Death Valley Ranch, commonly known as "Scotty's Castle," was built by Chicago millionaire Albert Johnson, not the gold prospector Walter Scott as popular myth suggests.

Scott, a former Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show performer, convinced Johnson to purchase 1,500 acres in Death Valley with false promises of a gold-rich mine. Despite being deceived, Johnson and his wife Bessie decided to build their dream winter retreat on the property in 1922.

The $1.4 million Spanish Colonial Revival mansion was completed in 1926. Johnson and Scott maintained the facade that Scott owned the property, serving both Johnson's desire for privacy and Scott's need for attention.

The 1929 stock market crash significantly impacted the project, leaving several planned structures unfinished. In 1933, the creation of Death Valley National Park revealed that the Johnsons' property was actually on government land due to an incorrect survey. They eventually purchased the land officially in 1935 for $1,900.

Claims of a secret gold mine beneath the castle, including a widely circulated 1931 Miami News story, were fabrications. The supposed mine entrance was actually a construction tunnel used to remove excavated soil.

After Albert Johnson's death in 1948, the property was left to the Gospel Foundation. Scott lived there until his death in 1954 and was buried overlooking the estate.

The National Park Service purchased the property in 1970 for $850,000. While currently closed due to flood damage and a fire, seasonal walking tours are available through March 23, 2025, with limited capacity of 20 participants per tour.

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