The Castle In The Park Holds Portland’s Charming History

Tucked in the corner of the entrance to Deering Oaks Park in Portland is a building on 500 square feet of land that was built in 1894 and is fondly called the "Castle in the Park."

The Castle in the Park in 1900

Over 130 years ago, this unique building was constructed as a warming hut for ice skaters on the frozen Deering Oaks pond. It was built to look like a castle, despite its small footprint.

According to Friends of Deering Oaks, architect Frederick Thompson designed the Castle building in 1894 with a large fireplace to allow people to warm up before they get back on the ice. Almost all of the building supplies were donated, with a cost of just $900. Taking inflation into consideration, it would cost $373,077 today to build.

The Castle in the Park Today

Friends of Deering Oaks made some major renovations to the Castle in the Park to ensure it would around for years to come. The City of Portland pushed to get businesses into the building, and they had a few, including a cafe called Queenie's Castle and Tiqa Mediterranean Cafe occupied the space for a short time, closing it in 2020.

READ MORE: South Freeport, Maine's 'Castle' Tower Holds a Magical Place in the Local Imagination

Beautiful During the Holidays

The above photo was shared on Facebook by Friends of Deering Oaks, and it looks like a perfect Christmas card.

In 2023, the ground didn't freeze, keeping workers with heavy equipment unable to put more lights up in the park because of possible damage to turf and tree roots.

Today, the Castle in the Park remains vacant, but regardless, it's a piece of Portland's history that still stands as it was over a century ago.