Peach's Castle

"So this is Peach's Castle...it's more beautiful than I imagined!"

- Penguru

Princess Peach's Castle (also known as Mushroom Castle or simply Peach's Castle) is the castle situated within the Mushroom Kingdom and its most prominent landmark. Princess Peach and many Toads including Toad and Toadsworth reside in it. The rooms inside the castle vary from game to game, as does the castle's location. It is characterized by a tall tower supported by four towers along the outside walls in most games. It is usually surrounded by a moat and located in a hilly grassland. Some of the games also have a town of varying size in its proximity, which is often named Toad Town.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
Princess Peach’s Castle first appears in Super Mario 64, and later in Super Mario 64 DS, where it is the main hub for Mario's journey. It contains many rooms with paintings (some of which can be jumped into to access courses) and furniture. The castle grounds are surrounded by hills that prevent the player from escaping. When the player defeats Bowser, Princess Peach will emerge from the stained-glass window on the front of the castle. When the player gets all of the Power Stars in the game, the cannon in the castle grounds is unlocked, granting access to three 1-Up Mushrooms and Yoshi (or a Luigi Rabbit in the DS version) on the roof.

New Super Mario Bros.
The castle reappears in New Super Mario Bros. where it is struck by lightning in the beginning (as a diversion while Peach is kidnapped) and can be seen in World 1-1. Since this game, the New Super Mario Bros. series (except for New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U) has had a running theme of having Peach's Castle in World 1-1, plainly visible at the start of the levels.

Super Mario Galaxy
The castle reappears in Super Mario Galaxy, keeping its design from Super Mario 64. A town adjacent to it and a road leading there are considered a part of the castle grounds, named Castle Gardens in the game. In the beginning of the game, Peach invites Mario to the castle for the Star Festival. When he gets there, Bowser lifts the castle into space. At the end of the game, Rosalina flies Mario to the castle so he can battle Bowser. When Bowser is defeated, the castle is sucked into his black hole, but it is expelled and returned to its original location in the Mushroom Kingdom.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii


In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the castle is featured during the game's opening in which Peach holds her birthday party. After she is kidnapped by the Koopalings, Mario, Luigi, and two Toads immediately chase Peach, and two other Toads back at the castle fire Penguin Suits and Propeller Mushrooms out of a cannon into the Mushroom Kingdom.

The castle is also the location to watch Hint Movies, which can be obtained by giving star coins to a Toad who resides in the castle during the game. Once again, it can be seen in the background at the start of World 1-1.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
The castle appears very briefly in the opening of Super Mario Galaxy 2. After Mario arrives, he finds it under attack by Bowser, who gloats at Mario and flies away with Princess Peach. Mario then meets two Lumas on the bridge over the moat, one of which turns into a Launch Star and sends him to Sky Station Galaxy. The castle also appears at the end of the credits where Mario and friends have a party for saving the galaxy.

Super Mario 3D Land
In Super Mario 3D Land, if the player waits for a while on the title screen without pressing, they can enter Peach's Castle. There are five Toads here, and Mario can practice his moves in the castle. The place where the red Toad stands is inaccessible, as it is sticking up, which can be seen while stepping behind the tower or by switching to 3-D. The castle can also be seen in the opening and ending cutscenes of the game. Like in the New Super Mario Bros. series, the castle also appears in the background of World 1-1, alongside the Tail Tree.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
Like in New Super Mario Bros., Peach's Castle makes a cameo in New Super Mario Bros. 2 in the opening and in the background of World 1-1. It has the same appearance as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. As in New Super Mario Bros., however, it cannot be entered. It also appears in the hidden area of Course 3 of the Gold Classics Pack.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe


Peach's Castle in New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe appears to be in the same location as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. However, this iteration has a large moat surrounding the castle (as in Super Mario 64 and other games), an extra floor, as well as two towers on either side of the central tower. In both games’ openings, Bowser and the Koopalings kidnap Princess Peach and take hostage over her at her own castle, which is the final area of the main game. Bowser and Bowser Jr. await the player at The Final Battle, which takes place at the top floor of the castle.

