Hammond Castle Museum

Museum · Gloucester

Hammond Castle Museum

Museum · Gloucester

2

80 Hesperus Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930

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Hammond Castle Museum by null
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Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
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Hammond Castle Museum by null
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Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null
Hammond Castle Museum by null

Highlights

Inventor's medieval-style castle with pipe organ & antiques  

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80 Hesperus Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930 Get directions

hammondcastle.org
@hammondcastlemuseum

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80 Hesperus Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930 Get directions

+1 978 283 2080
hammondcastle.org
@hammondcastlemuseum

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Last updated

Aug 27, 2025

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22 Beautiful Castles in the United States

"A medieval-style castle built by inventor John Hays Hammond, Jr., featuring his laboratory and a massive pipe organ." - Evie Carrick Evie Carrick Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who’s lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'

https://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/architecture-design/castles-in-the-us
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Weather Destinations for All Seasons

"John Hayes Hammond Jr. was a resourceful man. As a little boy he visited Edison’s laboratory with his wealthy father John Hays Hammond Sr, a South African mining magnate. The young Hammond Jr. pestered Edison with so many questions that Edison took him under his wing and acted as his mentor, remaining Hammond’s friend until his death. Hammond would indeed follow in the inventor’s prolific footsteps becoming second – to Edison himself – for the most invention patents filed. Hammond served on the board of RCA, and did significant work on remote control via radio waves, earning him the title “the father of remote control.” (Technically, that honor belongs to Nikola Tesla.) A passionate traveler, Hammond had a deep love of all things European and historic. In a letter to a friend he wrote “You can read history, you can visit a hundred museums containing their handiwork, but nothing can reincarnate their spirit except to walk through rooms in which they have lived and through the scenes that were the background of their lives. It is a marvelous thing, this expression of human ideals in walls and windows.” Hammond certainly expressed himself in the walls and windows of his New England home: a medieval-style castle complete with a drawbridge which he dubbed “Abbadia Mare.” Built between 1926 and 1929 on a steep hill overlooking the Atlantic ocean in Gloucester, Massachusetts, the house features a renaissance dining room, round library, a War room, secret passageways and even an indoor pool with a “weather control” system that Hammond could set whenever he felt like swimming in the rain. The house was an expression of all things that Hammond loved, and his behavior showed it. A joyous Hammond was known to leap cannonball style from a second story window into his courtyard pool. A garden room in the courtyard was pieced together from buildings Hammond found and liked while on his travels, in this case a meat market and wine merchant’s house, while in another location an ancient church archway of carved lava from Mt. Vesusvius stands overhead. Also displayed in the museum is the skull of, supposedly, a sailor who sailed with Christopher Columbus. Perhaps the most impressive part of the house is the Great Hall, with its 8200 pipe, eight story high, pipe organ and giant stained glass window. Today the museum showcases Hammond’s fabulous collection of antiques as well as his inventions within the house, along with some cheesier additions as well. One even gets to come face to face – and face to other parts – with Hammond himself. Hammond kept a nude statue of himself looking out over the home." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

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Alva Parinitha

Google
A Real-Life Fairy Tale! This place felt absolutely magical to me! Just about an hour’s drive from Boston, it’s the perfect escape from the city. There’s free parking available, though it can get quite packed on weekends—so plan accordingly. You can buy tickets online or in person, and they offer both guided and self-guided tours. We opted for the self-guided one, which gave us plenty of time to explore at our own pace. The castle itself is stunning, with beautifully preserved architecture and scenic views all around. Their guided maps are really helpful and let you soak in both the history and the surroundings. It’s a must-visit if you’re looking for something more meaningful than just another restaurant outing. Highly recommend for a day trip!

Kati Lenhardt

Google
We took the guided tour. They only really take you into 2 of the rooms and then the rest you just explore. I'd highly recommend doing guided if you want to learn about what an interesting, peculiar guy Hammond was. I had no idea it was basically a castle themed/built museum ABOUT castles. It's a museum about castles, inside a castle. The gift shop will tell you there were 17 cats and he was buried with them, the tour will tell you that the gift shop is making things up and he had maybe 14 the whole 30 some odd years he was there. That was a bummer. The pool room has TONS of hidden gems that you need a guide to tell you. The view outside is amazing. It's definitely something you have to see.

