If I could give zero stars, I absolutely would! The staff here are extremely rude and unprofessional. We had just pulled barely inside the gate when a woman stopped us with her car. Her very first words were, "Why are you here?" -- no greeting, no courtesy, just instant hostility. We were only there to take a quick photo of the outside and look at the grounds, as we were considering renting the venue for a wedding. We're from out of town and were in the area just for the weekend, but she immediately accused us of trespassing instead of simply asking what we needed. To make things worse, she blocked the driveway so we couldn't turn around properly, forcing us to back through the grass rather than letting us move forward a couple of feet to the wider part of the drive. I'm also quite sure her behavior was influenced by my alternative haircut and color, which made the experience feel even more judgmental and discriminatory. We will never come back here or recommend this place to anyone. read more

We went on the history tour, but it was disappointing. The castle itself is interesting and it was interesting to see the interior of the building. The tour guide did his best, but his script was rather mediocre. His presentation was repetitive and I had a hard time hearing him over the sounds of the air conditioning. You were not allowed to take photographs unless you requested permission prior to taking each one you wanted. The tour opened with a short video which could have been interesting except the narrator was unintelligible. I was able to decipher about 10 words during the 6 minute film. There are a lot of stairs on the tour (no elevator) so this would not be a good tour for anyone with mobility issues. read more

I went with family and a friend to the ghost tour. I have never done a ghost tour anywhere in my life so this was a first. The castle itself has a very rich history that is discussed throughout the tour. You walk around and see most of the castle.....at least I think. We did not see a ghost or any paranormal activity. However, we still found it very worthwhile. Our guide did a fantastic job. I would consider going in the future. The tour group was probably 30 people which was more than I had anticipated but I was always able to hear what was being said. read more

Terrible time, rudely chased off property because we were not with the last tour. We had no idea where to get in or how to pay, the woman was extremely bitchy and told us we were trespassing. So I downloaded yelp to make this request, I highly DONT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!! NOT AUTISM FRIENDLY OR VERERAN FRIENDLY. SO WE WILL SPEND OUR MONEY ELSEWHERE read more

We went for the ghost tour. The tour and tour guide was very great, but was completely ruined at the end. We were told we could explore and we were yelled at by another worker for going into an area that was apparently off limits but there was no chain blocking the hall way. She went off on the group screaming and slammed a door right next to my buddies face. Completely ruined the entire experience. The owners would do well to clearly mark unauthorized areas to avoid this situation for future guests. And maybe try to handle that a little better, not by screaming and slamming doors. read more

We went here for a wedding and I loved the old picturesque building and its very interesting history. The parts we could see were pretty cool, definite historic ambiance. Only problem was that it is not accessible and we had 2 people with mobility issues dangerously trying to navigate stairs - that's on the bride and groom to check before picking a venue. Since we were there in the daytime, no ghosts in sight but the real scare is probably the owner, from the stories we heard from the bridal party. DO NOT enter the grounds unless you have a reservation or are attending an event. There's a sign about this at the driveway entrance - ignore it at your peril. This place is not open to the public to waltz in or even just take exterior photos. If you have to cart heavy stuff in for your event, tell the owner before using the back entry ramp. And, DO NOT look in the basement without staff leading you on a tour! read more

Don't go. We paid $50 pp for the murder mystery dinner performance. The castle is an old home, barely maintained. I think a family still owns it. The dinner was okay. Not great. Buffet, catered. Chicken. But okay. The performance was just terrible! Two cast members, no sound system, no stage, no sets, no props, and a very very badly written story. We could not hear what was being said when they walked to the other end of the room. One cast member was reading from a script, and still was getting lost. Very uncomfortable for the audience as we waited...the story was really awful. They involved the audience, which can be risky....I feel scammed for the price we paid. This is a tired place, tired cast of 2 family members, and just not worth your time. read more

This place is very interesting and unique BUT the management is INSANE. The tour guide Todd was fun and the interior is special in many ways BUT there is a woman who seems to be in charge who is obnoxious, gruff and incredibly off putting. Why she works there makes no sense. The experience was pretty good with the major exception of the older woman with an attitude made of buck shot. She really took the entire night down and I hope she finds a new passion. read more

