Aerial survey · USDA NAIP · public domain27-room Craftsman castle built by occult-practicing dressmaker Amy Strong, where multiple staff have quit after frightening experiences
16302 North Woodson Drive, Ramona, CA 92065
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Tours by appointment. The castle primarily operates as a private event venue; contact for current tour availability and pricing.
Access
Limited Access
27-room adobe structure with multiple levels, stone floors, and exterior grounds. Not fully ADA-accessible.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1921 · National Register of Historic Places · American Craftsman Movement Architecture · San Diego Backcountry History · Early California Women Entrepreneurs
Irene Amy Strong was born in 1866 and became one of San Diego's most successful dressmakers and businesswomen by the early 20th century. She had spent years saving to realize a vision of a personal castle, and in 1909 she purchased the Woodson Ranch property in Ramona, at the foot of Mount Woodson in San Diego County's backcountry.
Construction began in 1916 under architects Emmor Brooke Weaver and John Terrell Vawter, adherents of the American Craftsman Movement. The structure's thick stone walls, flagstone floors, great room with a 16-foot ceiling, and extensive woodwork reflect Craftsman principles of hand-craftsmanship and integration with local materials. A dumbwaiter, intercom system, and gasoline engine-assisted windmill for water pumping were among the technical features Strong specified. The castle was completed in 1921.
Strong developed a sustained interest in spiritualism and the occult after settling at the property. She commissioned a room with hand-painted zodiac symbols on both the ceiling and the floor — a space understood by researchers as a dedicated ritual or contemplative space reflecting her beliefs. Former archaeologist Ron May documented that Strong selected each boulder used in construction with specific intention, suggesting the placement carried meaning beyond structural necessity.
Strong died in the 1930s. The property eventually came to operate as an event venue hosting weddings and private gatherings. In 2026, the castle received renewed press attention through a Times of San Diego feature documenting its history. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sources
When employees working the castle have been asked whether they believe the building is haunted, they have responded unanimously and without qualification — an account documented by Hidden San Diego. Staff interviews have noted that multiple workers have left their positions abruptly after frightening experiences, though the specific incidents have not been described in detail in public sources.
Two legends are consistently attached to the property. The first concerns Amy Strong herself: on stormy nights, the sound of a sewing machine running at full speed is said to be audible inside the castle — Strong's trade and identity made tangible after death. The second involves a construction laborer who lost a finger during the building process; his ghost is said to move through the castle's stone walls and passages, the sound of scratching marking his perpetual search for the missing digit.
Strong's documented interest in the occult — the zodiac room, the purposeful selection of stones — gives the property a foundation for its haunted reputation that pre-dates any individual incident. Researchers who have examined the site note the castle's unusual relationship between its builder and its materials, and archaeologist Ron May's documentation of Strong's belief-driven construction choices has been cited as context for why the building retains an atmosphere distinct from its Craftsman-era peers.
Notable Entities
Guided tours of the 27-room, 12,000-square-foot Craftsman castle completed in 1921 by dressmaker Irene Amy Strong. Highlights include the zodiac room with hand-painted symbols on ceiling and floor, the great room with its 16-foot ceiling, and the grounds Strong selected stone by stone. The castle is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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