James F

Google
Visited Hammond Castle with my family and really enjoyed it! The castle itself is fascinating, filled with unique artifacts and rich history. Some of the hallways and alleys are narrow, and there are quite a few steps, but the architecture and craftsmanship are beautiful. It was a bit warm during our summer visit, but that didn’t take away from the experience. Definitely worth a stop if you appreciate history and want to explore a truly unique place in the area.

Adrian Torres

Google
Disappointed – Not Worth the Price for What You Get to see. My fiancée and I recently visited Hammond Castle Museum, and while the structure itself looks impressive from the outside, the experience fell short—especially for the $25 per person admission ($50 total for us). When we arrived, there were trucks and workers from the previous night’s wedding still blocking off parts of the entry area, which really took away from the castle’s visual impact. Once inside, we were told that a large portion of the museum was closed due to cleanup from the event. Despite that, we were still charged full price, which felt like a rip-off. The parts of the interior we could see were nice, but there wasn’t much to explore. We finished walking through in less than 30 minutes, and we saw other couples leaving just as quickly. It didn’t feel like the rich, historical experience we were expecting. The staff was polite and we arrived early around 10 a.m., so it wasn’t crowded. But overall, paying full price to see only a portion of the museum just felt wrong—especially when there are other historic sites in Massachusetts offering much more for much less. Afterward, we visited Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, which was not only more beautiful and complete but only $10 per person. The views there were open, relaxing, and easy to enjoy. Unless all areas of Hammond Castle are open and accessible, I wouldn’t recommend it. There are better, more fair-value historic spots to visit.

Priyanka Kushal Gowda

Google
Perfect for a unique day trip..! Great date spot or family visit. It’s a mix of gothic and 20th-century oddities. We loved learning about John Hammond’s inventions and saw some really cool antiques. Feels like you’re walking through a medieval European castle, but it’s right here in New England. The architecture is stunning and the ocean views are breathtaking. Great for history buff - worth the trip for the ambiance and ocean views!

Sabrina Reming

Google
My son and new daughter-in-law got married at Hammond Castle last weekend. It was a magical venue for both the ceremony and reception. The castle has so many places to explore and photograph - I want to go back when I can just look around! The staff was friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend Hammond Castle for your special occasion.

Collette Amiot

Google
We went on the guided tour with Evie who was fantastic and very knowledgeable throughout the tour. Very good public speaker. Definitely an interesting bit of history at the castle if your a history nerd like me. I could only imagine what the castle was like in its hay day. It must have been a marvelous time.

Phoebe Ewing

Google
Visiting this museum was such a fun time! Getting to explore the castle and learn about this history of the art collection was awesome! The beautiful views are the icing on the cake! Definitely add to the list of things to do when in Massachusetts!
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Felicia G.

Yelp
We went to the Hammond Castle for a self guided tour as we were too late to get on a guided tour. Very beautiful castle with all its rooms and outside views of the beautiful ocean. We found out the castle is named after the man John Hays Hammond Jr. who had it constructed for his many artifacts and exhibits for his 400 patents and his work in the study of remote control. The castle was built between 1926-1929 I believe if you like castles and happen to be in this area it's a must see. I have so many pictures of so much stuff there is no way I could load all this on here. Amazing place. Gorgeous top to bottom. The staff is amazing and will answer any question you have.
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Sherry H.

Yelp
They need a ramp or atleast they should open the driveway gate to get to the museum entrance for handicap individuals. They have handicap parking but then getting to the building is not possible. Most people are coming for the exterior (arches) as is. If they gave driveway access that would be good.
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Kaylin B.

Yelp
A gem of New England Massachusetts. This castle museum has a beautiful array of artifacts and history. The castle is for all ages, and will interest all party members. We opted for the self guided tour , but overheard a few tour guides and would suggest choosing that option. Extremely friendly staff members that were welcoming and knowledgeable.
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Padma A.

