Hammond Castle Museum Reviews

I had been in past years but this was the first time the rest of my family visited. My 9 year old daughter was in love with the place! It is truly magical for children (as well as some adults!) We got there before the castle opened and was able to explore some of the outside. It was nice that there were no crowds and we were able to take some great pictures before others arrived. I would recommend getting there early possible. Once it was opened and we were able to go in there was already a good amount of people lined up to go in. My 9 year old daughter loved the indoor pool., he winding staircases and the grandness of the whole place. We loved the back yard that overlooks the ocean where you are able to see the back of the castle. The view of the ocean is breathtaking! It seemed that not many people were seeing the staircase that took them to the yard since we were the only ones out there for quite awhile! It took us a couple hours to meander through the whole thing. It did get a bit crowded and there were a few times where we had to wait for others coming up or down the stairs. When we where leaving and walking through the gift shop we heard the same girl that had checked us in offering others information on the tours they offer. We were not made aware of these tours when we arrived or we may have chosen to take one to learn more about the castle and John Hammond Jr. Maybe next time. The castle itself it truly grand but does show it's age. There are many places that you smell the oldness and mustiness of the castle but it is a sight to see! We will be back again for sure.

I visited with my brother and sister in law on a trip to Gloucester. All in our 70's, I have to reiterate the reviews of some others that this is not for folks with mobility or balance issues. Stairways are steep, some portions with no railings, and not always flat underfoot.

The building itself is one of a kind. The tour is helpful in understanding its history. They were certainly an interesting couple. I think the "STEAM" museum aspect of it is overstated. While there are some interesting artifacts, don't expect a science museum. It's clearly volunteer run, and I commend them for what must be a monumental task, but it's rather dark and dusty overall.

It's worth a short visit if you are in the area but for me it doesn't really warrant a return.

My wife dragged me to this kicking and screaming. Hope she doesn't read this, but I'm so happy she did. This was amazing. Hammond himself is such an interesting man and a major contributor to so many inventions yet I hadn't heard of him. Incredible dwelling. You could self tour and see a beautiful structure, but make sure you take the guided tour. You won't be disappointed, I promise. Hammond was an eccentric dude and the stories of what he did to his guests are awesome. You'd have no clue if you did a self tour. Reasonably priced and even our 14 yr old enjoyed it. Will do it again next year. Oh, also reasonably priced.

We love touring old mansions. This one is really unique! Interesting facts about the man and the living quarters are really cool. Sarah is a great tour guide!

Wonderful place, as always! Interesting and unique. Reasonable admission and a beautiful location. A wonderful place to wander around for a few hours.

We had a free afternoon in the middle of a group tour. We chose Hammond Castle Museum. It was fabulous. After an hour tour we spent half an hour exploring on our own. Sitting outside on the lawn was peaceful and relaxing. It was wonderful learning about Hammond and the impact his inventions had and has on the world. We were also surprised when two children ages 9 and 11 seemed to have an equally enjoyable time.

John Hammond who built this home was quite the character he was an eccentric millionaire inventor. His father introduced him to Thomas Edison at the age of ten and Edison became a mentor to him. Hammond was interested in sound and sound waves he invented the remote control, no noise propellers, buzz bombs, and the Hammond Organ. Some of his inventions were stolen by the Axis in World War 2 and used against us. His house is amazing with lots of architectural items from overseas incorporated into the home.

Must see when you are in the area. The museum tour itself is wonderful and extremely interesting but the setting just steals the show. Walk through the garden and take a look out over the ocean, just marvelous.

We were out by the park nearby and saw the castle in the distance. We just drove up the road and found this attraction! The grounds of the castle are very well kept. We spent time outside of the castle and the it was spectacular! The view of the ocean from the back yard was beautiful!

A very cool place to visit on a hot day in the literal sense of cool as the thick stone walls and indoor pool do a great job of moderating the outdoor temperature. A fasinating insight into the life of a sterotypcial rich American of the interwar years of the type mercilessly parodied by P G Woodhouse.

Be sure and verify when guides are doing tours (just call ahead and verify, the hosts are very friendly on the phone). The tour does not cost anything additional (everyone who enters regardless of whether they do guided or self-tour pays the same price). Yes, you have to pay admission (I think its $14, but totally worth it, amazing). Looking back on my whirlwind trip, visiting Hammond Castle was a highlight. So dark, and twisted sense of design from a ludicrous inventor. Hammond built in a lot of tricks and treats into this house, so be sure and do the guided tour to hear great stories and to know the secrets of this house. I enjoyed this house so much, we were here for 2 hours and the gift shop is nice, very nice handmade purses and such.