I drove to the castle to talk to the owner about possibly taking pictures here one day and how much it would cost. No one was at the front desk so I left and on my way out she yelled from the upstairs window that she's going to call the cops and that I need to leave immediately. (Pretty suspicious if you ask me, what are y'all doing in there?) I tried to explain I have some questions and she kept yelling at me and telling me she's not going to talk unless I call. Look lady, I have no problem calling but if you have an issue communicating face to face then I won't be coming back again. Long story short, owner doesn't behave in a human manner. read more

My friend got married here and I thought "maybe I'll want to get married here" but after meeting the owner, I would rather this place go out of business. She's rude, lies, doesn't have proper signage, and honestly it should be shut down because of all of the code violations. I hope it's condemned and it's not even remotely haunted. Say bye to my $50k budget, hope you lose more business or you get sued for lack of safety again. read more

For starters, I will say this tour was incredible! The tour guide was so sweet, however I never caught her name. She seemed to care genuinely about the castle and the spirits inside. I am glad she was the one to do our tour. The problem with our tour however was the other woman involved in it. Upon searching, I believe she was the owner Tamara. I didn't pay mind to her disorganization at first as she didn't put me and two others names down for the tour after we paid. Following this, during the initial presentation with our guide, the owner barged in and interrupted minutes after starting the video, cutting us off from it and starting our tour. Again, this wasn't something I though much of, just assuming she was disorganized, but another event occurred when we reached the basement. There were two large groups with us, so the owner and the other friendly guide split them. In one part we were exploring the basement while the other group explored another area. Tamera gave our group the clear to switch, so we all started filing into the other room. This was when Tamera ran up to me and a few others yelling for us to go back and pushed me out of the way into the other room. I tried to understand why this was necessary but couldn't find a reason for it. I didn't receive an apology and after this we didn't see much of her for the rest of the tour. Again, overall this place was wonderful and the tour was very well done. We were able to take pictures and even found a few orbs (in the basement interrogation room especially!) Its totally worth it for the spooks, just try to avoid the owner! read more

We bought tickets online for a ghost tour. The website offers two prices- one for mask wearing guests, and a higher price for non-mask wearing guests. We decided to pay a little extra for the non- mask wearing tickets. Upon arrival, this woman greeting cars as they entered told us that we now had to wear masks. We told her we are do a refund for the extra cost of our tickets. We told her we had no masks (being that we specifically paid not to have to wear them) and she told us IF they did have masks for us we would not be refunded the extra amount we paid. Our problem was not with the request to wear a mask- but the false advertising telling us to pay extra for something we weren't going to get anyways. On top of all that- and more importantly- this woman was so rude! She claimed to be the manager and the owner of the castle and refused to let us talk to anyone else. I've grown up in Springfield and been to the Pythian Castle several times- I can tell you personally it's alright- but not worth paying over $70 for 4 of us to be treated that way. So so SO rude! I Would not recommend going if you don't like being treated horribly for expecting what you paid for. As several other reviews have mentioned- the only thing this location is haunted by is a rude, condescending, and unprofessional older woman. read more

Toured this on a little date with my wife and found the history interesting. We concluded with the 15 minute escape room and had a blast - challenged while not impossible - the outside is quite remarkable and while the inside bears some resemblance to the changes through the years - it's stories were interesting! A worthwhile visit if in the region. read more

We did the 90 minute haunted tour. In the end we had a lot of fun, we learned a lot and got to tell the tale to friends at home. My group was pretty disappointed that we only got to see the basement, tunnel, theater, and dormitory. We thought there would be more of the castle to see, hopefully that is in the works for future tours as they get more rooms done. read more

We could not have a tour. Need 4 people and there were just 2 of us. Very disappointed- it was one of the sites I was most looking forward to the most. read more

Went 480 miles to the ghost tour.1st one.i walked by there everyday went i went ro teft elementary school down the street. And didnt even know.lol.it was a excellent tour other a few ppl acting out trying to be funny.had a hard time listening cause of the idiots.love the place and will go back hopefully with some more mature ppl.i take ghost hunting seriously. read more