Yelp
My niece got married over the summer... it was fairy tale wedding venue with an old style charm. Small wedding of 100 guests and perfect venue. Loved the gothic castle and it's Indoor/ Outdoor space. Highly recommend good shoes and warn all seniors of the cobblestone pathways
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Jonathan H.

Yelp
The Hammond Castle Museum is a really neat mansion of an eccentric millionaire and his eclectic collection of items! The tour guides are very knowledgeable and teach you a lot about the rare artifacts on display at the mansion. It's a really neat experience and certainly a one of a kind house and has really great views of Gulf of Maine. It is very reasonably priced as well.
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Chris L.

Yelp
On a recent family trip to Massachusetts, I made a point of visiting Hammond Castle (which I had done back in 1990 and had fond memories). It was just as I remembered - huge and so unique! We had tickets for a partial guided tour, followed by a self-guided tour to explore all the nooks and crannies (inside and out). Everyone really liked it and it was worth the trek.
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Michelle S.

Yelp
This was a very cool museum that was the former home of an inventor who held many patents, some of which we would recognize and be thankful for today. What is so usual about it is the way it changes architectural styles as you make your way through. It's centerpiece is one of the largest pipe organs in the world. The water views are also magnificent. We chose to do the guided tour and while it was informative, we were a bit surprised when the tour ended and we were told to view the rest of the home ourselves. It appeared that those who opted for the self-guided tour were provided with some sort of map, which would have been helpful for our self-guided portion. It was an enjoyable stop in Gloucester, MA and I would recommend it.
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Bruce K.

Yelp
I lucked out. I got Eric for my tour guide and while it was a big tour of 20+ people, it didn't matter. Eric is definitely passionate about his job and he knows. And I do believe he loves what he goes. The Hammond Castle is a one-hour trip from downtown Boston and yes, there is the West Gloucester MBTA station that is a 3.5 mile drive if you want try for an Uber or Lyft. The castle has parking and because this is rather rural Massachusetts, they thankfully have a wifi because I got no bars out here. Two hours of wandering, in addition to the 45 minute tour. You'll learn about inventor John Hays Hammond, Jr and his wife Irene. He is consider a pioneer in remote control (he remotely piloted the ship Natalia from Gloucester Harbor to Boston. This technology was used for remote-controlled torpedoes, for instance. Lots to see in the castle, much of which has been restored to the original decorations and displays his collection of eccentric and interesting artworks. And of course, the view from the garden is amazing. Well worth a visit! [Review 17884 overall - 1131 in Massachusetts - 1405 of 2022.]
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Břöœķ Ķ.

Yelp
A Castle full of amazing history and items, no doubt. Outside is beautiful but inside was packed, tight spaces and I felt claustrophobic. Beautiful, but I don't know that I'd pay to visit.
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Nick G.

Yelp
This castle is absolutely amazing. The owner John Hammond made this castle absolutely magnificent. Parking is free on the side of the road. There is a moat but it is non functioning. The interesting fact about this tour is that the owner John Hammond is known for his plethora of inventions and patents. Most of what we do is thanks to him as well. Highly appreciated and highly recommended
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Lisa F.

Yelp
What an unexpected, fun, quirky place to visit! We bought tickets for a guided tour (same price as self guided!). We ended up being the only two people on the tour so we had a personalized experience. Our tour guide was very informative and the personal flair made this a great stop! Views are lovely, items are intriguing and the history of Hammond's life were so interesting to learn. Def recommend!

Betty D.

Yelp
We held a family wedding there. Venue was ours until 11 pm. We were forewarned that in order to clear the way for dancing, two of the tables would be taken away. The crew decided to clear all of the tables with at least another hour to go before the wedding ended. People left Way before the end since they were practically thrown out of their seats.
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Henry P.

Yelp
I first visited the Hammond Castle when I attended a wedding here back in August of '02, and, truth be told, the place still looks as beautiful today as it did that day way back two decades ago! Plenty of parking. Great facilities for eating, meeting, and marrying! Wonderful staff. Just a joy to be here and walk around. Best described as "...an oddball of a Newport Mansion on the North Shore." Highly recommended! 11OCT2022
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Monica L.