Super Mario 3D World
In Super Mario 3D World, the castle is briefly seen in the opening cutscene as the protagonists (Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad) take a walk on a starry night full of fireworks and meteors. The castle appears to have its design from Super Mario 3D Land this time around, but the main doors now have a rounded shape, and are blue with three spots, resembling a mushroom, and the grounds surrounding it are blocked by grassy hills.

Super Mario Run
During the events of Super Mario Run, Princess Peach's Castle along with other buildings are destroyed as Bowser tries to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom. However, if the player plays Toad Rally frequently, the castle will be rebuilt and will expand over time.

Super Mario Odyssey
Princess Peach's Castle appears in Super Mario Odyssey. It can be glimpsed in the opening cutscene, but it, like the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom, can only be visited after completing the game. Its design is heavily based on its appearance in Super Mario 64, and features several references to that game.

The roof of the castle can be accessed by throwing Cappy onto a nearby Scarecrow, which creates a temporary set of stairs. Yoshi can be found on top of the roof like in Super Mario 64, albeit encased in a Yoshi Egg; breaking the egg will release Yoshi and allow him to be captured. A Power Moon can be found on one of the castle's towers.

Behind the castle is a small ledge where Goombette can be found, and in the castle's moat is a Warp Pipe blocked off by a Berry. They can both be accessed by draining the moat, which is done by removing the four poles located underwater; this will also play the "puzzle solved" tune from Super Mario 64. The Warp Pipe takes Mario to a painting of the Ruined Dragon, allowing him to rematch the boss.

The castle's interior is heavily based on the main room of the first floor of the castle from Super Mario 64, complete with a rearrangement of "Inside the Castle Walls" as the background music. Toadette can be found inside the castle, and will give Mario Power Moons in exchange for accomplishing certain achievements. Two Power Moons can also be found there, one of which is collected by standing on the sun rug at the center and looking at the ceiling, which is a reference to how the Tower of the Wing Cap is entered in Super Mario 64. Three regional coins can be collected behind Princess Peach's throne, and the kingdom's Hint Art can also be found inside the castle. Like in the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom, the Power Moons obtained in the castle have the appearance of Power Stars, and play the corresponding jingle from Super Mario 64 when collected.

After 999 Power Moons are collected, the castle's tallest tower will be covered by a giant top hat. Climbing on top of it and throwing Cappy at the glowing spot will trigger a short cinematic, showing a display of fireworks as a triumphant rearrangement of the level clear tune from the original Super Mario Bros. plays.

Super Mario-Kun
Princess Peach's Castle has appeared a few times in Super Mario-Kun. It also takes in different appearances according to the game the volume is based on.

Mario Kart 64
The castle first appears in Mario Kart 64 in the track Royal Raceway. It has the exact same design as in Super Mario 64. Players have a choice to explore the grounds if they wish, but they cannot enter the castle itself. The Award Ceremony also takes place at the castle where the top three racers will drive there to celebrate after winning. In the reappearance of the course as a retro course in Mario Kart 8, the physical appearance of Peach's Castle and the area around it are changed. Furthermore, the entrance to it has been blocked. Thus, racers can no longer explore the area around Peach's Castle.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit
In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Peach's Castle can be seen in the background of Rainbow Road atop Bowser's Castle, just like in Paper Mario. It also appears in Peach Circuit, Mario Circuit 1, Mario Circuit 4 and Battle Course 3 as an object in the background.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
The castle appears in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! twice: once on Mario Circuit, and again in the background on Mushroom Bridge in Grand Prix mode, just before the first tunnel. In Mario Circuit, the castle is completely cut off from the road and separated from the track by walls. Also, in Mushroom Bridge the castle can be spotted vaguely obscured by fog in the background. This castle is very cartoon-like compared to its other appearances.

Mario Kart DS
In Mario Kart DS, the castle reappears once more in its iteration of Mario Circuit, where the castle is situated on a large lake in the middle of the track. It also appears in Peach Gardens, where the player drives at the back gardens of the castle.

Mario Kart Wii
Peach's Castle appears yet again in Mario Kart Wii, once again on Mario Circuit. Like in Super Mario Galaxy, there is a small town near it. Shy Guys and Hammer Bros. watch the race as they sit on the fences surrounding the castle and houses. The typical Mushroom Kingdom hills can be seen in the background along with a rainbow. Yellow sunflowers are neatly placed along the grasses of the track and a hot-air balloon labeled "MARIO" floats and travels over the grounds.

