Bishop Castle in Colorado is an iconic place that's started out as a one-room stone cottage. Take a look inside the magical Bishop Castle in Colorado.

Jim Bishop bought 150 acres in the San Isabel National Forest in 1959 when he was 15-years-old. Jim and his dad 10 years camping on the land to figure out exactly where they wanted to build the cabin, according to Bishop Castle's website.

What started out as a one-room stone cottage, turned into Bishop Castle. Jim Bishop hauled rocks from highway ditches, hand-dug holes up to 12 feet deep, and made pulleys to hoist things to build his very own castle.

The King of the Castle, Jim Bishop, never charges anyone to enter the castle. He's put a donation box out and the castle will always remain free as long as it stands, according to Bishop Castle's  website:

This belief in America being a free county made up of free persons has fueled his passions in building the castle to represent the American Dream in an undeniably tangible and awe-inspiring form.

Although the lack of an admission fee does create some challenges for Jim, such as not being able to build an elevator, he'll never charge people and the castle will always stay open 24/7.

He hated not being able to go to places like the zoo because of the admission fee as a kid, according to Bishop Castle's website, which is why he doesn't charge anything.

Bishop Castle has a nonprofit, the Bishop Castle Non-Profit Charitable Foundation for New-Born Heart Surgery, since 1984, thanks to Jim's wife.

Take a look inside of Colorado's Bishop Castle and see the beautiful stained glass windows and hand-placed stones.

Take a Look Inside of Colorado's Magical Bishop Castle

Bishop Castle in Colorado is an iconic place that's started out as a one-room stone cottage in 1969. Take a look inside the magical Bishop Castle in Colorado.

LOOK: Full List of the Best Places to Live in Colorado

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Colorado using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

More From Retro 102.5