Boldt Castle will be open daily starting Saturday

ALEXANDRIA BAY, N.Y. — Boldt Castle will open for the season starting Saturday.

Continuing work at the castle on Heart Island means visitors will see interior restoration to the Alster Tower with completion of the Venetian Room, according to a release from the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority.

The bridge authority, which has owned the castle for four decades, has invested millions of dollars rehabilitating the never-finished 120-room gift hotelier George C. Boldt was building for his wife when she died suddenly in 1904 at the age of 41.

In addition to their restoration efforts, each year workers transport and plant some 12,000 flowers and other plants to fill the landscaped grounds, the authority said.

Beginning this season, visitors to Boldt Castle can view period clothing displayed inside the Boldt family’s bedroom suites and kitchen. The clothing, from the permanent collection of the Jefferson County Historical Society in Watertown, is on loan to Boldt Castle.

Additionally, a free smart phone audio-guide app has been developed for 2018, according to the authority. “Through this app guests will be afforded a guided audio tour accompanied by imagery and even video. This feature will reveal new insights into the history of Boldt Castle, its creator and the ongoing efforts of the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority to preserve these historic properties,” according to the release.

Despite being reachable only by boat, the castle has welcomed more than 7 million visitors since it was first opened to the public in the 1970s. It will remain open daily for the season until Oct. 21.

Contact McChesney at cmcchesney@cnybj.com.

Photo credit: Thousand Islands Bridge Authority