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Rubel Castle

Historic building
In Glendora, California
1.0 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

Rubel Castle is a homemade fortress in Glendora, CA, about 1.1 miles off the old road. Michael Clarke Rubel began it as a teenager in 1959 on a former citrus property and kept building with friends until 1986, using concrete and whatever the changing neighborhood threw away. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is now in the care of the Glendora Historical Society.

What is Rubel Castle?

The castle stands on about 1.7 acres that once held an old reservoir and a packing house from a citrus orchard. Rubel treated that shell as a starting point. Walls, towers and rooms rose from concrete mixed with salvaged material: rocks, scrap steel, bottles, bedsprings, even coat hangers.

The place also goes by the names Rubelia and Rubel Pharms, a hint at the humor behind it. Chickens and other animals are often seen wandering the grounds, which adds to the farmyard-meets-fortress feel.

History of Rubel Castle

Rubel was born in 1940 and loved building forts as a child. In 1959, still a teenager, he bought the land from a citrus operation that had recently gone out of business. With a crew of friends he kept adding to the structure for close to three decades, finishing in 1986.

The timing mattered. The ranches and barns around Glendora were being cleared for tract houses, and much of what they left behind ended up in the castle walls. In that sense the building is a record of the area's shift from orchards to suburbs, the same change that reshaped many towns along Route 66 in Southern California. Rubel died in 2007, and the Glendora Historical Society now owns and operates the site.

Visiting Rubel Castle: tips

Because the castle is run by the historical society, contact the society about visiting before you go rather than turning up at the gate. Otherwise, admire it from the street and respect the private grounds. The site is not listed as wheelchair accessible.

South Hills, about 2.1 miles away, is a nearby green space, and the San Dimas Hotel, about 4.1 miles away, makes a good second stop for fans of old buildings.

Practical info

Address: 844 N Live Oak Ave, Glendora, CA 91741
Phone: +1 626-963-0419
Website: glendorahistory.org
Hours: We have no opening hours for this stop yet — check the official site.
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near Rubel Castle

All diners →

Diner & restaurant
Magic Lamp Inn
Rancho Cucamonga, CA · 13.4 mi from Rubel Castle
A 1950s Route 66 steakhouse whose Aladdin's-lamp neon sign burns a real gas flame after dark.
Diner & restaurant
Sycamore Inn
Rancho Cucamonga, CA · 13.6 mi from Rubel Castle
A steakhouse in a 1920 inn on Foothill Boulevard, on a site that fed travelers long before Route 66 existed.