Castles have always been fascinating. As massive buildings that stand the test of time, they have been popular for centuries. For some, castles represent a safe place to live, protected by the high walls, knights, and archers. They were the theatre of love, war, and adventure.
Towers, bridges, gates, palaces, and all kinds of structures were included on castle grounds. In the Middle Ages, a lot of time and work was needed to complete them, but now, you can create your castle within a few hours with your 3D printer!
If you’re determined to have one of these regal designs as part of your dominion, but your 3D printer isn’t obeying your decrees, try Craftcloud! Pick your preferred material, color, and finishes, then let a professional 3D printing service – or rather a castle builder – handle the rest.
Now, let’s see about expanding your empire!
Medieval
This intricate and detailed design is a mix of the medieval-inspired castles Neuschwanstein and Schloss Lichtenstein, both located in Germany. The file is available as a single piece or as multiple parts. The former can be good for miniatures, while the latter will let you go big! Either way, the result will be stunning, especially when printed with rainbow filament!
- Who designed it? boldmachines
- How printable/popular is it? This extremely popular model has over 250 makes and 12 remixes!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Barad-dûr
With a lot of fans worldwide, Lord of the Rings is one of the most popular fantasy sagas of all time. Every fan will love this model of the Dark Tower, with Sauron watching all of your moves. This model is support-free and allows you to install an LED to make the Eye even more prominent. With a dark grey filament, this model will look almost exactly like the tower design in the films!
- Who designed it? kijai
- How printable/popular is it? 24 makers have been drawn in by Sauron’s ever-searching eye.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Hogwarts
Hogwarts is without a doubt one of the most iconic castles of all time. This model accurately represents Harry Potter’s school with all its buildings. You can use the magic rainbow filament or opt for the most common color, light grey. You can even paint it to match the film!
Watch out for stringing while printing, though. It’s common on a model like this.
- Who designed it? LoafersLodge (remixed from falloutboy2015)
- How printable/popular is it? It’s not surprising that this model is really popular. This version has over 50 makes.
- Where to find it? Printables
Dracula's Tower
Dracula is one of the most well-known horror villains. This character, inspired by Prince Vlad III, has scared a lot of kids and remains one of the most popular vampires of all time. This 3D model represents his tower, but it hides something really cool inside: a maze. In fact, this print is a puzzle with various fun levels, from an easy one to a very hard one. Fortunately, there’s a video with assembly instructions.
Printing-wise, the model doesn’t require supports, but pay attention to bed adhesion. The designer recommends adding a brim if necessary.
Frozen
If you’re into cartoons or you have children or other young people in your life who love Disney, this is the right model: Elsa’s Castle from Frozen. The model is very detailed, and it shines with clear resin and clear filaments! Alternatively, filaments in white and blue shades will suit this model fantastically.
Being a support-free model makes the Frozen Castle even more appreciated. As is the case with other models on this list, an LED light can be installed inside the print.
- Who designed it? kijai
- How printable/popular is it? 16 community prints have been posted of this model. A few makers have printed mutlicolor versions, a great option if you have a dual extruder 3D printer or an external unit.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Rexor
What happens when the Mesozoic and Middle Ages meet? Castle Rexor! This design cleverly mixes the impressive T-Rex with the massive structure of the castle. The dinosaur’s mouth provides access to the building. Thanks to this trick, the model doesn’t need supports!
- Who designed it? dutchmogul
- How printable/popular is it? Over 40 makes of this model were posted, in all kinds of colors and sizes. Some have also painted it with awesome results.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Minas Tirith
For those not drawn by Sauron’s darkness, here is Minas Tirith, the Tower of the Guard in Lord of the Rings. Printing it in white will make it look similar to design used in the movies, thanks to the model’s fine details. It’s half-hollow, which decreases print time, and supports aren’t necessary. You can even install an LED.
So, who wants to own Gondor?
- Who designed it? clavenmoo
- How printable/popular is it? This model has an impressive 80 makes!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Super Mario
If you’re more into iconic arcade games, this model based on Super Mario Bros. is right for you. It’s basically a planter that resembles the towers from the video games. A few versions are available: one with a drain to facilitate the maintenance of the plant as well as another that requires fewer supports. And if you like this design, you should check out the mystery box planter from flowalistik.
- Who designed it? felipesansogodambros
- How printable/popular is it? While there are still no makes for this model, over 225 people have downloaded it.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Modular Playset
If you have kids, this modular castle playset is perfect for you. This customizable set allows you to create your empire in any way you desire. You can choose the pieces from over 80 files included with the original design as well as 10 remixes. The pieces connect thanks to butterfly joints, a really simple and effective way of joining parts together.
Another plus is that all the models have been designed to be printed within a 140-mm³ build volume. So, they’ll suit the majority of the 3D printers out there.
- Who designed it? CreativeTools
- How printable/popular is it? Over 30 people have built their empire, and 10 have remixed it. You can have so much fun customizing the pieces further with paint!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Spiral Tower
The ability to realize strange shapes is one of the coolest possibilities offered by 3D printing. This spiral castle has an elegant shape with realistic details and looks like a building right out of a movie. You can have fun painting it to look realistic, or you can also have a good time printing it with a novelty filament.
It weighs only 34 grams, a fast print that will make a great addition to your collection. Further, it doesn’t need supports.
- Who designed it? kijai
- How printable/popular is it? Over 15 community prints have been posted, and there are nearly 6,500 downloads so far.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Chess
Chess is a timeless game that fascinates both young people and adults alike. For chess fans, this minimal castle-themed set is a must-have for your collection. In addition to the pieces, it includes the chess board.
The models were designed to be compact. In fact, all the parts are placed inside one another. You can choose between round and square versions. This set will also be a really fast print: You can create all 32 models in about 3 hours!
- Who designed it? Kagarov
- How printable/popular is it? 29 makers are enjoying this chess set.
- Where to find it? Printables
Tri-Tower Planter
The pots that are sold with plants are often plain and boring, so let’s customize them! This tri-tower castle design is the perfect choice for your succulents. You can even water your plants from the bottom, a really convenient detail. The print should be straightforward, and it doesn’t need support.
So what are you waiting for? Secure your plant!
- Who designed it? Qrome
- How printable/popular is it? 21 makes have been posted of this model so far, so y ou should be able to make it for yourself!
- Where to find it? Printables
Guardian Gate
This model is inspired by David Winter’s cottage, the Guardian Gate. For those who aren’t familiar with him, David Winter was an English sculptor who is known for his miniature buildings. As you would expect, this model is small and fast to print. Plus, it doesn’t need supports. The Guardian Gate will really shine with a nice paint job.
- Who designed it? kijai
- How printable/popular is it? This model has 4 community prints and over 3,400 downloads.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Calibration
This cute castle is a really useful print to test your 3D printer’s capabilities. It includes a lot of different tests, including some for warping, overhangs, and bridging, among others. And the best part is, it takes very little filament and time: about 2 hours and 25 grams.
- Who designed it? printbetterparts
- How printable/popular is it? This calibration castle has 10 posted makes.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Bonus: Castle Generator
If you want to customize your own models, you’ll love the Grand Castle Generator. It allows you to control a list of parameters to create your building exactly how you want it. Nine settings control the generation of the castle model. You can even add an island! To use it, simply click on “Apps” and launch the customizer.
- Who designed it? Zivbot
- How printable/popular is it? 16 makers are ruling over their generated castles, but with 919 remixes, there’s going to be a lot of coronation ceremonies.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
License: The text of "3D Printed Castle: The Best Castle STL Files of 2023" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.