Glendora in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Rubel Castle
Historic District
1. Rubel Castle Marker
Built by Michael Clarke Rubel and hundreds of volunteers, 1968 to 1986, from local river rock and salvaged materials.
This property has been listed in The National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior in 2013.
Erected 2013 by Glendora Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Forts and Castles.
Location. 34° 9.013′ N, 117° 51.291′ W. Marker is in Glendora, California, in Los Angeles County. It is at the intersection of North Live Oak Avenue and East Palm Drive, on the right when traveling north on North Live Oak Avenue. The Castle is only open during pre-arranged tours with the Glendora Historical Society. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 844 N Live Oak Avenue, Glendora CA 91741, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles and in the Transverse Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Glendora Bougainvillea (approx. 0.8 miles away); Glendora City Hall (approx. 0.9 miles away); Pacific Electric Station (approx. 1.1 miles away); Mission Theater Building (approx. 1.1 miles away); Rain Bird Impact Drive Sprinkler Head
this page online
Regarding Rubel Castle. Michael Clarke Rubel (April 16, 1940 - October 15, 2007) purchased a 2½ acre citrus orchard in 1959 and took up residence in the packing house. His parents soon moved in and had weekly parties, so in 1968 Rubel began building his own place in the reservoir, starting with a small bottle house. The castle was built using concrete, steel, and rocks, along with just about any item donated, including a motorcycle, toaster, tires, and wine bottles. The project lasted nearly twenty years. The castle has a clock tower, bell tower, machine shop, courtyard, five apartments, and a bottle house. Nearby are a packing house, rock barn, carport, tool shed, tree house, water tower, windmill, caboose, and a cemetery with markers but no graves. In 2005, Rubel donated the castle to the Glendora Historical Society. Their website has tour information.
Also see . . .
1. Castle Tours. Glendora
2. Rubel Castle Marker and Gate
2. Glendora Castle Visiting. In this half-hour video produced for local PBS television stations, Huell Howser visits with Michael Rubel and his castle in 1990, and re-visits the castle in 2016. (Submitted on July 7, 2018.)
3. Rubel Castle
Built inside an abandoned reservoir, using river rock from the nearby San Gabriel River.
4. The Portcullis, or Castle Gate.
5. Rubel Castle
6. Party Room
Inside a former citrus packing house. Refrigerator rooms were used as bedrooms during castle construction.
7. Santa Fe Caboose
8. Carport
9. Bottle House
courtesy Glendora Historical Society, 2024
10. Freeway Sign
Credits. This page was last revised on March 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 7, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 977 times since then and 53 times this year. Last updated on September 7, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on July 7, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 10. submitted on November 6, 2024, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
