, others followed us, while some jumped out from nowhere. It was a lot of fun - even for the one person in our group who was not looking forward to going and doesn't like scary things! From start to finish, it took us about 45 minutes and I was trying to go as fast as possible because it was still creepy - despite knowing that the characters aren't real. The Castle itself was creepy in the dark and it's reportedly haunted by ghosts. Besides, I knew that the company who didn't want to be there at all would appreciate the hustle - and he was glad I'd hurried us along! I haven't been to a haunted house in many years so I can't compare this event to any other scary haunted house. But, we had a fantastic time and were glad we went despite the long drive! The staff was really nice and everything went fairly smoothly.

    Original dorm
    Heather S.

    Very cool and beautiful historical building. Definitely best to go tour before it gets too hot. Buy tickets online for your selected time. There are a few flights of stairs but not too hard to navigate.

    Free cookies they handed out as we were exiting!
    Ashley H.

    The Preston castle does an amazing job on their yearly Halloween haunt. We go here every year and are never disappointed. We decided to get the fast pass this year even though it cost more to see if it was worth it. Well, it started pouring rain and needless to say we were extremely happy we paid the extra money. We will continue to visit every year I'm hoping they will get more vendors as the years go on because the few vendors they had, had a ridiculous wait because they weren't prepared for the crowds! The free cookies they handed out this year with a awesome addition !

    Preston castle

    See all

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 4
    Love this 10
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Juls B.
    133
    438
    1270

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lin L.
    151
    390
    2325

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim B.

    Jim B.

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 3
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Erin R.
    5
    92
    16

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Love it here they are so awsm we had so much fun!!! Prices are great too. We love u guys!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 11
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Heather S.
    101
    102
    169

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Todd G.
    0
    19
    13

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim B.

    Jim B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Preston Castle is such a cool place. I love coming for regular days and each year for the Haunt!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim B.

    Jim B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Paul M.
    134
    120
    259

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    4 years ago

    Preston castle is definitely worth the drive. You should do the tour so much amazing history.

    Helpful 29
    Thanks 0
    Love this 29
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim B.

    Jim B.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim B.

    Jim B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim B.

    Jim B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of M. N.
    0
    25
    6

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Aileen D.
    261
    12
    38

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    10 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 1

    8 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 23
    Thanks 0
    Love this 19
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Expectations were high and felt a little disappointed. Barely any actors actors and lots of empty space.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2
    Photo of Bee B.
    0
    185
    1

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim B.

    Jim B.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Preston Castle

    Are you guys open for 2022 public tours?

    We will be opening up in April. Tickets should be on sale in March.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Preston Castle

    Preston Castle is actually the Preston School of Industry- a youth facility for troubled boys (or wards of the state).

    Mentioned in 10 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Wakamatsu Farm

    Wakamatsu Farm

    4.8(4 reviews)
    28.2 mi

    Me being of Japanese decent, I felt the need to visit Wakamatsu Tea and Silkworm Colony Farm in…read morePlacerville, and to pay my respect to all the courageous men and women whom traveled thousands of miles to a foreign land (America) for a dream of a better life. There are no words that can express my heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifices and hardship the " Isei " (First Generation ) must have gone through ! They paved the way for people like both of my grandfathers whom came to the United States in 1906. On May 20th, 1869 a group of 22 samurais and one women arrived in San Francisco on board the SS China with 50,000 (Mulberry Trees) (Silk worm cocoons) (tea plants and seeds) ( cooking utensils) and (swords). Thus the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony Farm was established on 160 acres in Gold Hill Placerville on June 8th, 1869. The life of the colony was short lived (1869 -1871) due to inadequate funding and a severe drought in 1871. Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony was considered to be the first Japanese Settlement in North America. In 1969 Ronald Reagan (governor at the time) proclaimed the colony to be a California Historic Landmark No. 815. The land is currently owned and operated by the American River Conservancy. The farm is on private property, so visitations can only be made by arranging a private tours, attending certain festivals on the property or schdueled events. Next year (2019) marks its 150th anniversary celebration !!! See web site for more details. Thanks for reading !

