Chateau Miranda
Location: Celles, Belgium
Year: 1866
Cost: $500,000*
During the French Revolution, the Liederkerke-de Beauforts, a wealthy European family, were compelled to leave their residence in Veves Castle, France. The family decided it wanted to live in grandeur again, so they engaged Edward Milner to build Chateau Miranda. The stone neo-Gothic castle was finished in 1866. The castle was occupied until WWII, when German forces devastated Belgium. A short portion of the Battle of the Bulge was fought on the castle grounds. During that time, the Nazis occupied Chateau Miranda. After they were vanquished, the National Railway Company of Belgium purchased the property and used it as a holiday resort for sick children until the 1970s.
Chateau Miranda
Nara Dreamland
Location: Nara, Japan
Year: 1961
Cost: $5.95 million*
Kunizo Matsuo was inspired to create Nara Dreamland after seeing Disneyland in America. Matsuo, a wealthy businessman, was impressed. He met with Walt Disney to talk about bringing Disney to Japan. The conversations began well, but Disney and Matsuo disagreed, and the proposal was abandoned. Instead, Nara Dreamland was established. It was mainly inspired by California’s Disneyland. It featured a Sleeping Beauty Castle, Main Street USA, Train Depot, and Matterhorn Mountain, among other popular Disney-inspired structures. Nara Dreamland ran for forty-five years before closing in 2006 owing to low attendance. It was abandoned after it closed.
Nara Dreamland