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If I could give negative stars, I would. The owner is one of the rudest people I've ever encountered. We attended a wedding there this weekend - first time to Pythian and I was very excited to see the historic building. Sadly, I will never be going back unless there is new ownership in the future. First, there were hidden charges associated with a wedding that was booked for our friends - very deceiving. Second, got screamed at for going downstairs. It was not marked/locked and we were never told once that we were limited to certain areas. Once the owner saw us coming upstairs she screamed at us like children and threatened to charge the bride and groom extra. She then accused us of breaking the lock to get down there when there were no locks to begin with. We explained this to her but she continued to scream and call us liars. EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL WOMAN - I HIGHLY suggest taking your business elsewhere and avoid dealing with her at all costs. read more

This place is crazy, we went to attempt to schedule a meeting for a tour because Our schedule didn't match their 2 tour times, we arrived between the 2 times assuming they would be open. We walked up the easement to the building and were confronted by a woman telling us we were trespassing and that they would call the cops. I attempted to explain we were having issues with their times and if there was a way to make a private tour, but she just kept screaming and waving her arms around yelling about cops. I was working at KOLR as a contractor and intend to tell everyone in the newsroom this same story. Hopefully people will learn what an irresponsible aNd unprofessional Facility this is read more

This is a must see if you are in the area. Me and my boyfriend went as a detour down Route 66 and let me tell you how worth it it was. Privately owned and how cool did that alone make it worth the while. The owner gave us an amazing tour with great enthusiasm that keeps you interested and interactive. Knew the history in and our (we took the history tour) and even knew past residents of the castle. We want to go back! It was an amazing experience. We were with a small group of about 12 which was a perfect size for us! Must see! read more

Pythian Castle - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

Had a wonderful tour guide. She was so patient with a child in our tour as well as with us when we did our first escape (15 minute POW search). The castle was clean down in the basements. No spiders or musty smells. This place must be a blast during Halloween! read more

Pythian Castle - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY! This is the most amazing building. It's is full of history...and ghosts! My family actually had a ghost encounter while we were there!! It is so unbelievably beautiful. I wish I had used it for our wedding venue. It's so perfect for that. Also they have scheduled tours, shows, etc. and they have been on a lot of different ghost hunting shows, too! There is nothing like this castle anywhere else that I know of in the US. There may be others, but not like this one...so meticulously restored to its original state by the owners. Make sure you book your tour or event and go if you are ANYWHERE near Springfield, Missouri! When will you have the opportunity to tour a real castle like this again unless you go to Europe? We just don't have this kind of history and architecture in America normally. It is definitely something you'll regret if you miss seeing it. They don't take walk ups though. There are specific tour and event times and days, so go to their website and plan accordingly. You won't be disappointed!! (Unless you decide to skip it.) It's way better than the Winchester Mystery House in California. SO GLAD WE DECIDED TO GO!! You will be too!! read more

We checked the web site for tour times, but not the calendar and were unaware of a wedding taking place that day. There was a sign that said wedding today, no tours, but we wondered if there would be any ghost tours that night. Well, the front door was propped open, so we went to find someone who worked there in order to ask. The place was empty except for photographers, and we finally found an elderly woman in the back working. We said hello, and asked her about tours tonight, and her response was the most unfriendly I've ever been treated by someone who was "working" at a place of business. She pretty much escorted us to the door and scolded us for entering because the sign said no tours. If she would have let us talk, we were trying to ask about a tour that night...but she was terribly rude and wouldn't even listen. Finally, another worker showed up and asked if everything was alright, then the very rude lady acted slightly nicer and informed us there was indeed a ghost tour at 10 p.m....which is all we wanted to find out in the first place! We left very annoyed and upset, having no desire to return for the tour, nor did we. It was the first place we stopped in Springfield, which was bad because it immediately put us in a bad mood. However, we did enjoy the rest of our trip and Springfield, but wow... unless she owns that place, she needs to be fired and/or needs some serious training in being nice to customers, or just people in general. read more

