How Many Frankenstein Castles Are There?

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All the coolest monsters had castles, didn’t they? Dracula, Frankenstein…okay that’s all I can think of. (If you know of any I’m forgetting, feel free to remind me.)

One of the August 30th days on the Weird Holidays & Observances page is Frankenstein Day.

Side note: It’s also the birth date of Frankenstein’s creator, Mary Shelley, and the day director Wes Craven died. It also should’t be confused with Frankenstein Friday, which happens the last Friday every October.

On my jaunt to Salem this summer I saw a sign for Frankenstein’s Castle.

Which, I’m not gonna lie, confused me for a second. Besides being scary, what did Frankenstein have to do with Salem and witches? (My first thought was right. Nothing –except being scary. Turns out it’s just a wax museum.)

There’s also a tower at Hills & Dales, a metro park in Dayton, Ohio, that’s called Patterson’s Castle or the Witch’s Tower, but is most commonly known as Frankenstein’s Castle. It looks pretty spooktacular, but it doesn’t have any connection with the Frankenstein story either.

But there is a real castle in Germany that’s thought to be the inspiration for the castle in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

So that’s the answer to the title question: there is only one Frankenstein’s castle. The rest are all impostors or imitations. But the real one is pretty cool.

Although, it’s not even really Frankenstein’s castle, because the monster was just an invention of a writer’s imagination. Still, there’s a real castle that inspired it all, so let’s dive into it.

Castle Frankenstein Ruins

According to Atlas Obscura,

| Johann Konrad Dippel was rumored to create potions, perform electrical therapies, and partake in gruesome experiments involving stolen body parts from the graveyard. Born in the Castle Frankenstein in 1673, it’s disputed whether or not he was the inspiration for Mary Shelley’s mad scientist of the same name, who did some cadaver experiments of his own.

The castle where the man who may, or may not, have inspired Mary Shelley’s muse now only consists of two towers, a restaurant and a chapel. But the fact it’s a functioning ruin is pretty cool, not to mention you can enjoy some neat things there.

Event Space

As you might imagine, the Frankenstein castle ruins make for a fun tourist destination –especially around Halloween. They turn the grounds into a big ol’ haunted house. Even more impressive, they’re the only Halloween event hosted on 1,000 year old castle ruins.

Surprise Fact: Castle Frankenstein is older than Bran Castle, a.k.a. Dracula’s castle in Romania, which dates to 1211. (In case you’re like me and not fast at math in your head, Bran Castle is just over 800 years old.) And maybe this isn’t a surprise fact to you, but I would’ve guessed Dracula’s castle was older. (Not sure why, but I would’ve.)

For 2019, Burg Frankenstein’s website states they’ll have 12 scare zones with over 100 creatures waiting to eat –er, meet you. It’s the 42nd Halloween event and one of Germany’s largest.

But it’s more than just a Halloween venue. They host all kinds of events throughout the year, from private parties and corporate events to weddings, dinner shows (think murder mystery-type ones), and even yoga!

Restaurant

As the name suggests, Burg Frankenstein Restaurant and Events serves food. Since the castle is on a hill, the restaurant boasts amazing panoramic views.

Their menu doesn’t look too bad either. Lots of different kinds of schnitzels, and for dessert? Strudel! (Among other things.)

There’s not a winery on the property, but of course there are plenty of spirits in the form of wines and beer.

But what about other kinds of spirits? Like the ghostly kind. Is the castle haunted?

Castle Frankenstein and Paranormal Activity

While there doesn’t appear to be a ghost tour of the castle as such, according to the Tour section on the Burg Frankenstein website, “Whether humorous, scary or historical and architectural – there is much to experience around Frankenstein Castle.”

So maybe they cover some ghost stories on the tour? Or just the story of alchemist Johann Conrad Dippel, whose work with anatomy may have inspired Mary Shelley and is a little creepy?

Not sure, but according to The Lineup, compasses don’t work in the forest near the castle due to magnetic stone formations in the mountains. It’s also thought this was an area where witches gathered during Walpurgisnacht.

But some believe it’s haunted. That’s why the castle was featured on an episode of Ghost Hunters International.

They caught some sounds of a door possibly shutting by itself as well as an EVP saying “Arbogast is hier” in Old German, which Walter Scheele, a Frankenstein expert, translated as “Arbo is here.” He explained Arbo is a nickname for Arbogast, who was the first knight of Frankenstein. To say that is to make a strong declaration that means “I am Arbo. Here I am. Here I mean to stay.”

You can watch the investigation of Castle Frankenstein. The full episode is on YouTube. (Which I embedded below.)

Jaunt to Burg Frankenstein

The Burg Frankenstein Restaurant and Events is located in Burg Frankenstein, Mühltal, Germany.

Website: https://www.frankenstein-restaurant.de/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BurgFrankensteinRestaurantundevent/