Yelp
This place is fascinating. It was the home of a prolific inventor. He collected things for what he expected would become a museum at his death. There are medieval, Gothic, Spanish, German, Italian and French items. There is also an excellent display regarding his many inventions. He spent the equivalent, in today's dollars, of 8 million dollars on the house. It's not how I would spend 8 million dollars on a house, but it was interesting to see. I recommend it if you are in the area.
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Mickey B.

Yelp
Our first visit to Hammond Castle was wonderful. We chose the self guided tour and we took our time walking though. This is not a handicapped accessible experience as there are a whole lot of stairs and no elevators. It was interesting to see the architecture and design of each room. We would have loved to hear the pipe organ being played. There are bathrooms before the entrance to the tour and a small gift shop. We recommend a visit to this castle and it's a beautiful place for engagement photos or senior photos.
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Dorothy M.

Yelp
Beautiful building, I would give it a five but we didn't do the inside tour, but the grounds are beautiful. The architecture is gorgeous
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Teresa S.

Yelp
A beautiful castle! Definitely go and see it for yourself, just a quick word of advice: Don't pay for the guided tour, it's not really helpful and very short; you're better off doing the self guided tour.

Martha J.

Yelp
Interesting place, but the gift shop experience ruined it. Items rang up as more than twice marked price and cashier claimed cash register was correct, not label. But on 2 other cheaper items, white label was correct. When I spoke up, the cashier laughed off my surprise. I purchased the items for the kids in our group who wanted these souvenirs. Weirdly, a very active bat was flying through the rooms the afternoon we were there. Expensive entry charge. No family entry price like Gloucester Maritime offers.
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Joh. W.

Yelp
A group of us recently visited for the 8:00 pm candlelight tour. It's the last one of the day. I'd done same several years ago , booking it earlier and decided this time it needed to be dark. So the 8,:00 appeared to be the best. We had 2 friendly guides at different times along the way. I found both to be very knowledgeable and they answered all our questions thoroughly. The castle itself is beyond amazing. Each area there's a combo of gothic, religious etc artifacts and antiques. The massive organ in the great hall with it's collection of varied pipes alone needs to be seen. Unfortunately it's not accessable if you are disabled. When you arrive it starts with heading down the wide stone steps. There is an actual drawbridge and moat that they explain never held any water. Our guides explained to us Hammond's eccentric ness. Once you enter it all makes sense. Well, it did to me, haha The tour itself took about 1 hour. Just as expected there are narrow winding, circular staircases that are a challenge. I could add much more to this review. However if in the area this place definitely needs to be seen!
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Pat K.

Yelp
This castle is amazing and the docent giving the tour very informative. And they let you wander all through the many rooms! This is so worth the small fee to visit.
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Sherrill F.

Yelp
Enjoyed the tour in the main hall. At the end it is self guided through the rooms. Beautiful spot on the coast.
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Jay V.

Yelp
It was a rainy day so our tour was the perfect activity and a great day to see this Medieval Castle. The grounds are beautiful upon entry and the staff are very friendly, polite and knowledgeable about the history of this crazy cool castle. I should be clear that the reason 4 stars out of 5 are given has nothing to do with the staff. They were great. I can't give a full 5 star rating without having a full experience though and that was not possible due to Covid limitations and construction at the site during our visit which limited the amount of the castle we could view. However, what we did see was amazing and our tour guide John was both funny and knowledgeable so he kept the tour interesting and fun. There's a lot of things to see and I recommend booking the semi private tour rather than just the grounds and garden tour since they're included with the semi private tour package. There's a good amount of history here to learn about and I was amazed at the architecture and care that went into constructing this castle. I don't want to spoil your adventures so I won't go into too much detail but I have some great pics of the interiors manifest that your tour guide will be happy to talk about if you choose to treat yourself with a great guided tour here. After, take a walk around the exterior and you'll be amazed at how beautiful the castle is from all sides. The amazing ocean views simply add unimaginable beauty to the landscape here and it's very easy to see why some have chosen this location as their wedding venue. It's a very special place.
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Adam B.