Everyone leaving horrible reviews took this too seriously. I feel like the owners do a good job with the hand they have been dealt. It's not accurate in terms of how it has been preserved or even in term of being called a castle, but they review all that. It is a historical site and they tell you what they know. History Tour: simple, fun, informative, sometimes campy/silly. It's good if you want "hands on" history because nothing is off limits. We had a few laughs, enjoyed the provided history, enjoyed the informative video at the beginning, enjoyed the tour guide, and had a nice conversation after the tour was over. $18 for two adults and it was about a 75 minute experience. That was not expensive for learning about some of the history of Springfield or the Pythian society. read more

We took the ghost tour at 8:00 p.m. on a freezing cold Feb. night. Our guide, Tim, was very well-spoken, funny, and theatrical, but the experience ends there. Full disclosure: I think they tend to be kind of hokey, but 2 of the 4 of us are really into them, so we have been on several: Hannibal, MO; Eureka Springs; Atchison, KS. However, I usually enjoy them because most of them include a lot of history of the location, the city, and a tour of the beautiful property. Not this tour: we got about a 6 minute history and for anything else "you have to take the history tour," and that was the response we got to about 5 questions asked about the property during the tour. We didn't get to really see the property properly, as it was extremely dark (probably to enhance to mystique) and very crowded. None of the ground floor rooms are included in the tour and no actual discussion of the house, decor, building, or renovations, are mentioned. I assumed the place was a bed and breakfast or hotel, but it is actually a private residence and special event venue. Where you buy tickets online clearly states "Buy your tickets early. Groups are kept small." We don't consider 70 people a small group. There was a group of 40 college students all in one, included in with the regular tour. It would have been much more effective if they had been given a separate tour of their own. The room we spent the most time is was the ballroom. Seated at assigned tables, we listened to the intro, then were divided into three groups and led to the freezing cold basement. Since I was told we weren't leaving the house, I wasn't dressed adequately for how cold it was, even in my winter coat. The other places we got to see were the gymnasium, the dungeon, and the tunnel. Spoiler: You aren't going to go anywhere in the tunnel. You get in there, stop, turn around in place and get back out. Since we were in a large group, it took a long time for people at the end to figure out to get the hell out. Being at the front, (and claustrophobic as heck) I was not a fan. I also was not expecting to be trudging through a wet, uneven floor. Should've worn boots. They take you next to the theater where they play EVP (recordings) from previous tours, in which ghostly voices supposedly "say" certain things. I don't hear it myself, but I am a skeptic. The last location is the boys' dormitory. We are supposedly there so we can "see" how the place looked prior to renovation, but of course there aren't any lights on so how you are supposed to see anything, I don't know. In the places we went, there are lots of stairs, dim lighting, uneven surfaces, etc. If you have balance issues, vision problems, or cannot maneuver stairs easily, this is not for you. Also, it was FREEZING, so bundle up if it's winter. The two (unnamed) ladies helping run the tour were...brusque. They frequently were telling us to "hurry up" and "stay with the group" even though there were no gaps in the group and no more room on the stairs to move up further. It made you feel like you were cattle being run through the gate. I am very short and have no desire to have my face pressed into someone else's back. In the end, because of our large group, the tour ran 10 minutes longer than it was suppose to, by then we were dying to get out of there (even the ones who are usually really into it.) read more

Okay, if you are ever in Springfield and need something fun to do, this is the place. We walked in to a smile from the woman at the front desk...turns out she OWNS the castle. It was amazing. Her and her daughter have done so many amazing things to restore this wonderful landmark. You have to see it for yourself! Only that will do this justice. read more

I had my wedding here and the lady was sticking her nose in our drinks (even my pregnant bridesmaids I had 2) she went through all of our belongings in the bridal suite while we were getting married. She told the catering company my guests were done so only half got to eat. It was absolutely awful she ruined my wedding. Not to mention she rushed us through everything me getting my dress on, photos, the ceremony you name it. AWFUL! read more

Pythian Castle - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

While visiting Springfield Missouri from Lis Ángeles we decided to visit the castle. Castles in the USA? Unheard! But we were really surprised at how big and beautiful this place is. We took the historical tour. Our old lady tour guide was very good in explaining everything about the castle's history and sharing true stories from people who lived at the castle. We learned a lot about the castle, the history of this town. It's people and how it assisted the country during the sad war times. The castle was an orphanage, army base building later, a flea market and now back to is esplendor. The castle is very clean. Beautifully decorated. Loved all the antiques. They even have a basement full with real ghosts! This we heard from locals! We were so impressed that we booked 2 more tours. The nightly ghost tour and the Escape room tour. Hmmmm Sound scary but scary fun. Oh by the way, for our surprise that nice old lady tour guide happened to be current castle owner. We recommend visiting this Castle! Is simply beautiful!!! read more