Mario Kart 7
Peach's Castle appears in Mario Circuit from the game, Mario Kart 7, and it is the first time the player is allowed to drive through the castle.

Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
Peach's Castle reappears as a course in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX simply titled "Peach Castle". Players are once again able to drive inside the castle, although it is much larger in scale than in Mario Kart 7, and it features pieces of character artwork that pop out of boxes in the background similar to jack-in-the-boxes.

Mario Kart 8
In Mario Kart 8, yet another Mario Circuit is built around Peach's Castle. The castle appears to be in a different location from its previous appearances and is on a large hill in the center of the track. It also appears in Royal Raceway with an updated design.

Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)
Peach's Castle appears in Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 as a course similar to Luigi's Garden.

Mario Golf: World Tour
Princess Peach's Castle is seen in the background of Peach Gardens, a course from Mario Golf: World Tour.

Paper Mario
The castle was once again taken over by the Koopa Troop during the events of Paper Mario. In the beginning of the game, Princess Peach invites Mario and Luigi to a party at the castle. However, while the Mario Bros. (and numerous other guests) are having fun, Bowser hatches an elaborate plan that causes his castle to rise into the stratosphere under Princess Peach's Castle, taking the Princess' castle with it. Many of the party guests are imprisoned and Bowser throws Mario out of a window, sending him spiraling back toward the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach is once again forced to be a prisoner in her own castle.

When Mario visits Shooting Star Summit in the prologue, Peach's Bedroom is visited by Twink, a Star Kid who offers to help Princess Peach. After every chapter of the game (except the last), there will be an intermission in Peach's Castle when the player controls Princess Peach to collect information for Mario from Bowser's Diary, talking Koopatrols and Hammer Bros, Gourmet Guy, the 64th Trivia Quiz-Off, etc.

In the end, Mario, Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Lady Bow, Watt, Sushie and Lakilester (with the help of the Star Spirits) fly to Bowser's Castle and make their way up to Princess Peach's Castle. The team finally confronts Bowser and Kammy Koopa on the roof of the castle, and defeat both of the villains, sending them flying off the castle and returning it to its rightful place in Toad Town.

When Mario enters the castle at the beginning of the game, there is a Toad guarding Peach's bedroom. If Mario talks to him enough times, he will become annoyed and let Mario explore the bedroom (however, he insists that he not touch anything). There is also a guest room turned Toad House later in the game, which is also the last Toad House in the game.

Mario Party 2
Princess Peach's Castle makes a cameo in Mystery Land.

Mario Party 3
Peach's Castle appears in the intro and "hub" of Mario Party 3. Entering it lets one play any unlocked minigames and music. The player can also change the options of the game there.

Mario Party 4
Peach's Castle is seen at the opening sequence of Mario Party 4. Briefly, the bag that covers the Party Cube casts a shadow on Peach's castle. At the main menu, Peach's Castle is seen in the background.

Mario Party 5
In Mario Party 5, Peach's Castle is the background of the minigame Coin Cache. The players walk out the front door of the castle in the intro of the minigame.

Mario Party 6
In Mario Party 6, Peach's Castle can be seen on the TV of the Miracle Book page "Spring Cleaning".

Mario Party 7
At the end of a Party Cruise game in Mario Party 7, there is an end-of-game ceremony that takes place at Peach's Castle in the MSS Sea Star. Here, Toadsworth announces the game's current scores and gives out the three Bonus Stars to the players based on their performance during the game. When it's time to reveal the Superstar, all four (or eight) contestants will enter the castle to determine the champion. Once they get to the top of the castle, the doors will open and the winner is revealed. That player (or team) is the superstar. The castle can also be seen on a painting in the Duty-Free Shop.

Mario Party 8
Peach's Castle appears in Mario Party 8 in the background of the minigame Crank to Rank.

Mario Party 9
In Mario Party 9, the intro and ending for Solo Mode take place outside Peach's Castle. Both parts of the story feature the characters looking through a telescope outside the castle to view the Mini Stars. Additionally, the castle can be seen in the background on the main menu.

Mario Party: Island Tour
In Mario Party: Island Tour during the intro, Peach's Castle can be seen in the background several times.

