Bliss Castle Bliss Castle was built by Eliphalet Williams Bliss, a wealthy industrialist who lived in Bay Ridge in the mid 19th Century. He bought the 26 acres of land that Bliss Castle stood on in 1866 from a former Mayor of Brooklyn. He renovated an existing mansion but added a number of architectural features including the observatory tower (which was called Bliss Castle.) Upon his death, he willed his estate to the city and it is now Owl's Head Park.

Over the years, more than a few New Yorkers have taken the phrase "A man's home is his castle" literally. This tour takes you through a few of the fortifications that New Yorkers have built for themselves.