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Everything was fine, neat facility with a very rich expansive history. The only thing and I think it makes or breaks tours is that the hospitality needs a lot of work. They have a gate nazi checking tickets and I use that word because she's gruff, abrupt and unwelcoming. Inside 'receptionist' isn't much better. The tour guide was OK though. We enjoyed it but plenty can be improved to make the experience more welcoming and memorable. read more

My family and I went to The Pythian Castle today and have to say the overall experience was disappointing due to the tour guides/ owners. We were the first to arrive for the 2:30 tour and asked the woman at the gate (daughter of owner) if photography was allowed and she said yes. My wife and son had brought their good cameras and when we entered the castle (after spending several minutes taking pictures of the exterior), we encountered the owner who we again asked about taking photographs. She said that "Ghost pictures" were not allowed. My wife explained that she only wished to take pictures of the architecture, but she asked what a ghost picture was, and she could not get a straight answer... About 2/3s of the way through the tour my wife and son were told to "slow down with the pictures"... By the same woman (the owner) who had said pictures could be taken. My son attempted taking a picture a few minutes later and was told to stop taking pictures all together. Now understand that had we been told we could not take pictures, we would have not even brought the cameras in. But to be told you can, then to slow down, and ultimately to stop taking pictures makes no sense at all. And the entire time everyone else on the tour was taking pictures with their phones and not a word was said to anyone else about it... Overall the castle is nice, the tour was informative, but I feel the owner and her daughter need to be very clear about what is allowed and what is not allowed. read more

we did a ghost tour one night here, and it was super fun! the guides were fun, and the building is super fascinating to explore, whether you believe in ghosts or not! definitely a fun night, especially during the Halloween season! read more

Quite interesting.. the owner who was our tour guide was very likable and informative. (We took the history tour). I was surprised to learn that German SS were among the prisoners kept here during World War II. We did not see any ghosts on our tour even tho I was hoping to. Probably the closest thing to a castle you'll find without traveling to Europe! read more

The ghost tour is absolutely amazing. I'm fascinated with this place now and got some very interesting pictures. I highly recommend it if your interested in the paranormal. I'm going back as much as I can when I'm back in the area! read more

My husband and I were visiting our daughter in Springfield this weekend and we decided to go on a tour of Pythian Castle. Our tour guide, Todd, was very knowledgeable and the tour was interesting. It is a very nice castle with a rich history. read more

Toured while my husband and I were in Springfield. A mom and daughter brought it back to its glory. Kudos to them for saving this historic site. We learned a lot of history during the tour that we would have never known about the Knights of Pythian and their good deeds. Would definitely recommend if you are close to Springfield and like history and learning new things. The mom and daughter duo actually live there and were very nice. read more

We attended Pythian Castle's "Murder Mystery Dinner" with a group of coworkers. My review is specific to this event (and possibly how they run their other dinner events), and not necessarily reflective of the general tours of the building or the building itself. The bar was very poorly run, as they were very inefficient with tracking everyone's tabs. This resulted in a long wait even though there were less than five people in line. The first part of the show was OK; however, it was a little hard to follow because it was hard to hear the actors since other tables were loud and it echoed throughout the room. The salad and breadsticks they served were fairly good as well. However, our luck began to change as they served dinner. We were seated at table number 12, so we had to wait for quite a few tables to get served before it was our turn. They were supposed to come by and tell us when we could get up and go to the line; however, no one ever stopped by so we took it upon ourselves to go get into the line once it cleared out. We then had to wait approximately fifteen minutes since it looked like they were refilling the food bar. However, after the wait, it was revealed to us that they had run out of meat for the evening's meal. In addition, it was also revealed that the food they were serving wasn't even what was advertised when we bought tickets. We were originally supposed to be served chicken cordon bleu + sides, however, they changed the meal plan to turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and green beans instead. Seriously? We just had Thanksgiving dinner and a week's worth of leftovers, only to be served it again? Now back to the fact they ran out of food - because they were unable to serve us a meat, our main course consisted of really salty green beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy. This left at least five tables, if not more, without a complete meal. The lady in charge, when asked about compensation, was very non-committal although she apologized about the situation. This pretty much spoiled the rest of our experience of the show. The remainder of the show seemed rushed, hurried, and somewhat weird. In fact, the "mystery" was just revealed without any significant drama - making the experience somewhat of a let down. It turns out management offered a $10 per person refund for those of us who did not receive a complete meal. However, between the quality of the show, the poor quality of the meal, and overall experience, it wasn't worth the original $38 ticket price even with the $10 refund. read more