Mario Party 10
In Mario Party 10, Peach's Castle appears at the starting area of Mushroom Park. This is its second appearance on a board, after Mario Party 2, where it appeared in Mystery Land.

A toy version of the castle appears on Princess Peach's amiibo board in the top left section, where the player can play a game to earn coins.

Mario Party: The Top 100
In Mario Party: The Top 100, Peach's Castle reappears in the background of the minigame Crank to Rank from Mario Party 8.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and its 3DS remake, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, the castle plays a very minor role. The castle grounds can be explored at the start of the game, and the castle can be viewed from Hoohoo Mountain. Mario's battle with Bowser takes place inside Princess Peach's throne room, but the castle interior cannot be explored.

At the beginning of the game, Princess Peach receives a gift from The Goodwill Ambassador from the Beanbean Kingdom at her castle, but the ambassador and her assistant soon reveal themselves (Cackletta and Fawful in disguise) and steal Peach's voice. Peach's voice is replaced with bombs, which blow up the castle. Later in the game, it is revealed that who is stolen the voice of is actually Birdo in disguise, and the real Peach is hiding behind a curtain with Toadsworth when the fake Peach is receiving Cackletta and Fawful.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
In the sequel to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, the castle is the main traveling point of the game, nearly identical to how it was used in Super Mario 64. The music is also a cover version to the aforementioned game. The castle held all of the Time Holes leading into the past in the entire game.

There are many items and coins and the castle is home to one of the game's three item shops. There are 2 bosses the player fights in there, one against Junior Shrooboid and the other the last boss in the game; Shrowser. Goombas can also be fought in the basement area.

In the past, the castle has been taken over by the Shroobs, who turned it into Shroob Castle, the final dungeon in the game.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
The princess' castle reappears in the sequel to Mario and Luigi: Partners In Time, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its Nintendo 3DS remake, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey.

The game begins at the castle, with Mario and Luigi traveling through the main interior to the meeting room. The meeting is about the Blorbs that have infected much of the Mushroom Kingdom. The meeting is soon canceled as Bowser comes into the meeting, angered by the fact that they don't believe he is there to solve the unknown disease. After Mario defeats him, Peach and Starlow send him out of the castle. Later on, Bowser now under the effects of the vacuum shroom enters the meeting room as everyone leaves, inhaling everyone in the room. Bowser then ends up knocking out, and Fawful appears, sending him out of the castle yet again.

It is seen later again, yet blocked off by Fawful using the Dark Star power. He has now taken over the castle, serving it as his chamber to reviving the Dark Star. Once Mario and Luigi combine the Star Cures into the Miracle Cure, they are able to bring down the barriers and enter the castle. They have to travel through Peach's Castle Garden and fight Junker before they find Bowser all sore. There is a pipe that leads to him in the gardens.

Once the Mario Bros heal Bowser, the great beast is now about to explore deep into the castle walls using his new ball roll. He finds that Fawful has made a trial for Bowser, leaving three keys to three of his hovering bots that hold the whereabouts of either treasures or the way out. After a long chase and crushing the bots, Bowser makes his way through the next area where Fawful has giant Piranha Plants growing. Once weeding the humongous plants, he moves on to the room that Fawful, Midbus, the Dark Star, and Princess Peach reside in.

