Greenback Castle looms large at the end of a rural, residential road in Eastern Tennessee. This is Floyd “Junior” Banks’ doomsday castle, and he’s been building it for over 30 years. The castle is a colorful mix of his faith, conspiratorial convictions, handmade art, and frankly a dose of the creeps (or maybe that’s just the devil whispering in my ear).
Location
250 Lee Shirley Rd, Maryville, TN 37801
Greenback Castle is about 45 minutes south of Knoxville. If you’re driving from Athens, Georgia, it’s about a 4 hour trip and one of the rare visits to Tennessee where you do not have to drive through Atlanta.
Hours: Daily, 8am – 7pm. He asks that no one visit after dark.
Cost: free but donations are strongly encouraged
Floyd “Junior” Banks
In 1993 Junior started building his own castle. His mission soon turned to the the Big Guy and he decided to make it a Fortress of Faith. Banks salvaged materials from condemned buildings and has integrated many found objects such as railroad tracks and trash to construct and decorate his castle. He estimates that he’s used 10,000 marbles and only spent around $2,000 on materials overall! Over the decades, Greenback Castle has expanded into many rooms, archways and walk-thrus, as well as a pet cemetery. It’s an impressive space for those of us who love to see art environments and DIY run wild. Construction has slowed down as Junior’s gotten older and he welcomes volunteers — check out the Castle’s Facebook page for more info.
The Castle
The Fortress’ exterior wall measures 25 feet high. The front of the castle greets visitors with cheery wooden soldiers and signs asserting the almighty as “new science fact.” Stars and fake owls peer out from the tower windows. In one area, golf balls spell out, “Jesus is king.”
The pet cemetery was made to honor the stray dogs that either wandered on the grounds or the stay dogs hit on the road. I think this is the sweetest part of Greenback Castle, a place for dogs to have a proper burial. The plot sits in the back and is filled with marble-studded graves for Wolf-Man, Lucky, and Spot. It’s a little unclear what other critters are buried here but I found this small resting place very peaceful. Read my friend’s post over at Southern Cemetery!
Also around the back, things get a little spookier. I visited around Halloween so I’m not sure if the decorative webs and coffin are seasonal, but the castle reportedly has the apparitions of Junior’s family. He’s told visitors his art is sometimes inspired by the pictures he sees on the walls, and there’s a chessboard room in memory of his deceased brother where apparently the brother’s presence is sometimes felt.
It seems the devil’s presence is felt here as well. There are many messages warning of the pale horseman, or satan, or end times. The fortress is a really neat environment to walk around, but Junior’s themes often feel more foreboding and dark than uplifting. I’m personally not one who believes in a literal hell so this is as far as I can appreciate those beliefs, manifested as one man’s wacky dark art. There’s certainly no other place I know of where you can see Native American paraphernalia alongside a mannequin jail and a torture room, ya know?
LOL, if you can’t take Junior at his unnerving torture room, you don’t deserve him at his shrines to angels and paintings of Snoopy! Take Greenback Castle for all it has to offer – it’s a strange mish-mash of childlike whimsy and apocalyptic warnings. On a beautiful day, you can’t do much better than walking around the castle with its handmade graves, Egyptian illustrations, and beer bottle mandalas. There is a sort of magic in how the sun streams in through the unfinished spires and I hope Junior gets the volunteers he needs to finish his Fortress of Faith.
@yallwaterfall 🦉⛓️Greenback Castle🏰🌙 #greenbackcastle #tennessee #outsiderart #roadtrip #petcemetery ♬ Bathroom Girl – Air
What’s nearby?
- The Lost Sea Adventure – take a boat ride in a cave! I was so sorry we couldn’t squeeze this into our itinerary this time. Next time for sure!
- Knoxville, Tennessee – just 30 miles or about 45 minutes from the castle
- Tellico Plains – a mountain town at the foothills of the Smoky Mountains – just under 30 miles or about 40 minutes from the castle
- Or if you’re on a road trip like I was, you can head towards Middle Tennessee, about 60-115 miles west. We went from Greenback Castle to Ozone Falls, Cookeville, and Burgess Falls. Rock Island State Park is up that way too.
Where to stay
This was the first stop on our Tennessee road trip so we ended up camping further west, but if you’re looking to stay in the area, please consider booking through my affiliate link. I receive a small commission at no cost to you.