I booked a tour online for Saturday February 29th. I arrived a little early and saw there was a chain across the drive way. As I was driving by I could not see what the sign said. So I drove around to the nearest parking lot and walked over. It was my intention to ask someone the procedure for tours. Before I could ask a single question a worman drove up and started shouting and waving her arms that I was trespassing. I tried to explain but she continued her diatribe. Finally I walked back to my car and drove back to the entrance. Once there I asked the woman who never identified herself for a refund. I have never been treated so shabbily in my life. I will never go back and plan to tell everyone I know to STAY AWAY lest they receive similar treatment. read more

Unhelpful people. Tamera was rude and didn't know what she was talking about, and she's supposed to be the owner. She answered another call as I was in the middle of talking. I was going to rent out a few rooms but I have decided against this as their customer service is severely lacking. They didn't answer simple questions and didn't know pricing. Also for what you get you are spending way to much. This is truly disappointing. read more

I attended the ghost tour a few nights ago, and was very impressed. Having grown up in the local area, I remember when this property was almost torn down by the city. How any municipality could even WANT to do such a thing is beyond me, but whatever. Not only do I commend and applaud the current owners for fighting to save this gem, I feel Springfield is better because of it. What would have been built, had the place been bulldozed? Probably *ANOTHER* useless parking lot, at best. The tour began with tour guests being allowed to meander through part of the first floor and view binders full of historical photos, newspaper articles, and yes, even death certificates of the many who passed within the manor. Actually, it's quite a stack, and makes for an interesting read. Our tour began right on schedule. We were led into a room with seating for a 25-30 minute "briefing" on the history of the manor, along with an overview of the paranormal activity that's been experienced. From there, the first floor was toured, followed by the basement. Here's where it got interesting, at least for me. I had been snapping pics the whole time, with no success. However, upon getting into the basement, I began seeing moving orbs and other anomalies in the flash of my camera, and in some pictures. When successive pictures were taken, I got the best results (which I did because of the suggestion of the tour guide!). Cold spots were felt inside the steam tunnel (a long, stone tunnel underneath the castle, similar in build to the "death chutes" seen in other properties), and I got many, many orbs in several pictures, some of them in motion. The tour guide herself was very informative. Her personality was one that was easy to respond to- bubbly, witty and kind. She sprinkled personal stories in with the history and hauntings stories, which, I think, helped to add a personal touch. Visitors should know, this isn't the Biltmore Estate, and that's perfectly okay! I loved it just the way it was. While the castle is of large historical significance and is gorgeous, don't expect each and every room to be lavishly decorated, with suits of armor from 14th century Europe and wall to wall tapestries. Don't get me wrong, the ground floor is well done, but this just isn't that kind of castle. It is, however, one hell of an interesting property! read more

From an adult's perspective, the history tour was a bit dry in terms of both the actual content of the message and its presentation. That said, we booked the experience for our daughter, whose fascination with castles and all things related knows no bounds - and she loved it. I doubt she remembers a thing that was said by the guide, but she still talks about the assorted Halloween decor (animatronic ghosts and golems) to this day. She is a special needs kid, and the staff accommodated and indulged her peculiarities without complaint, which combined with her enjoyment, lifted a two-star afternoon to three-star status. read more

Went on a night time ghost tour with my wife. There was a crowd of about 40 the night we were there. The tour guide was fantastic. I loved his stories about the place. He had me expecting to see ghosts show up at anytime as we toured the place. read more