Fawful allows Midbus to fight against Bowser, giving him an icy powerup to make him Blizzard Midbus. Yet Bowser proves himself the stronger beast, defeating and freezing Midbus in place. But it is too late for the main goal of rescuing the princess as the Dark Star is fully revived. Fawful is able to take some of the energy from the Dark Star and becomes Dark Fawful but before he is fully done Bowser punches him out of the room. The Dark Star enters Bowser's body, entering from the mouth while Bowser chuckled at the pleasure of punching Dark Fawful. Once the Mario Bros defeat the weakened Dark Star, it escapes out of Bowser's body, in a phantasm form of Bowser (as a result of Bowser's DNA). Bowser chases the ghost out into the Castle Courtyard, where the entire castle comes to life. The massive fortress transformed into a battling machine by Dark Fawful. Bowser must become giant for the last time in order to defeat the castle. After a deadly battle, the Castle is destroyed, and Bowser shrinks back to normal size. Heading back into the meeting room, Bowser finds Dark Fawful searching for the Dark Star, and attacks him. Once Bowser damages Dark Fawful beyond limits, Dark Fawful transforms into a bug-like stage, crawling out of the room. Outside the room, The Dark Star and Dark Fawful merge together to become the stable Dark Bowser duo. After Dark Bowser escapes through a hidden passage behind the throne, he and Bowser engage in a spike ball battle up the central tower with Bowser being the victor. Following Dark Bowser, Bowser ends up on the final battle arena. In the arena, Dark Bowser releases a hurricane of Dark smoke that covers the entire Mushroom Kingdom. He explains how he is going to rule over the pathetic land, and that there is nothing standing in his way. Bowser then laughs at his words, stating that this is HIS land, and that he can't win. They then begin the final Battle; Bowser versus Dark Bowser and Mario Bros versus Dark Star Core. After a long battle, the Mario Bros defeat the Dark Star Core, allowing Bowser to finally give the final blow to the now unstable Dark Bowser. The Mushroom Kingdom returns to normal, except the fact that Fawful is still alive. After a quick speech, Fawful explodes in order to kill the Mario Bros. Yet it backfires as it sends all that were trapped in Bowser's body out into the Mushroom Kingdom. Everyone celebrates at making it out, except for the confused Bowser, just now finding out that Mario and Luigi were in his body the entire time. After learning who Chippy was, he reached his last straw, making a final battle with the Mario Bros leading into the cutscenes in the end credits.

In the remake, the castle has been completely transformed inside and out, and is much darker with more Fawful motifs, such as the dome he fought in from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, which makes a few appearances, notably in the entry of the castle. The windows are blocked off, and machinery is in clear view built into the castle, inside and outside, foreshadowing the giant battle with Bowser. The brickwork surrounding the castle is also now metallic, and the stained-glass portraits of Princess Peach now have Fawful's face on them.

Enemies

 * Bowser
 * Naplock
 * Dark Trashure
 * Dark Mechawful
 * Dark Mechawful.5 (a powered-up version of regular Dark Mechawfuls)
 * Dark Fawful Bomb
 * Dark Fawful Guy
 * Blizzard Midbus (boss)
 * Snawful (along with Blizzard Midbus)
 * Dark Fawful (boss)
 * Vacuum Helmet (along with Dark Fawful)
 * Dark Bowser (boss)
 * Dark Star Core (along with Dark Bowser)

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
The castle makes a brief cameo in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, as this is the place where Mario and friends receive the invitation to Pi'illo Island.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
The castle makes an appearance as the starting location in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. It is also the place where Luigi knocks down the book off a bookshelf in the cellar of the castle containing the Paper Mario world. Peach's Castle also includes an Item Shop, a Gear Shop, and later unlocked in the game, a Battle Card Shop. Eventually, the castle gets wrecked by Neo Bowser Castle with cannonballs, leaving the castle in ruins.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Peach's Castle can be seen drawn in the background of the first floor, Mushroom Mayhem, of Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. Princess Peach's Castle appears as the sixth floor as well, under the name Toadstool Castle.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
Peach's Castle can be seen in the extended background of Swirling Courtyard in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars.

Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge
Peach's Castle can be seen in the extended background of Balloon Float Castle in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge. It can also be seen on the map within range of these levels.

Yoshi's Island DS
Peach's Castle made a small cameo in the intro. When the Toadies are kidnapping babies, Baby Peach is taken from her castle, along with Baby Mario and Baby DK from their respective houses. It is later seen in the credits when the stork takes her back.

Super Princess Peach
In Super Princess Peach, the castle was affected by the Vibe Scepter and Bowser's minions captured Mario, Luigi and Toad while Princess Peach, Toadsworth and another Toad were enjoying a walk. Also, in this game the castle bears six or eight towers supporting the outside walls. If not, it can be explained that the rear of the castle is wider than the front and would require symmetrical placement of towers, therefore allowing only four towers to be visible in the opening scenes.

Fortune Street series
Peach's Castle also appears as a game board in both Itadaki Street DS and Fortune Street.

Mario Sports Mix
In Mario Sports Mix, Princess Peach's Castle returns as a court and background element for Mushroom Cup tournaments.

