Hartman Castle in Birmingham, AL: Review

If you’ve ever wanted to spend a night in a castle, but didn’t want to travel all the way to Europe, then you’re in luck! There’s a lakeside castle just outside of Birmingham, Alabama that you can rent out. Learn all about staying at Hartman Castle on Logan Martin Lake.

Hartman Castle is a getaway that’s got room for plenty of people, so I grabbed a few of my friends and spent a few nights exploring this unique Alabama accommodation!

In this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about staying at Hartman Castle, including the home’s history, things to do on the property, and how to book.

A special thanks to Hartman Castle for hosting us for a few days! As always, all opinions are my own.

Hartman Castle Review

Hartman Castle is an incredible lakeside retreat that’s made for hosting large groups. The massive complex can sleep up to 24 people (though I was told it comfortably sleeps up to 16), has a mini golf course, an arcade room, and a 2-story party deck over the lake.

You’re not going to find anything else like it in the state.

Check Prices and Availability!

The Castle History

The castle was the passion project of Donald Hartman, a local teacher and author. Hartman and his wife built the castle as a vacation home, with all of the woodwork and elaborate designs hand-carved by Hartman himself (and there are over 1,000 pieces of wood in the turret alone!). They used old lumber, repurposed materials, and decor that the couple picked up on their travels in Japan, England, Italy, and France.

The Hartmans built the castle over 3 decades and across a few different building additions. That’s what gives the castle it’s unique layout.

When Hartman passed away in 2022, the home went up for auction. It was damaged by mold and leaks and was being sold as a tear-down. But when local real estate agent Blake Shultz saw the home, he saw great potential in bringing it back to its former glory, with a bit of an upgrade, of course.

After about a year of work, Shultz had the castle ready for guests. He salvaged what they could, revitalized where needed, and tried to keep Hartman’s vision alive in the refurbished castle. There’s even a little “museum” area dedicated to the history of Hartman Castle.

Inside the Castle

When you arrive at Hartman Castle, you’ll park right next to the pickleball court. You’ll have to walk down a gravel slope to reach the drawbridge that lets you into the castle.

The outside of the castle is very storybook and Disney-esque, with bright blues and purples and fanciful turrets. But when you step across the drawbridge and inside the home, you’ll instantly feel like you’re in a Medieval European castle.

This first room is the “museum” dedicated to Donald Hartman, the history of the castle, Hartman’s writings, and a small office area.

Down the stairs is the first sleeping space (there aren’t a lot of designated rooms, but rather sleeping areas) with a king-sized bed, a half-bath, a piano, and a seating area. There’s also a space beneath the stairs that seems like it used to be a sauna in the old castle.

Down another flight of stairs in this room are a couple dungeon-like sleeping areas: at the bottom of the stairs are two full-sized beds stacked on each other in an alcove, and through a door is a bedroom with a queen-sized bed.

All of that comprises what is essentially the first building. It’s connected to the second building via a hallway.

Across the hallway, you’ll enter a seating area with 2 pull-out couches. Past that is the primary bedroom with a king-sized bed, a full bath with a rain shower and a clawfoot tub, and a balcony looking out to the lake.

Down the stairs from the seating area, you’ll be able to access two living rooms. One living room is modern with a pull-out couch and a TV, and opens to the kitchen. The other living room is more castle-like, with an antique fireplace and royal seating, and opens to the dining room with a banquet table and royal seating. The dining room and kitchen are connected through a door. Sliding glass doors in the kitchen lead to a balcony that connects to the castle courtyard.

If you go down yet another flight of stairs from the dining room, you’ll find a wine cellar that has been converted into a bedroom with a set of bunk beds and a child-sized bed. There’s also the arcade room with a couple classic arcade games and a poker table, plus a full bath with a combination shower/tub, as well as a laundry room. Doors lead out into the castle courtyard.

This all comprises the second building. But there’s more to discover! Out in the courtyard, there’s a gas grill, a fountain, and a dining table. You’ll also find pool floats and everything you need for mini golf and pickleball under the stairs.

Taking the doors into the next building brings you into a dining room with a long table and a huge fireplace. There’s a full bath with a combination shower/tub and a sunroom with a ping-pong table and picture windows looking out toward the lake.

Down the stairs, you’ll find a sleeping nook with a full-sized bed and another fireplace. Going out the doors takes you to a large deck overlooking the lake. This is also where you’ll access the mini-golf course, complete with a knight in armor.

But we’re still not done!

Outside the main castle complex is yet another building. This adorable purple building is known as the library. The bottom floor contains a queen-sized bed, and the top floor contains a queen-sized bed plus a loveseat.

