Henderson Castle B&B, Restaurant & Spa

Built in 1895, is a large privately owned home located on the steep West Main Hill overlooking downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. The castle has been recently renovated and is under new ownership since 2005. The building is open to the public and has been since the new ownership.

The history of the home began with Frank Henderson. Mr. Henderson was one of early Kalamazoo’s most successful businessmen. He was the owner and president of Henderson-Ames Company. Henderson-Ames made uniform regalia for secret societies, fraternal organizations, and the military. Mr. Henderson’s wife, Mary, had inherited a plot of undeveloped land on the western edge of Kalamazoo before the company's large success and Mr. Henderson dreamt of a grand suburb on this land. Allowing that dream to come to fruition, in 1888, he enlisted the help of surveyors, engineers, and landscape architects to plot the land and create Kalamazoo’s first "natural site plan". In 1890, Mr. Henderson was ready to build his home in his new residential district.

The Queen Anne style house was designed by C. A. Gombert of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The $72,000 building costs included seven baths (one with a thirteen-head shower), an elevator, a third-floor ballroom, and a hot tub on the roof (added later). The castle’s exterior was constructed of Lake Superior sandstone and brick, and the interior wood included mahogany, bird's eye maple, quartered oak, birch, and American sycamore. The castle was built with 25 rooms in all and exemplified the most expensive tastes of the time.

The Henderson's had a grand housewarming party in 1895 at the completion of the castle's construction. Mr. Henderson died in 1899, however, his wife remained at the castle until 1908.

After Mrs. Henderson moved away, nine parties have owned Henderson Castle. Charles B. Wing, the Vice-President of Bryant Paper Company, and Bertrand Hopper, President and Treasurer of Kalamazoo Stationary Company were just two owners. In the 1920s, Hopper converted the brick stable on the property to a four car garage; it has since been transformed into a separate residence. After being vacant for several years, William Stuifbergen purchased the house in 1945, and divided it into several apartments. He and his family resided in one of the units. In 1957 the house was purchased as the future site for theKalamazoo Art Center, but when the Institute of Arts remained downtown Kalamazoo, the castle became the property of the renowned liberal arts school, Kalamazoo College, where the campus lies just a block to the north of the castle's grounds.

In 1975 Dr. Jess Walker bought the house and began a restoration process that continued under Frederick Royce, who purchased the property in 1981. He then was a guest star on House Hunters International, and sold the castle and moved to Buenos Aries, Argentina in 2005.

Celebrate the most important day of your life at the Henderson Castle! Indulge yourself and your guests in the luxury and opulence you deserve. Proprietor, Chef François Moyet, will help you plan your perfect day. Set up an appointment to discuss all your needs, requests, and expectations to fulfill all of your dreams

We can host parties up to 125 people as an outdoor event with a beautiful white tent set up in the garden. Your guests’ experience will start as soon as they park their car just a few blocks away. They will be shuttled from the parking area to the Henderson Castle by a horse-drawn carriage, arriving at the Castle like Royalty. This will be a wedding unique to the area that both you and your guests will remember for the rest of your lives.

Inside parties are limited to 75 people on the main floor and to 49 people in the banquet room upstairs. 

Cakes by Kristina

Kristina has 30 plus year experience in making these works of art. For any occasion,  from weddings to anniversaries and everything in between, Kristina can make a master piece with any flavor and filling. With a range of simple and elegant to creative and outrageous, Kristina can make your dream cake stand out and make your special event that much more memorable.

For a free cake consultation and pricing for your dream cake, give us a call here at the Castle 269-344-1827 and let us help you put the finishing touches of that special event.