The main gimmick of this court is sprinklers that turn on and off. In dodgeball, the water acts as the dividing line between the two sides of the court. When the water goes down, players can move anywhere on the court, even the other team's side. In basketball, it acts as an obstacle to stop players from getting to the hoop. In hockey, it blocks the puck from going into the goal immediately. In volleyball, it will cause the ball to bounce back.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
The castle also appears in the ending of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, where it fulfills the same purpose as in Super Mario 3D World, appearing in the background as Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad are walking.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
The castle returns as the hub world of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. The castle cannot actually be entered in this game, but it can be circled around while accessing various nearby locations.

Monopoly Gamer
Princess Peach's Castle (referred to as Peach's Castle) is the fifteenth property on the game board in Monopoly Gamer. It is one of two properties in the Dark Blue Color Set (along with Bowser's Castle).

Castle grounds
The player begins the game in the Castle Grounds. A sealed cannon is found near the lake to the right. After obtaining all 120 Power Stars (150 in the remake), the cannon will open and the player will be able to launch themselves to the top of the castle Roof, where the player will find Yoshi, who will give Mario 100 extra lives and an enhanced Triple Jump. Also, up there is a Cap Block holding a Wing Cap. In the DS version, Yoshi is only seen on the roof in the introductory cutscene (as Yoshi is a playable character), but Luigi's final rabbit can be found on the castle roof, as well as a ? Block holding a Power Flower (or a Wing Cap if the player uses Mario). The roof in Super Mario 64 DS features a small fence around the area where the three mushrooms are found. It is possible to get to the top of the castle by climbing down the tree when the moat is not drained, or by a special technique all of the characters have to get to the roof without even using the cannon. A moat surrounds the castle, which can be drained during gameplay if the player stomps on the two columns in the basement. After the moat is drained, the player can enter The Secret Under the Moat. There is also a waterfall which acts as the exit of Behind the Waterfall.

First floor
After entering the castle, the player will find Toad, who will say to go to the Bob-omb Battlefield portrait, the only course that has not been sealed by Bowser at the time. There is also a locked door which leads to the second floor. There are also 2 wooden doors, which both lead to the Boo-infested hallway, Courtyard and the stairs to the Basement. A door to the right of the main room will lead to the princess' room which hides The Princess's Secret Slide. A door nearby leads to the castle's Rec Room (only on the DS version). The Big Star Door to the left of the main room is where Bowser resides in the level Bowser in the Dark World. A portrait of Princess Peach is found at the end of the corridor. However, the deceiving portrait will turn into an image of Bowser as the player walks down the corridor. In the middle of the main room, a sun in the form of a rug will send the player to the Tower of the Wing Cap (or ? Switch in the remake) when they look at the sun shining from the ceiling.

Second floor
After unlocking the door on the first floor, ascending a set of spiral stairs will lead the player to the second floor of the castle. It is a round room with portraits adorning all areas of the wall. A set of stairs will lead to yet another Big Star Door, and ultimately the third floor. There are two doors found opposite each other on the outside wall. The first leads to a room which contains several portraits leading to Tiny-Huge Island. The other contains a mirror which runs through the center of the room. The player can become Vanish Luigi to pass through the mirror in the remade game.

Third floor
The third floor consists of a small, round room with a Clock seen directly opposite the door. There are two small niches in both sides of the wall, each leading to a different course; the one to the left will warp the player to Wing Mario Over the Rainbow (named Over the Rainbows in the remake), and the one on the right will warp the player to Rainbow Ride. Above the door of the third floor is yet another Big Star Door, where a staircase will lead to the final battle (Bowser in the Sky). However, 70 Power Stars (80 in the remake) are needed to break the spell of the endless stairs.

Basement
The basement is the lowest area of Princess Peach's Castle, as it is just below ground level. It can be entered through the set of stairs which descend near the first floor. It consists of many areas all linked together by doors. One of the lower areas of the basement is made up of shallow water. An area found at the front of the castle basement is initially completely flooded with water from the castle moat. However, the moat can be drained by Ground Pounding two pillars. Having done so, the water will drain and a door which was previously inaccessible leads to the castle grounds.

