Dalí bought the castle in 1969. It has been open to the public since 1996. In 1984, a fire broke out at the Castle in Dalí's bedroom under unclear circumstances. It was possibly a suicide attempt by Dalí, or possibly simple negligence by his staff. In any case, Dalí was rescued and returned to Figueres, where a group of his friends, patrons, and fellow artists saw to it that he was comfortable living in the Theater-Museum in his final years.