Categories: U.S.A.

11 Majestic and Charming Fairy Tale Places in USA

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Discover The Fairy Tale Towns In USA TODAY!

When you imagine a charming fairy tale town, what comes to mind? A colorful village, sublime mountains, and no tale comes without its very own castle!

No matter your age or what culture you are, how exhilarating would it be to resurrect the sense of wonder and magic from your childhood, even if only for a few days?

Well, you don’t have to cross the ocean because there are numerous picture-perfect places in the U.S. to feed your childhood fantasies. We have found many beautiful fairy tale towns in USA, ready for you to explore. And they’re all set in landscapes that seem out of this world.

Nature isn’t the only beautiful thing you’ll find at our first location…..

Photo by Bram Reusen at Shutterstock

RODANTHE, NORTH CAROLINA

On our list of fairy tale towns in USA, you will find a few places worth noting in North Carolina.

From the big houses to the beautiful beaches, there are lots to see in this state. Richard Gere or Diane Lane may come to mind when thinking about this community in Dare County.

But the Nicholas Sparks adaption did not fully present the landmarks and activities on the outer banks. It still has lots of undeveloped beauty due to the protection of The National Wildlife Refuge (there are over 250 different types of birds you can look for here).

And it also has those majestic-looking houses right on the water, making you feel like you’re in a storybook.

Our next location might seem like medieval Britain, but it’s a bit closer to home…..

Photo by JeniFoto at Shutterstock

BOLDT CASTLE, NEW YORK

Located near Alexandria Bay, NY, on Heart Island, you will find a castle right out of a fairy tale that unfortunately did not close in a happy ending. To express his love for his wife, George Boldt wanted to build her a castle.

But at her untimely death in 1904, before the project can be complete, he was so distraught that he halted construction on the site, and that left the castle in ruins for years.

In 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority bought the charming fairy tale town for one dollar under the agreement that all earnings from the castle would go to restoring it.

Today, you may visit the island by ferry or tour boat and explore the isle for a fee. Being such a majestic place, many choose it as a wedding destination yearly.

Forests are not always made of trees. What’s next on our list of fairy tale towns in USA?…

Photo by sang woon at Shutterstock

BAMBOO FOREST, HAWAII

Imagine hiking around streams and waterfalls in a bamboo forest. That’s what makes this charming fairy tale town a tropical paradise.

This is one of those fairy tale towns in USA that has a zen-like atmosphere when you’re walking the wooden deck path and surround yourself with 39-foot bamboo stalks where at points on the route, the stalks form an arch above the walkway so that you cannot even see the sky.

Enthralling is that in the middle of these woods, there are four waterfalls that go crashing down into little pools you can swim in.

While getting to the bamboo Forrest can be a challenge because there are over 600 curves in the road and 54 one-lane bridges, the scenery would surely make the 3-hour drive worth it!

It may have the word ‘dismal’ in its name, it’s anything but…..

Photo by Ryan McGurl at Shutterstock

THE GREAT DISMAL SWAMP, NORTH CAROLINA

This name alone of this charming fairy tale town makes it sound like you may be going through a different realm. It has been uncovered that people have lived in this Virginia/North Carolina area for over 13,000 years.

And based on my own imagination, you may come face to face with the “swamp thing” going through here.

Nevertheless, the unique area has been declared a National Natural Landmark in 1973 because of its fascinating ecological and geological qualities and is estimated at over 1 million acres.

While the swamp serves as a home to many mammals, including bears and bobcats, it is considered a great sightseeing and fishing area.

Next, we can assure you you’ve never seen gardens quite like this before…..

Photo by Kobby Dagan at Shutterstock

BELLAGIO CONSERVATORY & BOTANICAL GARDENS, LAS VEGAS

The Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is located in Las Vegas, N.V. While you may associate this charming fairy tale town with the elegant fountain in front of the resort, the gardens are not to be missed.

Just because it is manmade does not mean it isn’t a magical wonder. While being committed to celebrating mother nature, their engineers and horticulture teams, including over 140 people, change each season’s displays.

What doesn’t change, however, is the magnificence arrangements of the plants. Why do we feel like this place deserves to be on our list of fairy tale towns in USA?

Their showcase includes colorful sights and sounds. And you will see over 10,00 plants, 40 trees, and 1,500 shrubs in each exhibit.

Hansel and Gretel should probably avoid this place, you shouldn’t…..

 

Photo by Doug Kerr at Flickr

SANTARELLA GINGERBREAD HOUSE, MASSACHUSETTS

Sitting in a relaxing and picturesque valley in the Berkshires, the name itself of this charming fairy tale town makes you know that you are about to enter a prime example of fairy tale towns in USA .

Known as the Tyringham Gingerbread House, it actually has three houses that you can book and stay in. Because of its magical setting, many choose to come here for a weekend getaway.

It even has a honeymoon silo you can stay in if you want an extended stay after your wedding here. Its charm comes from the stained-glass windows, steepled roofs, the lily pond, and the location also has a winding stream in the gardens.

Like our previous forest, castles aren’t always made from stone…..

Photo by Linda Rawson at Shutterstock

MIDWAY ICE CASTLES, UTAH

What do you do in the winter when your kids are trapped inside? Build them ice castles, obviously! At least that’s what co-founder Brent Christensen did anyway.

