SWANSEA — Want to dine with a dragon, eat like royalty in a castle, and drive go-karts on a track with real-life Mario Kart power-ups?
It’s about time you headed to Silver Stone Castle, which might be the most jaw-dropping destination in Massachusetts.
Silver Stone Castle is a massive, extravagantly designed fortress of fun, featuring a complex network of different amusement activities.
On one end, you’ve got a heated indoor pool and go-karts. If you head across the palatial courtyard, you’ll find the 300-seat restaurant that has a 40-foot dragon poking its head through the ceiling.
You’ll think you have the place mapped out. But then you’ll see the rock climbing wall. After that, you’ll probably spot a couple of doors that you haven’t walked through. No, it’s not a bathroom, it’s a doorway leading to a vibrant arcade with over 60 games.
It’s a similar situation on the second floor, where you’ll find a children’s jungle gym right next to the billiards room.
This place might just be the closest you’ll get to exploring a fantasy castle. Heck, I’d argue that the video game-style go-karts and nachos revealed from a barrel are actually pretty magical.
Silver Stone Castle in Swansea
Silver Stone Castle is not like other businesses that may be medieval-themed or have some castle-like decorations.
From the outside, the place doesn’t look like a building at all. Every inch of the facade is constructed to look like a stone castle.
That’s exactly the way owner Joe Estrela planned it.
“I didn’t want to just have a square metal building,” Estrela says. “I wanted to build something unique. There was a medieval theme, so I built a castle.”
Technically, this place is an entertainment complex. But Estrela doesn’t like hearing that word to describe his business. He just calls it the castle.
To be clear, Silver Stone Castle is more than just a building with a fancy facade. It’s loaded with different activities for families and visitors of all ages, including:
- A 300-seat restaurant
- Go-karts
- Rock climbing
- Arcade
- Indoor pool and splash pad
- Ballroom
- Private room with thrones
- Private bar for functions
- Billiards room
- Jungle gym room for kids
The decorations and atmosphere are extravagant throughout the entire castle. There’s the center courtyard with a lit-up tree that will spark memories of Rivendell from “The Lord of the Rings.”
Elsewhere, you’ll spot wall paintings from a local artist along with lines of swords and shields lining the walls. The restaurant is appointed with lush furnishings. At the bar, you’ll see LED screens simulating a fireplace.
Not only is there a two-level go-kart track. Races also feature power-ups that affect your race — just like in “Mario Kart.” Racers can drive over coins and blocks painted onto the track and see the effects on TV screens.
Then there are the dragons. In the bar area, you’ll look up and find Ashria, a good-hearted dragon who’s the castle’s mascot. In the pool area, you’ll see the head of Azeroth, a blue dragon who’s the villain in the castle’s lore.
Estrela has a backstory and lore for Silver Stone Castle laid out and is working on putting it all into a coloring book. It’s one of the many ways that Estrela has tried to go the extra mile to enhance the atmosphere.
“I wanted people to come in and look around and look at the decor and say, ‘Wow, they went all-out on this,’” Estrela says.
How to build a castle in Massachusetts
Estrela, a Swansea native, says he had opportunities to build in other towns. But he says he couldn’t take it upon himself to realize this dream anywhere but his hometown.
“I used to play Dungeons & Dragons. It’s been a while, but you never lose that passion,” Estrela says.
But it turns out that building a castle these days isn’t easy. Estrela spent the last five years finding out the hard way.
A self-described jack-of-all-trades, he did much of the castle interior work himself and spent hours upon hours scouring antique shops for decorations.
Estrela says he regularly put in 16- to 18-hour days and seven-day work weeks during construction. It was hard. But he was passionate about his vision.
“It was well worth it, I’ll tell you. It’s beautiful,” Estrela says. “I try to stay as humble as possible. But every time I look at this place, I get so pleased. It feels great to know that I did this. I was able to do what most people couldn’t dream of.”
What’s good on the menu?
The food menu, like much of the castle, strikes a balance between being a spectacle and being spectacular.
The restaurant is in a castle. So, of course, you’ve got to have a turkey leg.
There are even theme-appropriate “barrel nachos.” They come served in a cheesy tortilla tower, which is revealed when your server lifts an extravagant barrel from the plate.
But it’s not all novelty. The menu is legitimately good and is tied into the local food scene.
Silver Stone Castle is just a few minutes outside of Fall River, which has one of the largest Portuguese populations in the state.
Estrela, who is Portuguese, notes that the food lineup has a “little bit of a Portuguese accent to it.”
As a result, you’ll see many mainstream options like the “King’s Burger,” “Dragon Wings” and “Jester’s Salmon.” But you’ll also see specialties like the sangria, Portuguese bifana and the fantastic Portuguese steak served with rice and a fried egg on top.
What it’s like to visit Silver Stone Castle
The first thing you should know about Silver Stone Castle is that there’s no admission fee. It’s completely free to enter, walk around and enjoy the cool atmosphere.
It’s easy to do that because Silver Stone Castle is especially good at not feeling overcrowded.
The castle has a footprint of 87,000 square feet and uses that space really well. There are multiple floors and several wings to explore. As a result, it avoids getting that crush you find at amusement parks.
Estrela says that Silver Stone regularly has 1,200 guests present on weekends without it ever feeling crowded inside.
One touch that Estrela is especially proud of is the fact that the building is well-soundproofed. You can be in the main hall and not realize there’s a buzzing arcade next door.
More importantly, it means that guests can book a private ballroom for a wedding and not have to worry about the sound of screaming kids nearby.
Like many other parts of the castle, it’s a small touch. But those small touches are what make the place special.
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More info about Silver Stone Castle
Check them out: Website | Facebook | Instagram
What’s the address? — Silver Stone Castle is located at 358 US-6*, Swansea, Massachusetts, 02777. (Also referred to as GAR Highway and Grand Army of the Republic Highway).
What’s the parking situation? — Silver Stone Castle has a large, free parking lot.
Does it cost anything to enter? — Silver Stone Castle does not charge admission. It’s free to walk in and explore. Individual amusements are pay-as-you-go.
When are they open? — Here are the listed business hours at the time of writing.
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. – Midnight (Amusements close at 10 p.m., kitchen closes at 10:45 p.m.)
- Thursday: 11:30 a.m. – Midnight (Amusements close at 10 p.m., kitchen closes at 10:45 p.m.)
- Friday: 11:30 a.m. – Midnight (Amusements close at 10 p.m., kitchen closes at 10:45 p.m.)
- Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – Midnight (Amusements close at 10 p.m., kitchen closes at 10:45 p.m.)
- Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – Midnight (Amusements close at 9 p.m., kitchen closes at 8:45 p.m.)
Silver Stone Castle also provides extended hours during certain times of the year, particularly during school vacations. Check out their Facebook page for updates.
