Death Valley offers Scotty’s Castle tours on 10 October

Death Valley will offer guided exterior tours of Scotty’s Castle from 10 October 2026, giving visitors near Furnace Creek limited access to the historic grounds during restoration. The National Park Service announced the seasonal programme on 8 October, with tours led by park rangers and guides from the Death Valley Natural History Association.

The estate is in the northern part of the park, in Grapevine Canyon. Its restored access is limited to authorised tours, while the buildings and interiors remain closed as construction continues.

Scotty’s Castle exterior tours begin on 10 October

The National Park Service says guided exterior tours will run on most Saturdays and Sundays from 10 October 2026 through 17 April 2027. Private weekday tours for small groups are also available on request. The programme introduces the grounds and explains the continuing restoration work.

The seasonal access does not amount to a full reopening. Visitors can see the exterior setting with a guide, but the historic rooms and collections are not yet available. The park’s announcement places the next construction phase in 2027, including repairs to the parking area, the historic Longshed and the historic Gas Tank House. The latter is planned for adaptation as a small visitor contact station. The National Park Service tour announcement says the earliest anticipated full reopening is November 2028.

How restoration changed access to the desert estate

Scotty’s Castle is a 1920s Spanish Revival-style estate built by Chicago businessman Albert Johnson as a winter retreat for himself and his wife, Bessie. Its name comes from Johnson’s friend Walter Scott, known as Death Valley Scotty, whose stories helped make the property famous.

A flash flood in October 2015 damaged the buildings, roads, utilities and historic landscape. The National Park Service has since repaired critical infrastructure, but further work is needed before interior tours can return. That history gives the October 2026 programme a specific role: it opens a controlled view of the grounds without presenting the estate as fully restored. The reported restoration timeline also records that interior access remains a later stage of the project.

Visiting Death Valley: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The exterior tour programme begins on 10 October 2026 and runs through 17 April 2027, at Scotty’s Castle in northern Death Valley.
• The interiors remain closed, so visitors inside the window can access the grounds only through an authorised guided tour; private weekday tours are available for small groups on request.
• The estate is located in Grapevine Canyon in the northern part of Death Valley, rather than at Furnace Creek itself.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Death Valley

When do Scotty’s Castle tours take place at Death Valley?

Guided exterior tours begin on 10 October 2026 and are offered on most Saturdays and Sundays through 17 April 2027.

What has changed at Death Valley?

Scotty’s Castle grounds have limited guided access, while the interiors remain closed during restoration.

Where is Death Valley and how do you get there?

The park is in California, United States, and Scotty’s Castle is in Grapevine Canyon in its northern part, away from Furnace Creek.