Down by the lake, you’ll find a firepit and the double-decker party deck.

Whew! I think I covered it all.

Staying at the Castle

So there’s obviously a lot to Hartman Castle! We spent hours just exploring the nooks and crannies.

The location is pretty remote, and it’s a long drive to get to any activities that aren’t just the lake. So the castle is pretty much a destination in itself. But luckily, they’ve given you a lot to do!

There’s the 9-hole mini-golf course, arcade games, a poker table, a ping-pong table, party decks, a pickleball course, board games, TVs, books, and floats for you to use on the lake.

This is also a great place for cosplay. We brought princess dresses and costumes and spent a whole day doing a photoshoot. There are a lot of picturesque spots around the castle.

We didn’t have a ton of people (definitely not 24!), so our group mostly stayed to the first two buildings. The sleeping arrangements worked out well for us, but we could see how the lack of defined bedrooms and no defined personal space might be an issue for larger groups.

This is definitely a stay that’s made for a relaxing weekend. We played putt-putt, took pictures, floated in the lake, and sat around chatting and playing games. It’s definitely a good time!

Check Prices and Availability!

Benefits of Staying at Hartman Castle

Hartman Castle is the ultimate group getaway! You can fit a big group here with all the beds and seating. All the couches are L-shaped for optimal seating and all the dining tables have a ton of chairs.

There’s a lot to do at the castle so you don’t even have to leave. That makes it perfect for a family get-together or even something like a bachelorette party.

Plus, you’re right on the lake, so it’s scenic and beautiful! It’s such a great retreat.

The castle itself is a work of art and is incredible to behold. They put so much detail into the home, and I love that the castle’s history is preserved. You’re definitely not going to find anything else like it in Alabama.

Check Prices and Availability!

What I didn’t love

The haphazard sleeping spaces if fun and eccentric, but if you want privacy, there are very few bedrooms for you to actually get that. And with a larger group, you’re going to have even less. So just go into your castle weekend knowing that.

Only 3.5 baths is pretty low for sleeping up to 24 people. And they’re not exactly in the most convenient spaces. You pretty much have to go up or down stairs, or even to a different building, to access a bathroom. It’s a bit of nuisance with just a small group, but I could see it being a much bigger issue with a larger group.

The kitchen also seemed a little small for bigger groups. I can’t imagine trying to feed 24 people (or even 16) from that kitchen or the standard-sized grill!

Most of these issues are really due to the odd layout of the house, which is also part of its charm. So it’s not so much that they need to be fixed, but more that I would recommend this for a smaller group, maybe like 10 people max.

Good to Know

• There is free Wi-Fi
• The castle is not handicap accessible
• The castle may not be suitable for small children with its plethora of staircases, concrete furnishings, and sloping landscape

My Experience at Hartman Castle

Overall, we had a really fun time staying at Hartman Castle!

Y’all know I’m a castle girly, so I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to stay at an Alabama castle. It’s such a unique place, and I truly did love the odd layout and hidden spaces. It felt like a Medieval castle where that’s been added onto over time.

We had a lot of fun doing our castle photoshoot, playing putt-putt in our princess dresses, and swimming in the lake.

I definitely want to stay again, and I think it could be a really fun girls’ trip!

Who Should Stay at Hartman Castle

Hartman Castle is perfect for groups. I’d recommend it for a group of 10 max, even though it can sleep more, just because the eccentric layout makes the spaces a little cramped, and you don’t get a lot of privacy at bedtime.

This is definitely a great place for a girls’ trip. My friends and I had so much fun dressing up in princess dresses and feeling like royalty around the castle!

It’s definitely a great place for any sort of reunion. It’s good for families (maybe with older children, though, because there are a lot of stairs), bachelorette parties, bachelor parties, or a birthday getaway at the lake.

Check Prices and Availability!

Castle Count: 41

More Alabama Itineraries

Explore more of Alabama with these top posts:

• Vulcan, the Iron Man Statue in Birmingham, AL
• Visiting Quinlan Castle in Birmingham, AL
• 8 Fun Things to Do in Montgomery, AL
• The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Huntsville, AL
• 9 Free Things to Do in Decatur, AL
• 15 Fun Things to Do in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, AL
• 7 Best Things to Do in Florence, AL
• 8 Fun Things to Do in Muscle Shoals for Music-Lovers

Cheers!

Paige

Would you stay at Hartman Castle near Birmingham, Alabama? Let me know what you think of this unique castle stay in the comments!