A fairytale born of love and open to all.
STORY Paul Cecchini
It started as a sketch and a simple statement from engineer and inventor Robert Palmer to his wife, Bonnie: “I want to build you a castle.”
Before long, Chateau Charmant (“Charming Castle” in French), was constructed deep in the woods of Fordland. Over the past two decades, it has been a popular wedding destination, educational facility, and theater, as well as a home for the Palmers. The family enjoys a private wing of the castle all to themselves, separate from the event spaces. Robert explains that living in the castle makes him feel at ease. “You feel safe—impervious to the weather,” he says.
• Chateau Charmant
As soon as visitors walk through the castle’s massive wooden front doors that came from an Italian church, they are transported into an authentic-looking medieval world. The ceiling beams are modeled after the ones in the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace in England. They are dovetailed and pegged, meaning they have no nails, and are constructed as they would have been in the Middle Ages. Soft clouds are painted on the ceiling. Acid-washed concrete gives the floor a marble-like appearance. Spiral staircases lead visitors to the top of a four-story turret where angels look down through arched Gothic-style windows. Paintings inspired by medieval and Biblical times line the walls—some donated, but most done by Bonnie herself, a self-taught artist.
For anyone who has dreamed of a fairytale wedding, Chateau Charmant is a dream come true. Private rooms for the bride and groom are lavishly decorated with designs reminiscent of Buckingham Palace. Ceremonies take place inside the Great Hall or outside the castle, both of which provide gorgeous backdrops.
Chateau Charmant also holds monthly events, including stage plays, tea parties, dinner theaters, and school tours. Students who visit the castle can pull random slips of paper out of a box listing their medieval occupations, from soap maker to king to gong farmer (a person who was hired to shovel out pits filled with human waste).
To read the rest of the article and to learn more about Chateau Charmant, click here to view our September 2025 edition of Missouri Life magazine.