Description and location
In most games, the castle is normally gray marble, but in some games, it is white and even a light cream (Super Princess Peach). Since 1996 it has kept its original highest tower emerging from a wider circular tower underneath - both always in the center of the castle. Normally the main feature of the castle is a rectangular or square shape, with nearly always four towers supporting this part. The roof is nearly always a shade of red, but in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga it was a pale orange.

A window is usually present at the front of the palace. There is an image of Princess Peach embedded, painted or carved onto the window. In Super Mario 64, this was the part of the castle Princess Peach was concealed in and is only released when Bowser is defeated.

In Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS, the castle is a huge palace with many rooms and secrets. Despite having many rooms, there are no regular "living" rooms, such as a bedroom or kitchen. Most of the rooms simply have a large painting in them. The castle also has a basement, the floor of which is oddly coated with water. The castle grounds were also quite spacious in this game. There are plenty of trees that can be climbed up, and the land itself is quite large. A body of water surrounds the castle, which eventually leads into a small pond. In this game, the castle is reached via Warp Pipe.

In Paper Mario, the castle differs radically from its 64 counterpart. The palace is still large and has a great number of rooms, but each room has a purpose (there is a library, a bedroom, and many storage rooms), and the lobby is connected to the ballroom. The castle grounds are also much smaller, with a simple fountain and one or two trees outside the castle. Much of the castle's surrounding land was lifted into the air with Bowser's castle, which may explain the seemingly shrunken land; however, even when Mario finally reaches the castle to confront Bowser, no moat can be seen. The castle has no warp pipe leading to it, as it can easily be reached from Toad Town.

In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, the palace was again, like Paper Mario, big and had actual "living" rooms. This castle however was different from the Mario 64 and Paper Mario versions and the garden looked very different (there were no trees either).

In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, the castle's conference room was seen in the intro. It is eventually taken over by Fawful and served as the final area in the game.

In Super Mario 64, there was a courtyard located behind the castle but it was not visible from the front or roof of the castle in the main gardens. However, the main part of the castle could be seen from the courtyard. The courtyard introduced the magic and mystery of Peach's Castle that the Power Stars seemed to have control over. The courtyard in both the original Super Mario 64 and in the Nintendo DS remake was infested with Boos. Big Boo's Haunt and another secret level were hidden in here.

Differing from the castle in Super Mario 64, in Super Mario Galaxy, the castle now has a balcony and several windows. The castle still has the body of water connected to it, but is now close to a nearby town. Also different from the older version, this castle's outside is more detailed.

Also in Super Mario Galaxy, the cut-scenes show a more detailed top tower than when playing as Mario in the Star Festival.

In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story the castle was controlled by Fawful and was planned to use it against Bowser when he would arrive, Bowser then defeated the castle in the devastating battle.

In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the castle has fewer windows, no moat, more detail than its DS predecessor, and looks more remote than Super Mario 64/DS and Super Mario Galaxy.

In Super Mario Galaxy 2, the castle looks like the castle from Super Mario Galaxy. The balcony from Galaxy is still present, and there are now several vases full of flowers on the grounds. During the invasion of Bowser, several meteors hit the grounds, blocking off the east half of the grounds.

In Super Mario Odyssey, the castle was largely similar in design to in Super Mario 64, although it possessed a flagpole on top, as well as a balcony. In addition, the turrets surrounding the castle are now shown to be hanging over rather than directly connected to the moat. In addition, the brochure for the kingdom in that game revealed that the reason it had a stained glass image of Peach near the top of the castle was as a form of comfort for the inhabitants of the kingdom, as Peach sometimes was absent from the kingdom, either due to Bowser abducting her or simply leaving on her own accord, with the citizens creating the stained glass window. In addition, aside from the turrets of the main castle, there were also additional turrets that were originally watchtowers, but were converted into art storage depots that contained magical paintings.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee, the castle largely had the same design as Super Mario 64, although the central turret had part of the top removed, and also possessed platforms.

Other Castles
Peach appears to have more than one castle. A completely different one is seen in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. It stands on a gigantic and poorly structured rock out in the sea. This castle is also visible from Koopa Beach. The castles of Super Mario Bros. and its sequel, Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, are also said to be in the Mushroom Kingdom and invaded by Bowser. The Mushroom Castle in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars also has a radically different design, as it predates the traditional design from Super Mario 64.