He is the lead architect that designs these castles every year in Heber Valley and came up with the concept when he and his family moved from California to Utah. The castles were such a hit in this charming fairy tale town that they became an attraction for people all over America.

This fairy tale castle weighs more than 25 million pounds when finished, and it takes a team of 20-40 ice artisans to help Christensen build the castles by making manmade icicles. Once the castles are created, you will see them light up from the LED lights inside of them.

When the winter season is over, they are intentionally moved near natural water sources to defrost the ice back into nature.

This next location looks like it should be a stately home in England…..

Photo by Konstantin L at Shutterstock

THE BILTMORE ESTATE, NORTH CAROLINA

Built by the well-known Vanderbilt family in 1895, this estate in one of the most charming fairy tale towns gives the impression that you’re living in the “Gilded Age” like no other place in America would. It has acres of spectacular gardens, with a glass-ceilinged Conservatory.

Even the house itself gives the impression that the Vanderbilts and their visitors are still at home with its original furniture and artwork on the walls.

And when you step outside, besides having miles of hiking, kayaking, and bird watching, you would enjoy seeing the “Stickwork” by Patrick Dougherty and enjoying some wine tasting at the estate’s winery.

From farm visits to carriage rides, the whole experience makes you feel like you have stepped into a different time.

Our next place is one of those locations that manage to be wild and calm at the same time…..

Photo by aarbois at Shutterstock

GLACIER BAY, ALASKA

The words wild and resilient come to mind when describing this national park on the Gulf of Alaska. The sparkling waters, incredible glaciers, and snow-capped mountains take you to a remote wilderness you are not likely to find anywhere else.

In this charming fairy tale town is the largest UNESCO-protected biosphere, and in 1992 they included this area as a World Heritage site. Glaciers cover 27% of the park.

With many lagoons, islands, inlets, and channels, this makes the area famous as a cruise ship destination during the summer season. And you will want to benefit from the low tide at Bartlett Cove to see many fascinating sea creatures.

You’ll marble at the beauty of the next fairytale location…..

Photo by Felix Lipov at Shutterstock

THE NEWPORT MANSIONS, RHODE ISLAND

With names like The Marble House, Rosecliff, The Elms, and Chateau-sur-Mer, these mansions in Portsmouth take you back to a time of wealthy American socialites and aristocrats.

With 11 to choose from, you enter America’s architectural and social evolution from the Colonial era through the Gilded Age.

Walking through the Green Animals Topiary Garden will make you feel like you are going through a real fairy tale while you picnic next to a green giraffe.

Stroll along the cliffs and say hello to some of the Greek gods and goddesses at The Elms. Stop by the Chinese Tea House, and you feel like you’ve traveled to a different time and place.

Even the Preservation Society’s location looks like it was taken from a children’s book.

What the locals say about this last charming fairy tale town is absolutely true…..

Photo by thanasarn at shutterstock

ASPEN, COLORADO

In a secluded area in the Rocky Mountains running along the Roaring Fork River, what started as a mining camp turned into this charming fairy tale town due to the abundance of its trees.

Though it became popular through the ski slopes, which are famous through celebrities, Aspen can be extraordinary in all seasons.

The locals even joke that “everyone comes for the winter but stays for the summer.” This territory is full of unspoiled natural land that extends beyond the slopes.

So even though it is a legendary resort mountain town, it still retains its small-town charm, making you feel like you are in the Victorian era.

Which of these fairy tale towns in USA will you be visiting first? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section. A nd if you want to see more stories like this, check out: 48 Charming Small Towns You Haven’t Heard of (But Should Visit ASAP)

View Comments

    • I too have been to a few of these places and plan to add a few more to them. Aspen is is heavenly.

  • This list kinda sucked AND it was laid out in that super annoying cheesy click bait’click each page to see each one’ style. There are sooo many beautiful places for all travelers and adventurers around the World to highly consider visiting in America- Cochise County AZ desert and mountains, Key West FL, Hilton Head and Charleston SC, coastal Maine, Minnesota Lake Country, South Dakota mountains near Rushmore, Lake country of Eastern WA and Northern Idaho, San Juan Islands and Olympic peninsula WA State, the river gorges of Wisconsin, Upper peninsula Michigan, Big Bear and the high desert in the Inland Empire, Northern New Mexico mountain ranges, Yellowstone WY, Mountains rivers and forests of West Virginia, Malibu Laguna La Jolla, Oregon coast and high deserts, Columbia River gorge, etc, etc

  • With the exception of Glacier Bay and Aspen, I can name ten places in the Sierra Nevada alone that dwarf the other sites/views mentioned on that list. The finest works of man pale in comparison to the average works of nature.

    • 100% agreed! I went on an 8,000 mile solo road trip 4 yrs ago, completely unplanned and with NO schedule. I concluded that if others could see what i saw just in the incredible green rolling hills as far as you can see, and majestic cliffs and winding rivers, etc... And if others could meet strangers as i did here and there... those people would be changed and their hearts would swell in gratitude and thanksgiving at being alive and able to take in such astounding sights and to meet such regular, real, and often loving people. God is good!

  • You missed the place that is "out of this world". Rock Island, WI. It's a full day trip if you're staying further down on the Door Co Peninsula. First you take a car ferry to Washington Island and then a foot ferry to Rock Island. Go on a warm, cloudless day and when you're there you feel that you're at the TOP OF THE WORLD. The blue sky and the blue water seem to be one. It is TRULY AMAZING.

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