    Have been to a couple of American River Conservancy events at Wakamatsu Farm. Such an historic &…read moreinteresting place. The volunteers & teachers are impressive. It is always an interesting & enjoyable experience in a beautiful setting.

    Photos
    Wakamatsu Farm - Lake View

    Lake View

    Wakamatsu Farm - The Giving Garden

    The Giving Garden

    Wakamatsu Farm

    See all

    Sacramento Ghosts

    Sacramento Ghosts

    4.4(49 reviews)
    34.4 miOld Sacramento, Downtown

    The tour was awesome! So worth the money spent. As a history buff, there's a lot to learn about the…read moreghost stories in Sacramento. This is only the tip of the iceberg. Recommend you purchase the EMF reader along with the tour.

    We booked this as a tour for around 9 people on Friday the 13th earlier this year, and…read moreunfortunately did not have a great experience, however I can see how this would be a great experience if the circumstances were different -- so 2 stars for potential. The directions were not clear as to where we were supposed to arrive. There was no address to meet at. After going back and forth with customer service, they eventually gave a landmark, which did not exist in the uber and Lyft apps and was questionable on Google Maps. Everyone in their uber got dropped off to different places. The directions also said to go to "the yellow building" -- but when we arrived, there were several yellow buildings. The tour guide also was not carrying a lantern, which was part of the directions given (look for the person carrying a lantern.) When we finally found her, we asked the tour guide where her lantern was, she said she didn't want to carry it around all night. We also believe the tour guide was late. We were in the area looking for her for about 15 minutes and we passed by the same spot she ended up being at several times and did not see anyone. Finally they called and we went back to the spot and she was there. This was around 5 minutes past the start time. Then she told us we only have until 7:30. So we are ending on time but she didn't start on time? The tour guide took us around to several bars, but the first one she admitted that it was not even haunted, or that she was not sure if the bar was haunted or not as she was not familiar with the bar. So I'm confused why we went there? There was also no indication that this was only going to be an hour and a half. It was fun bar hopping with our friends in some spooky places, but considering I paid almost three hundred dollars for the group I expected a higher quality experience.

    Photos
    Sacramento Ghosts
    Sacramento Ghosts - Ethan was dope! We got ghosted that night .

    Ethan was dope! We got ghosted that night .

    Sacramento Ghosts

    See all

    California State Capitol Museum - Former governor portraits

    California State Capitol Museum

    4.5(325 reviews)
    33.6 miDowntown

    We visited the capital in Sacramento last weekend. Part of it is a museum of restored areas curated…read moreby the California state park system. This is a very interesting area in which to spend some time. As we wandered through the rooms, we came upon an attendant. She wasn't there as an official docent, but as an employee of the state park system. System. She asked if we had any questions, and then answered everything. We wanted to know with very complete answers and told us a lot of information about the place. It was very informative. If you're in Sacramento, I recommend visiting the capitol. It's great to see where our state government really happens.

    On a day trip to Sacramento, we stopped by the California State Capitol Museum for a quick…read moreself-guided walk. If we had more time, we would have taken one of the public tours, which usually last 45 minutes to an hour. We went up to the 4th floor thinking we might be able to listen in on the State Assembly session, but because of time constraints we had to leave and made our way down through the 3rd floor, 2nd floor, lobby, and basement. There's a lot to see, including the 1st floor Rotunda and county exhibits, the 2nd floor Senate and Assembly Chambers plus historic Governor's offices, and the 3rd floor portraits. There's definitely more to explore, and I'd like to revisit the California State Capitol Museum on another Sacramento day trip.

    Photos
    California State Capitol Museum - Secretary of State 1902

    Secretary of State 1902

    California State Capitol Museum - Inside the capitol

    Inside the capitol

    California State Capitol Museum - Reagan; only CA governor to become President.

    See all

    Reagan; only CA governor to become President.

    Preston Castle - museums - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...