What remained were the stark, devastated outside walls that still brood on the edge of the cliff. The State of Missouri purchased the estate in 1978 and opened it to the public as a State Park. It comprises about 3,000 acres on the Niangua Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks, five miles southwest of Camdenton. The natural surroundings equal the impressiveness of the ruins. Huge caves have collapsed and created a large theater-like pit known as the colosseum.
Legend has it the colosseum was used for Indian tribal meetings.
One of the State's largest springs is located in the park and feeds into the Niangua Arm of the Lake. For those who have not yet seen the spring, castle and park, words fail to do it justice. Discovering it is something each visitor considers a personal and memorable experience.