We were intrigued to find a castle tucked away on the coast of Gloucester. Very interesting story behind the owner and his eccentric design. He did seem very much ahead of his time and as an inventor it was interesting to observe. This is certainly not a place for those with mobility challenges (I have terrible knees and it was very difficult for me). The views of the harbor are beautiful. I did think the cost of admission was a bit steep especially if you decided to do self guided tour. We picked up the narrated tour along the way and that was very helpful so suggest doing that (no extra cost).

The Hammond Castle and Museum, in Gloucester, is a massive onetime mansion of a brilliant if bizarre inventor named John Hammond, who made his first million dollars at the age of nineteen. An inveterate collector, he furnished his domain with such items as Renaissance paintings, the skull of one of Christopher Columbus’s crewman, and an organ with over 8,000 pipes. The place is undeniably interesting, but it’s also dark, with information about its exhibits that’s often hard to read (and often missing altogether). The grounds include some beautiful gardens with great ocean views from certain vantage points. Don’t miss the videotape introduction to Mr. Hammond’s life and work – he could be a poster child for the eccentric genius.

An over-the-top personal folly of a home dressed up as a castle. While interesting, the castle presented itself more like a theme park attraction. A few rooms stood out as being well put together. Others were pure farce. Not as grand or elegant as Salisbury House in Des Moines, IA or Glensheen in Duluth MN for example.

Great place to visit. Staff was extremely nice and very helpful answering any questions that we had about the castle or items inside. Well worth a visit to stop and look around.

Unique castle not to be missed so much history with a gorgeous view! It has the feel of a European miedeval castle but built in the 1920’s
Really interesting.

Visited Hammond Castle today and throughly enjoyed it. Signed up for the guided tour which took about 30 minutes. Our guide was Caleb who was very knowledgable and entertaining. The guided tour was followed by a self guided tour through the remainder of the property. We found lots of interesting items to see and read about. Plan to go early and buy your guided tour tickets online first. Self guided can be purchased onsite. Parking can be challenging we arrived for the 10:30am tour but leaving at noon the cars were lined up on street to get in. Also as others have mentioned in reviews inside the castle is not suited for people with mobility issues. Stairwells are very narrow and spiral up. Overall it was worth the visit and would recommend checking it out if in the area.

My husband and I visited the castle 26 years ago and loved it, so wanted to take another look and show our 14 year old daughter this time around. We were dissapointed as there was a wedding event setting up this time and so could not walk the grounds even though we were there before the 4 o'clock closing time. However, would still recommend people to go and see! The view looking out over the water is amazing! And the inside is amazing.

What a waste of time! Guide talked forever about nothing in a very dark dining room. Everything was dark...well everything that was open. We knew parts were closed but the whole “castle” should have been closed. Expensive for next to nothing. And when we were leaving we heard the workers were finished, taking their stuff out and the beautiful parts would soon be open. I think we’re should have been offered some kind of return ticket. Don’t bother going.

Our visit to the Hammond Castle was very brief since we were visiting multiple sights that day. Overall, it was a very positive experience. It is a very cool place to visit because it is just so unique and authentic. It's a picture-perfect place too. I would recommend this place if you are in the area.

This castle was truly an experience. So unexpected on the cliffs of MA. It was so unique with all the stained glass & it even had a draw bridge. The great hall was something out of a movie, amazing. They had some of the windows open so we got the ocean breeze. It is not wheelchair or baby stroller friendly or if you have bad knees I would probably not go. Very inexpensive to tour($20). We rented a car & drove from Boston. Amazing girls trip.

Well worth the $10/per person. Take a tour. Our guide was Scott and he made the place come alive. Hammond was a bit of an eccentric and practical joker, but he also was an inventor and scientist. He held many patented inventions. The Castle is a must see.

Very interesting and a beautiful castle, Well kept. The grand hall and court are something else.. And the Hammond organ.

Breathtaking is the first thing that comes to mind by viewing this hidden gem. Just happened upon this by viewing a brochure at a local gift shop. If you enjoy castles or old architecture, this will not disappoint. Only wish we would have arrived sooner as we only had an hour to go through it. The details and grounds are so detailed and the history behind it was quite interesting!

Although we were limited in the rooms we could visit due to Covid -19, it was still a fascinating visit! I enjoyed hearing about the eccentricities Mr. Hammond, and really loved the very old store fronts he bought in Europe and had installed in his house. So Many patents to learn about! A fascinating man, and a beautiful place to visit.

My husband and I went here on our first anniversary. Self guided tour is great so you can linger if you want. We really enjoyed the history and collection of artifacts through the castle. We got amazing photos in every room of this museum. Outdoor photography is just as awesome as this home sits on a cliff overlooking the water. We visited here in July of 2017 so it was pretty warm and as the castle does not have air conditioning for obvious reasons. The gift shop is packed full of pretty neat collectibles. They do run a fan in there to cool it down a bit. The only downfall is that if you need handicapped access they do not have any again due to the age of the structure and the amount of stairs and such.

