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Beginning February 1st, tour fees at Death Valley NP's Scotty's Castle will increase for most visitors, although the price will decrease for those holding the Interagency Senior Pass. In addition, beginning January 29th, the Castle will be open for extended hours: Visitor Center opens 8:45am - 5:30pm. House tours, first one at 9am, last one begins at 5pm. Grounds close at 6pm. This will be effective until April 21. The new fee structure is as follows:
Scotty's Castle is a historic house museum located in the northern part of Today, the Castle contains thousands of objects that date from the period of time of Albert and Bessie Johnson's ownership (1920s through early 1940s). Some of the furniture and artwork were purchased in Tours of Scotty's Castle began in 1936, under the direction of Bessie Johnson. At that time, tour tickets cost $1.10 per person. The National Park Service continued charging for tours after it acquired the historic property in 1970. In recent years, ticket revenue has not been sufficient to cover the cost of the living history operations at Scotty's Castle and the shortfall has been covered from Tour fees were last raised in 2005. Expenses have increased since then due to inflation and new costs, such as the contract fees for the online reservation system. Tour revenue is used to pay for equipment, interpretive park rangers, park guides, and volunteers doing the living history programs or directly supporting these programs. The new fee changes include changing the fee structure to comply with national standards. Advanced ticket purchases can be made at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. On the day of the tour, tickets are available only at the Scotty's |
Last updated: February 28, 2015