Whether you’re interested in architecture or you simply love a good story, you’ll appreciate a visit to Scotty’s Castle in Death Valley. Scotty’s Castle is actually a Spanish Villa that was built in 1927 and owned by Albert Johnson. Frank Lloyd Wright designed this beautiful desert compound, and Albert and his wife enjoyed vacationing and spending time at their desert retreat for many years. You can take a living history tour of Scotty’s Castle that reveals the details of how the Villa came to be known as Scotty’s. Scotty was a benefactor of Albert Johnson’s who claimed to have financed the home with riches from a profitable gold mine he owned. In fact, there was no gold mine, and a Death Valley Scotty swindle is what brought Albert Johnson to the area in the first place.In addition to touring the house, visitors can also take a special underground tour of the basement and part of a tunnel system beneath Scotty’s Castle. This tour explores the impressive technology that was implemented in the construction of the desert compound.