Yelp
This is a really cool experience for $10! It reminded me of a smaller scale Hearst Castle. Hammond was an eccentric inventor who basically invented remote control amongst hundreds of other inventions. He holds the second place record behind his mentor Thomas Edison for most patents held by a person. Everything from the magnetic can opener to the television remote control. Hammond was fascinated by middle age castles and set out to build one on the ocean in Gloucester, MA. So many historical items were looted from Europe during the 1800-1900s and bought by the uber-wealthy American industrialsts. You will see things like the supposed skull of one of Christopher Columbus's crew. Entire medieval store fronts (Baker shop, butcher shop, wine merchant) were transported to this castle and used within it. Giant pipe organs, floor bricks from the castle of Christopher Columbus's son. And for the most part, the house is set up as if he could still be living there. He hosted everyone from Walt Disney to famous actresses at the castle. We visited on a Sunday ... Beautiful blue sky summer day which meant crowds. Our tour had about 30 people on it and many of the rooms are small so half the group had to stand outside the door and did not get to see or hear the guide. Smaller groups would have been better. I think they do tours every half hour or so. For your $10 Admission, you can either take the tour or walk and explore on your own. I recommend you take the 45 minute tour because there are no autobiographies on this fascinating man and the guides keep it entertaining with stories. If you do wander on your own, there are lots of little paper plaques that have fun facts on them about the room or area you are in. Even after you take the tour, you are free to wander through all the rooms in case you missed anything or want to see it without the group. I would have loved to see Hammond's weather room in action ... Supposedly there was a Courtyard type of room where he could make it rain, make fog or make it dark during the day. I don't know if it still works but it sounded cool! I'd plan to spend 90 minutes at least. I think we spent 2 hours but walked through every little nook and cranny after the tour. There's also a lawn with a stunning view of the ocean. The only criticism is that from a preservation standpoint, they need to invest in de-humidifiers. The entire castle smells musty and dank. So much so that the musty smell leaves with you on your clothes. A lot of the items in the display cases are covered in mold. There was one wall near the downstairs kitchen containing medieval swords and belts and sashes and they were covered in white fuzzy mold. I realize it's a castle but many of the areas are exposed to the salt air and humidity which is not a great thing when you have no dehumidifiers running. The guides were great and knowledgeable. They were much better than the guides at Hearst Castle and unlike Hearst where they rush you through and rely on questions vs. prepared speeches, they have a prepared banter. Much of it may come from exaggeration to make Mr. Hammond sound a bit more eccentric than he probably ever was ... But it kind of adds to the mystery of the place. Many secret passageways are pointed out (but not demonstrated) and used for practical jokes such as the room the Hammonds wallpapered entirely so when the doors are closed it looks like there is no doors. Or the steps which are concave in the middle so tipsy guests at a party feel tipsier. Overall, the castle is a fun way to spend a day. There were tourists from all over the world there. Unless you like crowds, I'd recommend going right when they first open at 10 am on a weekend or during a weekday when you will have less crowds to contend with. We spent much longer than we thought here and were far more interested than we expected. Well worth the $10 per person (they have discounts for seniors and kids as well.)
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Karen 2.

Yelp
The hours of operation of the museum itself are very limited. They have held great Halloween-season events. beautiful building and ocean view.
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Bea T.

Yelp
What an incredible castle with incredible history! I highly recommend this museum to anyone who is visiting New England. When you get there, you think middle ages...or The Game of Thrones. The story of a scientist who was obsessed with the gothic art and Innovation. Many patents created by this man and his belief of reincarnation and his return as a black cat. He was also known as someone who designed his house to do practical jokes to his guests. Fun and gorgeous be place to visit and the ocean views!
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Grahame G.

Yelp
There's not much in the way of medieval history in the States, but this is a good alternative. It's an 'interpretation' of Gothic, with a very eclectic collection of bits and pieces from various European edifices thrown together into a funky jumbled pastiche of château and castle. There's a drawbridge (decorative only), some towers, a great hall, lots of twisty stairs, a great courtyard with a pool, and plenty of interesting artefacts to study. It's great to be able to walk around without a guide, although this did mean that I managed to somehow miss the invention room. There are some nice views over the water from the garden area, although they were preparing for a wedding when we were there so we couldn't explore all of this area. There's so much to see - every time you turn your head some new detail catches your attention. We only had an hour and I'm sure there's lots more that we missed, but at only $10 admission it wouldn't hurt to go back a few more times, and I'd be happy to do so.
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Ella S.

