Nitt Witt Ridge

Loved it! Art Beal was a unique and crafty individual who was able to build a home out of items found on the beach and in the trash. He had plumbing tied into the sewer system with hot/​cold water as well as terraced gardens with a sprinkler system. The home also has a beautiful stove. The current owner gives a grand tour that is very interesting and has lots of entertaining stories and information. While we did see Hearst Castle, I would have to say this tour was much better and the highlight of our trip. A must see if in the area.

Zero stars if possible. Was on a shuttle up to Hearst Castle with a tour company familiar with the area. We left early from our hotel, before this place typically opens, but our driver drove us by and mentioned that if we had time we should check it out and do the tour. The «proprietor» drove up and apparently thought we were getting a free tour or something (we were parked outside, never left the van) and started screaming obscenities at us.
The tour company I was with is a winery tour group with associated labels on the van, but we were just heading to Hearst Castle as part of the hotel weekend package. I can deal with some asshole calling me a «f — in drunk» and yelling at me, but I sure as hell am not going to give him any of my money. And at a supposed California historical landmark, nonetheless. Someone should educate this jackass in the basics of marketing.

Some will say Nitt Witt Ridge is a huge pile of junk. Others will say it’s a work of art.
Arthur «Art» Harold Beal purchased this property in 1928. In the 1940s & 50s Beal was a garbage collector for the nearby town of Cambria. He used this job, as well as his natural scavenger skills to create this castle of trash on the hill.
The castle is build of junk that Art picked up while making his rounds as a garbage man as well as natural material he came upon in nearby forests and beaches. Some of the materials his place is made of are car rims, old stoves and televisions, beer cans, etc etc.
It’s reported Art used nothing but a pick and shovel to build his castle.
Art lived to the ripe old age of 96. He passed away in 1992.
In 1999 Michael and Stacey O’Malley purchased the property. They have repaired and cleaned up the property and give tours by appointment only.
Here’s their address and phone number if you’d like to book a tour…
NITT WITT RIDGE
881 Hillcrest Dr.
Cambria, CA
(805) 927‑2690
Unfortunately at the time I stopped by I wasn’t aware that you needed an appointment for a tour. Too bad as this is definitely right up my alley.
Well if I ever make it by here again I’ll be sure to arrange a tour. I recommend you do the same.

Nitt Witt Ridge is awesomely unique. We arrived at the house at about 3:55 p.m. on a February Sunday unsure of what we were in for. We tried calling ahead but no one answered. We decided to stop by anyways.
Driving up, a chain was strung across the walkway up to the house with a sign that said «Next tour: 4:00» written with tape on a piece of sheet metal. It looked creepy, but we decided to wait the 5 minutes to see if anyone came out. Sure enough, a man starts walking down the stairs to greet us. It was Mike — a long haired brunette guy in overalls.
We learned that Mike and his wife bought the house years ago with the intent of creating a «Anti-​Hearst» tour and store since the Hearst Castle is a few miles down the road and Nitt Witt truly is the exact opposite of Hearst. However, the city shut his idea down since it’s a residential zoned property and he was prohibited from selling goods onsite. He also can’t have an open/​closed sign out front or any signage at all, but he is allowed to give tours and accept donations for house upkeep. Nitt Witt Ridge is a registered historic landmark, but it receives no state funding, so donations really are needed. Mike told us to tell all of our friends about the house, and we absolutely did, including this review.
The tour might not be for everyone, and we also had a ton of questions about the place before we got there, so here’s a few tips to help you decide if visiting is for you:
Location & Parking: It’s in a neighborhood above town. You can’t miss it as you drive up the hill. There’s a small pullout across from the house and plenty of parking along the road. No fees.
Tour: Mike seems to hangout most of the day, at least on weekends, and offers tours on the hour. Try calling ahead to make sure he’s around. We were the only people on our tour.
Accessibility: Lots of stairs, many in need of repair and of varying sizes. The tour will take you through the house and across the gardens, which has more stairs. Outdoor walkways are dirt and slightly muddy from a recent storm when we toured.
Cost: $ 10 donation per person. And Mike won’t demand you pay if you aren’t satisfied.
Operations: When Mike leaves for the day, he moves a chainlink fence across the entrance to deter people from entering. If the fence is up, tours likely aren’t going to happen that day. When he’s there, a small chain and sign will be stretched across the entryway with time for the next tour. Wait out front and Mike will come down to greet you. Rest assured, the house tours are still happening (I saw a few false reviews that said the place was shut down).
Safety: Don’t be deterred by its appearance. The house is extremely well-​built and withstood a large earthquake with zero damage years ago, and Mike was even giving a tour at the time. I felt completely safe. Mike also mentioned that he’s never seen a rodent in the house at all in all the years he’s owned it. Kids are welcome.
Mike: He’s as unique as the house! He knows every bit about the history. He reminded me of my time working on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland — he clearly has his spiel memorized, but he delivers it with passion and interest every time.
Visit Nitt Witt Ridge. Meet Mike. Tell your friends. Write a review!

