Lake Tahoe’s East Shore · Est. 1936
The Castle in the Sky
A reclusive heir, a stone lodge on the wildest shore of Lake Tahoe, a lion named Bill, and a 600-foot tunnel through solid granite. Thunderbird Lodge is the story the lake never stopped telling — and it’s open for you to walk.
1936
Construction begins
under architect Frederic DeLongchamps
600 ft
Tunnel through granite
connecting lodge to boathouse
25,000+
Artifacts preserved
the largest known Tahoe collection
2000
National Register
of Historic Places listing
The Legend
George Whittell Jr. bought 27 miles of shoreline. Then he kept it wild.
The San Francisco heir cashed out of the stock market months before the 1929 crash and spent his fortune on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe — over 40,000 acres. He planned casinos and resorts. Instead, he built one stone castle, kept a lion in the passenger seat of his Duesenberg, and turned everyone away.
His solitude became an accident of conservation: because the Captain wouldn’t sell, the east shore stayed wild — and today it’s the parkland millions visit every year.
Read the full history →
Visit
Three ways through the gate
01 Classic Estate Tour
$7575 minutes · Ages 6+
The signature walking tour — the lodge and grounds, the Card House, the 600-foot tunnel blasted through solid granite, and the boathouse where the Thunderbird rests.
Details →
02 Wine Tasting Tour
$12590 minutes · 21+
The estate tour, followed by a lakeside tasting reception — Darcie Kent Vineyards and Concannon Vineyard pours with chef-prepared appetizers on the terrace.
Details →
03 Private Group Tour
By request2–40 guests · Year-round
A dedicated docent, your own schedule, and a reception with house wine, cured meats, and artisan cheeses. Available even in the quiet season, when the lake is at its stillest.
Details →
All public tours depart by shuttle from the Travel North Tahoe Nevada Welcome Center in Incline Village — there is no private vehicle access to the estate. Reservations: 1-800-GO-TAHOE (468-2463).
The Flagship
Thunderbird — 55 feet of mahogany and stainless steel
Commissioned in 1939 and styled after Whittell’s DC-2 aircraft, the Thunderbird is one of the most celebrated wooden boats in the world. Bill Harrah repowered her with twin V-12 aircraft engines and cruised the lake with Sinatra aboard. Today she still runs — from the same boathouse she was delivered to in 1940.
Meet the yacht →
The east shore is still wild because one man refused to sell it. Keeping the castle standing is how we say thank you.
Join Us
A castle kept entirely by its friends
The Preservation Society receives no government operating support. Every roof shake, every coat of varnish on the yacht, every school field trip is funded by members and donors. Flagship membership opens the gates — private cruises, Thunder Thursdays, and the estate at its quietest.
Plan your visit
Tours run late May through mid-October, by reservation.