Explore Castle Ruins At Turner Falls Park In South-Central Oklahoma

Explore the ruins of an old European-style castle at Turner Falls Park! This rare castle in Oklahoma is a curious roadside attraction that deserves to be on every Oklahoma bucket list! If you’re looking for quirky places to visit on an Oklahoma road trip, be sure to add this fascinating destination to your driving itinerary.

Nestled in the Arbuckle Mountains is Turner Falls Park, the oldest park in Oklahoma. The park is well known for being home to Turner Falls, Oklahoma’s tallest waterfall. But this park is home to another unique Oklahoma attraction — Collings Castle!

Collings Castle was built in the 1930s by Dr. Ellsworth Collings, a professor at Oklahoma University. He and his wife used the property as their private residence during the summer.

The castle is an example of Old English architecture and was constructed using local stone. Originally the property consisted of a main house, two bunkhouses, and two outhouses. Although the castle is now partly in ruins, it is still an impressive sight! Especially because it’s not something you expect to see in Oklahoma.

Today, visitors can explore maze-like rooms, climb steep staircases, peek through narrow windows and climb to the castle’s rooftop to see sweeping views over Turner Falls Park.

The multi-level castle was built into the side of a small mountain. There is a very steep staircase that you will need to hike up to reach the castle, but it’s not very long at all and anyone can do it. Be careful as you climb up the staircase as it is very narrow and parts of it have washed away. If there are any other people on the stairs, you will all need to take turns going up or down in single file.

Once you reach the castle ruins, feel free to wander through the different empty rooms and passageways as you please.

The first thing you might notice is how the castle looks like a construction straight out of the medieval era! Its walls are made out of large gray stones and the rooms feature very low ceilings and narrow windows.

Wandering through this sprawling stone mansion feels a little bit like navigating a labyrinth; it involves ducking under low entrances, squeezing through tight spaces, and a lot of twisting and turning! There are stairs and doors to every rooftop.

The entire structure is beginning to be engulfed under a dense cover of trees which just adds to the mystique of Collings Castle.

Don’t leave Collings Castle until you’ve climbed to the castle’s rooftop! From the top of the castle you can enjoy sweeping views over Honey Creek and Turner Falls Park. You’ll even be able to see riders being catapulted across the sky on the 777 Zipline!

After you’re done exploring Collings Castle, you can actually continue along a dirt trail up to the top of the mountain to see amazing views of Turner Falls and the Arbuckle Mountains. The hike to the top is probably only another 0.2 miles from the castle and it is totally worth making the effort! See what the views from the top of the mountain look like in this post.

Where Is Collings Castle?

Collings Castle is located inside Turner Falls Park in South-Central Oklahoma. The park can be accessed from Highway 77 in Davis, Oklahoma. If you’re looking for road trip ideas, take a look at this Dallas to Oklahoma City road trip itinerary which includes a stop at Turner Falls Park and other really cool attractions nearby.