I’m not sure if we went there at a bad time or during off season, but when we went, it looked like they weren’t even offering the option of taking a tour which really disappointed my wife and I. Sure, there is a lot to see from the street, but this is a house that is best witnessed up close so you can see all of the character it has to offer.
I really hope next time I am in Cambria there will be tours going on. If not, this place really just becomes a roadside oddity that you can just look at & go «man, wish this fence wasn’t here & there was someone to answer questions I have»

We stumbled upon this place while browsing Unilocal for places to eat and things to do. I try to look for something new to see and do in Cambria every time we go. This was truly a great find! A piece of folk art in the little town of Cambria! So nice to hear about Captain Nitt Witt and how he built this house from nothing but junk he used to pick around town. The owner Mike who gives the tour at this «Poor Man’s Castle» has the passion to keep this historical landmark… he is very knowledgeable about the history of this house and its original owner and builder, Art Beal (a.k.a. Der Tinkerpaw or Captain Nitt Witt). We’ve taken a couple more tours here with friends to show them a little piece of folk art and history of Cambria and it’s people. Pretty bizarre place but very fascinating!
To get a tour, you have to call and check tour schedule or book one with owner, Mike. He is a character too if you meet him! He charges $ 10 per person for the tour which helps preserve this piece of history. Well worth the $ 10 if you ask me. So if you are reading reviews about this place, you will get extreme comments and reviews. This isn’t for everyone. If you don’t like unusual and crazy things, history and folk art, don’t go! You will feel that you wasted your time and money.

I really loved this place.
Mike loves this place and goes above and beyond to show his guests everything he can. He answers any questions and shows you all he has to bring you back to when this was being built.
I wish there was more that could be done to help but i gladly gave the donation.
Amazing creativity and construction.

one man’s trash is another man’s … house!
very eclectic and unique piece of cambria’s history. you can tell mike and his wife love nitt witt ridge and do a great job of showing it and preserving the history. well worth the $ 10 donation.

This place is a true hidden gem. Waiting for the tour and donating $ 10 towards this cause is well worth it. Mike and his wife are preserving history and we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse into this wonderful historic home. We plan to return any time we drive through the area. Bring your friends and family and check it out!

We enjoy unique or «weird» sightseeing and this place fit the bill! A house and its surrounding terrace gardens, plumbing, electrical, water fountains, etc made entirely from recycled goods. One man worked 51 yrs to create his «castle». Even the nails were reused. It was very interesting. A great example of what one man with simple tools can achieve. This guy was not a quitter! The tour guide/​owner was informative and passionate. They call it folk art, I call it ingenuity!