Yelp
tl;dr: An amazing museum and wonderful wedding venue. I've been to Hammond Castle more times than I can count. For a classical history student such as myself, there are few better selections on the North Shore. Hammond clearly had a strong eye, and the collection present is fascinating. The history of Hammond himself, an eccentric even among the long annals of North Shore eccentricity, is just as fascinating. It's absolutely worth a trip. It wasn't until this year, however, that I had the opportunity to attend a wedding held at the venue. It was, in a word, breathtaking. The event staff were also polite, professional, and knowledgeable. The happy couple also let me know that they got a *fantastic* rate, too! All in all, I cannot recommend Hammond Castle enough--either as a stop on your next trip or a venue for your next function.
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Jill H.

Yelp
This castle is in a beautiful setting! Very interesting story as to how it came to be. My advice- save the $18- or donate it to the castle fund- and take the self guided tour. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and engaging, however they only spoke for about 15 minutes and then told my small group of 6 people that the rest of the tour would be self guided for distancing reasons. Wish I had known prior to payment. However- it's a good way to spend an hour!
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N. S.

Yelp
My fiancé and I recently had a spur of the moment ceremony at the castle and Linda and Debbie couldn't have been more gracious or accommodating. They were flexible with space and timing and were an absolute dream to work with. Liz and Christiaan
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Sondra L.

Yelp
This place is not something you typically see in the US. It was definitely unique. The castle was well preserved and it sits in a very nice place with an amazing view. It was a bit creepy but I survived. It's definitely worth checking out. There are a lot of things to learn there too.
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Kaisha M.

Yelp
We used Hammond Castle Museum as both our ceremony and reception venue for our wedding in September 2019. The venue is beautiful and was really memorable for everyone. Our ceremony was on the back lawn overlooking the ocean and guests loved the sound of the waves crashing on the cliffs below. During our cocktail hour, guests got to take guided tours of the castle museum with a drink in their hand. The Great Hall easily fit our party of 75 for the reception but would feel crowded with a larger group. The staff were easy to work with, the price is reasonable and the ambiance of the castle was priceless. I would definitely recommend this vendor!
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Veronica N.

Yelp
This is a must-see place if you're in the Gloucester area. John Hammond's castle is on a hill overlooking the bay. The grounds are spectacular! The castle tour only costs $10 and is worth every penny and then some! The grand hall has a beautiful Hammond organ that has over 2,000 pipes! There are lovely tapestries, statues, paintings, and antiques throughout the castle. The indoor pool area blew my mind! With the flip of a switch, he could change the pool to saltwater. There is a chapel in the castle that has beautiful religious artifacts. The room that was Hammond's office has walls lined with his patents. He was a very impressive man and has a ton of inventions to his credit. Amazing man and an amazing house to tour.
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Adriano B.

Yelp
Fantastic place for a wedding! I am a wedding photographer and I have only good things to say about this place...Awesome!!! Check my website www.adrianobatti.com I have photos on my blog!!!
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Elizabeth S.

Yelp
Fun and informative. The guy was a real character and the castle has all kinds of quirks. My son liked seeing a piano Gershwin played. Really beautiful grounds. Worth stopping in.

Anna L.

