Preston Castle

Preston Castle was constructed in 1894 as the administration building for the Preston School of Industry, a reform school for boys. The Romanesque Revival style of architecture was to make the building look like a school rather than a prison.

The Castle opened in June 1894 and remained in use until 1960. In 1960 the State planned to demolish the building and from 1960-1968 a group of local women fought to keep it standing. Once the State agreed to not tear the building down they also said they would do nothing to keep it standing.

The building remained vacant and in disrepair until September 2001 when the Preston Castle Foundation leased the building from the State. And later, in 2014, the foundation was granted ownership of the Castle and 12.91 acres.

The Preston Castle Foundation’s mission is to preserve, rehabilitate and utilize the historic Preston Castle site as well as preserving the history of the school, its staff and boys.

Today, Preston Castle is open to the public for tours and events. Funds raised are used to restore keep the building standing and hopefully restore it to its original beauty.

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Testimonials

What People Are Saying

“I love Preston Castle and the amazing work the Foundation is doing to restore it. I attended the Preston Castle Haunt for the first time over the weekend and my husband and I had a blast! Well… if you can call having the crap scared out of you a “blast.”

Pay the extra for the VIP line. It was worth it to spend less time in line… plus that’s extra money to their fundraising. Quality sets and props… nobody broke character… it was a waking nightmare in the best possible way!

Don’t forget to check a regular guided tour through the castle in the daytime!“

Janette M.

Jackson, CA

“We took the tour and it was super interesting. The building these days is in pretty bad shape but they still let you see a lot of it and the back story is very interesting.

I highly recommend the tour for any history or architecture buffs. It’s a very cool and interesting place. They also have special fundraising events like wine tastings and things so keep an eye out for those.“

Dana P.

Fresno, CA

“I investigated Preston Castle with the group, the Bay Area Ghost Hunters. Based on my experiences and the EVPs collected, I believe the place is haunted! Our group had the whole Castle to ourselves from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. The docents were great guides. While the Castle is important historically, it is also an excellent place to investigate spirit activity. Others in my group reported seeing shadows and orbs; in the early evening we smelled a woman’s perfume around us several times as we toured the Castle–and no one was wearing anything with a scent! I am excited to review my digital recording to see if I captured anything. This is a definite Must-Go!“

Anne U.

Hayward, CA