I was fortunate enough to grow up in Cambria and was able to meet Captain Nitt Witt. He was a crotchety old man. The place is a little run down but still has its charm. It was featured on Real People in the 80’s. It is always a pleasure to drive by and reminisce about my youth. So if you are staying or driving thru Cambria take 10 min and drive by Nitt Witt Ridge.

Not too far from the main strip in Cambria, CA, you’ll come across Nitt Witt Ridge. It’s up on a hill so you’ll have to drive but there really isn’t any parking and folks just leave their car on the side of the road.
We were not interested in waiting for a free tour, but just wanted to see how this place looked from the outside. It’s run-​down in appearance, like someone who used swatches of fabric to patch up an outfit to wear. Reminds me of something out of Tom Sawyer’s past.
I’m not sure I’d be interested in a tour of the place, questionable about its seismic safety and fear of the building collapsing on me. Reminds me of the Robinson Family Tree House in Disneyland. I’d probably scream if a rodent jumped out to greet me while in the building.
I can see why Cambrians think this place is an eye sore and want it demoished. If you call 805 927‑2690, you can arrange a tour with the owners, Mike and Stacey O’Malley.
The original owner, Art Beal, was forced out of this home in 1989 until the O’Malleys bought it. I wouldn’t say it was a wise real estate investment unless you tore it down and built a real nice house or apt. building on site. If you have the time, it is better spent at Hearst Castle.

We just took our 2^nd tour on Sunday. (We visited 5 years ago.) We enjoyed it even more than the first time — always something new to see that you may have missed. The owner, Mike O’Malley, is very friendly and knowledgeable, and is an amazing storyteller! He keeps you captivated the entire time. We will no doubt be back a third time :) Highly recommended!

The curator of this place is probably my favorite part of Nitt Witt Ridge. Mike is awesomely hilarious — he gives a great tour of the junk mansion. I would love to see them one day return the gardens to their original splendor, assuming Cambria ever gives them water use. Parking is kind of non existent, you just pull off the side of the road. I always bring friends and family here when they visit Cambria.

Darn. We were too early for the tour and were kind of in a hurry to hit the road.
I like eccentric places like this and had to satisfy myself by just seeing what I could from behind the fence.
Back home in the LA area, we’ve got the Watts Tower & Rubel’s Castle.
We’ve done the Hearst Castle tour a few times already and this certainly would have been a fun change of pace. A local called it «the poor man’s Hearst Castle tour» and said the owner’s a fun guy.
Look for this sign and house is right there on your left.
Limited parking.
If we ever come back to Cambria, I’ll make it a point to get beyond the fence!

Mike really helps makes this place come alive with his tour. Very insightful and interesting. Definitely recommend it!

We couldn’t make it to Hearst castle so we decided to take the tour. We were so glad we stumbled upon It! The tour guide Mike really made the tour awesome, and is worth the money just to meet him. I would recommend it to everyone.

Really awesome place! Well worth your time to see some local history.
Call ahead to reserve a time to tour. Please have cash to make at least a $ 10 donation to preserve this cool historic site.

This place is a trip!
So you saw Hearst Castle like every other tourist driving the coast… now stop and see something odd and quirky… Nitt Witt Ridge!
One man’s junk is another man’s treasure… no truer words can be said about this place!
Mike, the current owner, is a character as well.
Nice guy who loves the place and the history of it!
The tour was interesting and worth the $ 10!
Loved watching the short video power by a car battery!
You either get it or you don’t.
If you don’t… well, you probably don’t get a lot of things then.

This is one of the places you just have to pass by and you say to yourself, «what on goodness gracious is this?»
The next tour was at 12pm but we just wanted to check out the place again. It’s up on the hills alright. If this hills had eyes… Lol. Great area for the fall season and Halloween. It’s amazing what people come up with and how they put it together.
If you guys are yelling this place, please Unilocal Tios Tacos in Riverside, Ca
Tios has a lot more crazier stuff and is similar to the Nitt Witt Ridge house.
I heard this place is for sale. I wonder if the new owner is going to change it up or tear it down.