Items found
In addition, the following special items are available only to Princess Peach.

Area Tattles

 * ''This is Peach's Castle. But we just came out of Bowser's Castle! I've got a funny feeling about this... I wonder where Princess Peach is being held captive. I think we should brace ourselves, Mario.
 * ''This is the first floor hall of Princess Peach's Castle. There are so many doors, though. Where on earth can Princess Peach be?
 * '' Boy, what happened here? This is even messier than my room back home! It looks like nobody ever puts anything away in here.
 * ''That's a pretty huge drawer over there. I bet a person could fit inside! If they wanted to, that is... Hey, there's a bed, too! This must be a guest room.
 * ''It's a kitchen. I'm just guessing, but I bet this is where they make the meals. The castle's head chef probably cooks all the meals, don't you think? I wonder what kinds of savory dishes he knows how to make. Hey, Mario, have you ever eaten here?
 * ''This is the second floor hall of Princess Peach's Castle. There are so many doors, though. Where on earth can Princess Peach be?
 * ''This is just an ordinary room. Do you smell something, though? What a strange odor...
 * ''Wow! So many books. If we weren't in the middle of such an adventure, I'd love to read some of these.
 * ''It's a dining room. It looks like somebody has eaten here recently. Probably not the Princess-- they're probably starving her! People always say that the meals served here are delectable. I'd love to eat here sometime.
 * ''This looks like a storeroom. ...! Hey! Check out that box! Let's see what's in it.
 * ''Wow! This is Princess Peach's room, isn't it? It smells great in here! It's such a cheerful room, just like Princess Peach. I can't believe she was locked up in here for so long, all by herself. She must've been so lonely... We've got to rescue her, right now!!
 * ''This balcony has a great view. I'm betting that this is one of the princess's favorite places.
 * ''It's a covered hallway in Peach's Castle, Mario. Let's find Bowser and save Princess Peach!
 * ''We have to help Princess Peach!! Mario! Hurry up! Let's move!
 * ''Bowser's gone upstairs. C'mon, we have to follow him! Mario, let's roll!
 * ''We have to save the princess! Hurry up! Mario! There's no time to waste!
 * ''It's a castle tower. These long spiral stairs go up and up and around and around. Oog...I feel dizzy.
 * ''Huh? Where in the world did Bowser just disappear to?

On the ground

 * Princess Peach's Castle used to be right here, on this very spot. But then the evil King Bowser uprooted the castle-- and kidnapped Princess Peach. Only a big hole is left here now.
 * This castle is where our beloved Princess Peach lives. That evil King Bowser once stole the castle... But now it's back, and it's as beautiful as ever.

In the sky

 * Princess Peach's Castle now rests atop Bowser's Castle. Peach, the princess in peril, is being held inside.
 * Princess Peach's Castle was once here atop Bowser's Castle. But now it's gone.

Items found in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

 * For items found in Peach's Castle in the past of the Mushroom Kingdom, see Shroob Castle § Items.

Items found in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Here is a list of the overworld items found in Peach's Castle during the events of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.

Beans
There are 17 Beans in total.
 * Garden
 * In the southwestern corner of the entrance scene: 
 * In the southeastern corner and to the south of the stairs one scene east of entrance: 
 * In the northeastern and southwestern corners one scene west of entrance: 
 * Near the statues in the southwestern and southeastern corners in the screen with castle door: 
 * In the northwestern corner and in the northern enclosed area one scene west of castle door: 
 * In the southwestern corner of the scene to the northwest of castle door: 
 * On the grassland in the northeasternmost screen on the map: 
 * First floor
 * In the northeastern corner of the room to the southeast of the conference hall: 
 * In the northwestern corner one more room to the southeast (with bookcases and fireplace): 

Fortune Street

 * Flag of USA.png "The home of Princess Peach. Bowser's troops make frequent assaults on the place, but the Toad guards keep them at bay."

Trivia

 * Princess Peach's castle is the only structure that is not damaged when it is sucked into the black hole at the conclusion of Super Mario Galaxy.
 * In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft, there is a painting of the stained glass window featuring Princess Peach. Princess Peach's Castle appears in the premade world for the pack.
 * The music that plays inside Peach's Castle in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story contains a few notes from the Forest Maze's music from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.