Henderson Castle

With its curved brick walls, slate-covered towers and shimmering stained-glass windows, this 114-year-old Kalamazoo landmark might seem more at home in the English countryside than a Michigan college town.

Local businessman Frank Henderson paid all of $72,000 to build his fantasy home — 25 rooms, seven baths, a third-floor ballroom, and white marble and oak accents — yet spent just four years enjoying his palace before his death in 1899. One century and nine owners later, the restored castle now plays host to chic meetings, intimate dinners, elegant receptions and banquets, and any number of Victorian-era theme parties for groups of up to 125. hendersoncastle.com

Photo by Dave S. Livingstone