Yelp
Our 3:00 tour started 5 minutes late and when it ended, our tour guide listed a bunch of rooms and the back of the castle for us to see on our own due to the small sizes and the inability to social distance as a group. This was fine. What was not fine was our guide's failure to mention that we only had about 10 minutes to see a string of rooms on our own since the museum closed at 4:00. It took him just about that much time to even tell us about these rooms we were to see on our own! As a result, we did not get to see the upstairs bedrooms nor the back garden. When we tried to access the upstairs guest rooms, the door had already been locked and it was only 3:55. We begged the man with the keys as well as our guide to let us go up for just 5 minutes because these rooms were highlights of the castle that we really wanted to see. They claimed they did not have the power to do so and suggested we speak with the ladies in the gift shop. We tried to look for the nice lady who took our tickets earlier but she was gone. One of the two remaining ladies in the gift shop was very rude and condescending to us. She asked if we were late and we said no. In fact, our guide was late 5 minutes starting and they locked up 5 minutes early! Despite not getting the full hour we had paid for, she was aloof and said they were closed. When we asked if we could come back to view the upstairs, she snippily said, "If you buy another ticket, you can come back." Then, she turned to her colleague and started talking about something else, dismissing us without so much as another word. We were willing to drive back from our home 45 minutes away because they refused to give us 5 minutes to make up for the 10 minutes we lost out on due to the late start time and early locking up, but she refused to give us even 5 minutes. We gave Hammond Castle the benefit of a doubt despite the bad reviews about the bad, unaccommodating service and made sure to arrive early and paid $18 each for the last tour of the day. The issue is 1 hour is just way too rushed to allow people enough time to see everything and starting late and closing early shows a lack of planning and consideration for their customers. It is also misleading to tell customers that after their tour, they could stay as long as they liked because this could not be more untrue. For museums like these, you should give your customers a little time after closing to finish up and not kick people out early. And if you are kicking people out early, at least let them return to make up the time if they are willing to drive 45 minutes to do so and don't charge them $18 for it! We visited the Sleeper-McCann House a few weeks ago and the service there was much better!
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Deirdre C.

Yelp
I don't know how to describe Hammond Castle... Gothic Mishmash? It is definitely unique and a more than a little quirky. I guess when you combine creativity, scientific genius, a passion for European history, architecture, and the natural world (can't beat that stunning ocean view!), joy of traveling, sense of humor, and oodles of money, this could be what you end up with. We arrived an hour before closing time on a Sunday afternoon. Not a bad time to go, as most people are starting to leave, so not overly crowded. That's a good thing with narrow corridors and twisty staircases. Our group of four managed to frequently split up and go our separate ways with so many different paths to choose from. Even with an hour, not all of us saw everything. Somehow I missed the Invention Room. I'm told it was pretty cool. But so was a lot of the castle that I did see. Might have to revisit in near future and keep exploring! At $10 for adult admission, it's hardly a budget buster. Caterers were setting up for a wedding ceremony. What an idyllic location for that momentous event, especially when the weather is so cooperative.

Jazmine L.

Yelp
Visited here on our way home from a hiking trip in New Hampshire back in July. Yes, during COVID-19. We went in the morning on a Monday. They implemented social distancing and limited the number of people in tours. Everyone wore masks at all times. Our guides were excellent. I'm sorry I don't recall his name but You can really tell the male tour guide loves his job. Gave us more than enough time after his informative speech to explore the grounds on our own. We got to see a peak of the secret wine cellar in the basement too. The location was amazing and I got nice shots inside and outside of the castle. The views of the water in the castle (especially, surprisingly from the gift shop) are to die for!! I can't explain the beauty of it. I Definitely recommend seeing this place if you're in or around Gloucester!!
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Chie Y.

Yelp
Gorgeous place. Note to everyone: the Musuem is closed on Mondays - we didn't see this on the website and drove to the place. Despite the museum being closed, you can still walk around some of the grounds so it was still a good day trip!
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Belle L.

Yelp
Hi We recently went to see Hammond Castle on Sat(8/13/16) afternoon and had a great experience. The guided tours are on the 1/2hr and are informative. You don't have to buy tickets in advance. There was plenty of parking. I would have liked to see the demonstration of the various weather affects in the courtyard with the pool, and I would have liked the grounds in the courtyard to better maintained(trimming+overgrown plants).

Sam R.

Yelp
If you take the walking tour with the play just be aware that the play is disorganized and dry. We didn't know when it ended, because there was no structure. Castle is beautiful itself
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Chris C.

