Castle Farms

Castle Farms is one of Michigan's largest special events facilities, and it is located in Charlevoix, Michigan. It was constructed in 1918 by Albert Loeb, who was the Vice President of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and it was designed by Arthur Heun. Albert Loeb, in addition to being a wealthy businessman, was the father of murderer Richard Loeb a/k/a "Dickie", who with schoolmate Nathan "Babe" Leopold, committed the infamous Leopold and Loeb murder in Chicago.

Albert Loeb built Castle Farms as a model farm to showcase livestock in addition to new farm equipment that was sold by his company. In 1927, the farm was closed and the buildings rented for storage space until 1965. It was then turned into an art studio by John Van Haver. In 1969, it was sold to Arthur and Erwina Reibel and was mainly used for rock concerts. Some of the more notable acts include Metallica, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, and The Beach Boys. In 2001, Castle Farms was sold to current owner Linda Mueller who finished restoring it to its original condition by 2005. Today, it is open year round, and is primarily used for weddings and receptions. However, Castle Farms is also used for other various festivals and social events, such as the Charlevoix Renaissance Festival. In 2008, a model railroad was added that provides a scenic journey through Charlevoix's history.

It is claimed that the facility was in part an inspiration for some of the work of Earl Young, particularly his design of the nearby "The Weathervane Inn", but he never admitted it.