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Perhaps the greatest man-made beauty sits high on a bluff overlooking Ha Ha Tonka Spring and the Lake of the Ozarks. High on the scenic bluff sits the ruin of a stone mansion that represents the most intriguing story associated with the park. Robert M. Snyder, a weathly Kansas City businessman, first visited the site in 1903 and was so impressed that he eventually purchased more than 5,000 acres. He envisioned a private retreat with a Europeanquite as elaborately as originally planned. Eventually, the property was leased for use as a hotel, until tragedy struck in 1942. The entire interior was gutted by fire when sparks from a chimney ignited the roof. The carriage house burned the same day and in 1976 the water tower was burned by vandals. Today only ruins remain of the castle. Critique request: photography / non-desktop wallpaper