Yelp
Hammond Castle a crazy, unique attraction utterly out of place in it's New England setting in coastal Gloucester MA, and all the better for it's weirdness. A purposeful mishmash of architectural style (mid-evil castle / Gothic church / ruin / English manor house) filled with artifacts from Armour, to electronics, to artifacts of everyday life. It's not that expensive ($10 per person) but not that well kept up or modern either, so don't expect slick AV presentations, or even consistent signage. The place is also utterly non-ADA-compliant, with tight stairs, narrow doors and passageways, and long climbs up steep stairs, so anyone with mobility issues, this is not for you. Also, many of the artifacts are in desperate need of conservation, especially paper documents such as certificates, patents and tributes hanging on the walls. Finally, the map given to you to navigate the castle, along with the lack of consistent maps makes the castle and grounds confusing to navigate. Rooms that are round are not shown as round on the map, stairs are not exactly where they should be on the map, and they attempt to show a space with many levels in what appears (at first) to be a simple birds eye floor plan. It wouldn't take much for a good graphic artist to design a much better map and that would help a lot. (The people running the castle should reach out to graphic designers, I'm sure someone would do this pro bono.) But all in all, a really fun day out in an amazing setting.
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Kacey G.

Yelp
We came for the spooky walk-through during October. Was way cool! It tells you on the website where to park, then they bus you over to the castle. Super nostalgic to be on a school bus, lol! Profits for this is to fundraise, which is really cool. The local high school kids are the ones running this event, and they are good! I'm so used to Halloween Horror night houses, which just provide jump scares with tons of people in your line and a security around every corner. This was much better, it was dark and through the dank castle, with a cast member guiding you through. They have decorated the place as an Asylum and the cast is very much into their characters and trying to scare you! They do get near, but don't touch you. A few small and spiraled stair cases to make it through, otherwise it's a breeze! Loved this so much! Highly recommend!
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Elsia G.

Yelp
We had our wedding at Hammond castle and it was amazing! Linda has her rules but she did her best to make our wedding one for the ages! The castle is such a unique venue, it transported our guest away from the city of Boston to a magical evening. Linda was around but not obstructive. We even shared a dance :) The castle is not designed for weddings so to make it work you should plan carefully and be transparent with Linda. Trust her! She has seen hundreds of weddings at the venue. Also take multiple trips to verify any plans or expectations, we did this and it paid off in an unforgettable night! We only held our reception here which felt like the right amount of time. I believe hosting the reception and ceremony may have felt rushed, I would not recommend. We had a guest count of 130. Great memories!
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Elfego S.

Yelp
So we came here on Mother's Day and what a really cool place to see. Makes you dive a little deeper into who John Hammond Jr. was. Really cool and interesting artifacts that were on display just very walkable and quite big so there is plenty to see. Just cost 10 dollars for entry and your in no crazy restrictions unless they say or if the door is locked. The views of the sea is what makes this place so beautiful so best come on a wonderful day outside to take pictures because we definitely did.
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Joe M.

Yelp
I photographed a wedding at the castle. Wow. Wow to the staff to the location to the whole experience. Great day for the couple and for me. Thanks for making this an amazing place to have your wedding.
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Dave L.

Yelp
This is one of the coolest places I have ever been too. A castle! This place had an awesome tour and it is completely worth the visit. Come here! This place would have been awesome to live at. It was pretty cool to learn the man who built this place and it has to much history to it.
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Jamie B.

Yelp
absolutely gorgeous definitely worth a trip! beautiful scenery outside and the second you go inside it somehow gets better, only major downside is the air inside is pretty hot and smells considering a lot of stuff there are really old
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Robin H.

Yelp
Went Halloween. Total waste of money. Tour over in less than 11 minutes. Very small portion of castle utilized. Disappointed!!! Disappointed!!!!! Disappointed!!!!

Kal L.

Yelp
I looked all over for the entry cost but seeing that there was nothing on their website and a few other reviews said the entry for adults was ranging from $10-14 I decided to drag my family with me. I was so Disappointed when I arrived There was a sign in the parking lot saying the cost for adults was $20 and children was $10. Was not expecting that what so ever, however the exterior view of the grounds was nice (and free).
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Jessica M.

Yelp
I'm sure this "midieval castle" is beautiful in the daylight, but my experience was during a dark, cold and rainy October night. This castle has a disturbing side. Hammond Castle hosts an annual haunted house that is more artistic than gory and very fun! The setting is perfect, and the crew does an amazing job. Well worth the drive and the 12 bucks! Get a candy apple or some kettle corn when you buy your tickets and you won't even notice the line.