The History

The Castle was built between 1929 and 1932 by Chicago mobster and bookie John P. Welch to serve as a hideout and resting spot while traveling between Chicago and Florida. Being an avid gambler, Welch would often throw lavish (and illegal) gambling parties on the premises. To this purpose he was sure to include in the design of the building a hidden passageway that led to an underground mushroom cellar intended to hide “guests”. After Welch died in 1945 the Castle was sold and turned into a gourmet restaurant for a stint in the late 1940’s. During this period it played host to several big stars of the time, including Bob Hope, Spencer Tracy, and Betty Grable. Over the next 30 years the property served as a riding academy for a time and later as a residence until it was purchased in 1979 by the Nuyens family, a European bluegrass group. A few years later, in 1983, Jozef Nuyens founded Castle Recording Studios. Since then, more than 500 gold and platinum artists across all genres have recorded breakout albums here at the Castle.