Gulley built the 8,000-square-foot (743-square-meter) castle over the course of 15 years out of unusual and inexpensive materials. Parts of the castle remain unfinished, but it does contain a chapel, a cantina, a barbecue pit, a wishing well, 13 fireplaces, and a dungeon. He utilized unusual materials, such as car parts, salvaged railroad tracks, statues, and traditional southwestern adobe, throughout the three stories and 18 rooms.
In 1945, Boyce died and left the house to his teenage daughter, Mary Lou, and her mother. They both moved in shortly after, and Mary Lou stayed until her death in 2010.