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On your adventures through the Sierra Foothills, you may spot what looks like a castle in the distance by Ione (

). In its heyday, this was the administration building for the Preston School of Industry, one of the oldest and best-known reform schools in the country. Construction began on the building in 1890, and the first wards arrived in 1894 from San Quentin State Prison. The aim of the school was rehabilitation rather than incarceration; in order words, to teach the wards skills and a trade so that upon release they could find employment, support themselves, and become contributing members of society. The School ultimately encompassed 1000 acres with 50 buildings and 800 wards. Life at the School was not easy, and reports of paranormal activity abound today. Preston Castle remained occupied and in operation until 1960, after which it fell into serious disrepair. Thanks to the efforts of The Preston Castle Foundation, the building, and its history, is being preserved and restored.

The facade of Preston Castle is very imposing. The bricks were made at San Quentin and Folsom prisons using local sandstone, then transported back to Ione at 6000 bricks to a railcar.

The grounds are idyllic now, but reminders of its past are everywhere...

The Plunge Pool was not intended for pleasure. New wards were put through an intake process upon arrival. This included a trip through the plunge pool, entering the room at one end and exiting the other. The pool held a chemical solution to treat the boys for lice and communicable diseases.

Preston Castle has been featured on the silver screen as well as on TV:

APPARITION Trailer (2020)

When Liz (Mackenzie Firgens) returns home on a college break, her best friend Ashley (Heather Tocquigny) coaxes her out for a rendezvous with ex-boyfriend Da...

A Haunting at Preston Castle (Trailer)

A housekeeper bludgeoned to death. Boys shot while trying to escape. This place has had its share of grisly history. We follow on a ghost investigation of th...

The Haunted Bay : (Ep. 2)-Preston Castle

At Preston Castle, Zak becomes possessed by a murderer.

Preston Castle - Ione, California

Public tours are available on Saturdays, April-August. Nighttime paranormal investigation tours are also very popular, as is the Preston Castle Haunt which takes place each October. For tickets and more information please contact the 

Preston Castle was constructed in 1894 as the administration building for the Preston School of Industry, a reform school for boys. The Romanesque Revival style of architecture was to make the building look like a school rather than a prison. The Castle opened in June 1894 and remained in use until 1960.

Home - Preston Castle Foundation

Come stay in a secluded, custom-built, luxury log cabin nestled in the woods. Located on five acres in the heart of California Gold Country, Gold Creek Cabin is only a 2-hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area and just over an hour from Sacramento. Avoid the I-80 corridor and take the road less travelled.

Gold Creek Cabin - Volcano

Preston Castle

900 Palm Drive, Ione

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Secluded and Stunning Custom-Built Luxury Log Cabin in the Gold Country w/EV Charger - Sleeps 12

Gold Creek Cabin

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We were both born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, and we still live here, close to family.  We love spending time in the outdoors, often exploring the many hiking trails in the East Bay or the abundant and accessible history of the Sierra Nevada Gold Country.

Preston Castle

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