Rubel Castle is a hand-built fortress of river rock, bottles, and salvaged scrap on North Live Oak Avenue in Glendora’s foothill neighborhood. Michael Clarke Rubel began building it in 1959 around an abandoned citrus-reservoir site, and today the Glendora Historical Society preserves it as a folk-art environment and historic district that draws offbeat explorers from across Southern California.
Rubel and a loose crew of friends spent decades stacking stone and cement into towers, battlements, and passageways, embedding them with discarded objects. Docent-led tours wind past a clock tower, vintage machinery, and the renovated citrus packing house of what Rubel called “Rubel Pharm.” The grounds also hold his personal collection of curios. Guides fill the walk with the stories of local legend and the community that built the place.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
The castle opens only for pre-scheduled guided tours, so you must reserve ahead through the Historical Society’s website because walk-ins aren’t admitted. According to Secret Los Angeles, tours run about two hours and cover steps, tunnels, gravel, and uneven ground. Wear sturdy shoes, and know that the site is not fully ADA accessible. Book spring or fall dates to avoid inland summer heat. After the tour, you can extend the history theme at the Glendora Museum, housed in the city’s original City Hall, jail, and firehouse. You can also grab a meal in Glendora Village on Glendora Avenue.