What a hidden gem! Hrd to believe that this remarkable building was actually a family home. Now its a museum, open to the public, with the ability to tour the entire facility. What a fascinating man and a fascinating experience. Don't wait. Treat yourself!! And then go out for some great local seafood after your visit.

I have visited this castle/museum several times and have discovered new details each time I've been there. I highly recommend you research the man and his castle prior to visiting to better appreciate the visit. There are YouTube videos abound, including one ghost hunting episode involving the castle. Fascinating grounds. Fascinating man. Second only to Edison in the number of earned patents.

A must stop in and make sure to watch the first video! Learned allot about John Hammond and how bizarre he was as well!

But a fun two hours!!

This is a stunning museum right by the sea, absolutely full of artifacts and impressions. It's incredibly informative with loads of plaques and information available for a self-guided tour, and the museum itself also hosts a lot of events :)

It's been decades since I was her for the most beautiful wedding I've ever attended. The castle is simply stunning and worth the time

I'd come back to Massassuchetts, only to re-visit this castle. Don’t come for exhibitions, but for guided tours, gothic architecture and surroundings. I was literally breathtaking at first sight! The mix of architecture and coastline is simply dazzling. Our Guide (Danny) was extra and hilarious and taught us a lot about the castle and its inhabitants. I really enjoyed his fun facts. We felt completely transported to another time by visiting the rooms and the outside of the castle.

We arrived too late for the tour of the inside which ended at 4pm. But there was plenty to see from the outside. Quick stop, we spent about 30 minutes. Got some really great pics. Very scenic, kids loved it (ages ranged 6-16). Will probably go back for candle light tour of the inside.

I happened upon this by accident I suppose. Our trip was to Salem, but I saw this was only 30 minutes away by car. The closer you get to it, the more beautiful it got with the scenery. It's tucked away on the side of the road, and you might not know it was there. We took a Lyft, and it dropped us right in the parking lot. As the site suggests, book these ahead of time because reception is spotty at best. One you get there, you will have to go down and up and down and upstairs all over the property, but it's worth it, I promise. We arrived first thing and the views are stunning. You can take a guided or self-tour; we went solo with free reign of the place because we were first to arrive. Plan to spend 2 hours minimum discovering all the cool rooms and artifacts. We even got lost more than once. This was by far the highlight of the trip with all of the items displayed and the fun of the maze that is the castle's layout. There's something for everyone- history, architecture, technology, readers, adventurers. Besides, when else can you say, "yeah, I've been in a castle".

Interesting history. Take the time to watch the video in the beginning and read some history, makes the visit much more interesting. The site is beautiful right on the water, but it’s definitely in decline. Good for 1-2 hours. Parking lot was full, when we left someone was waiting for our spot.

Found this place by accident, and what a treasure! Having an engineering background, I should have heard of John Hammond. He was a protege of Edison, and quite an inventor, himself, having made some pioneering contributions to radio and television. Like William Randolph Hearst, he built this castle out of bits and pieces of European castles, and incorporated some of his own inventions in the construction, including a pipe organ of his own design. Worth the visit.

This is a very interesting beautiful museum. But get ready to walk u and down stairs. Some very narrow stone stairs. Some narrow spiral ones. Not a good place for very small children. You can take a guided tour or roam the castle on your home
Sometimes there are special events here too

The Hammond Castle guided tour was a very nice way to spend a few hours in the afternoon. Our tour guide was entertaining and engaging. After the guided tour they let you explore the castle and the grounds, but if you think of any questions the tour guides are happy to answer them even when they are on they're next tour group. Nifty attraction.

This home of John Hammond is a MUST SEE when in the Gloucester, MA area. Although quite the inventor (radio, acoustics and remote control technology), his legacy will be this castle. Meticulously maintained with numerous art & furniture dating to the 13th century, and earlier, adorns every room. We definitely recommend a guided tour verses a self guided tour, as you will be fascinated with Hammond's sense of humor, ingenuity and pursuit of treasures as only can be revealed by a tour guide such as Eric, who was spectacular.

When my daughter in law asked me to go on a road trip to Hammond Castle in Gloucester, Ma I said YES. But, I had to look it up before we went. After reading about the building and owner I said to myself, YES. We started out at 8:30 am to to the usual whining of, "How long" "Are we there yes." It was complicated because after a bathroom break we got on 95 going north when we needed south.

But before we knew it we were there. And what a place it was. My 10 year old grandson was just enchanted. The grounds outside were out just beautiful. THe castle sits on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic. We decided to due a guided tour and filled in the time before the start with a short movie near the gift shop and a walk around the grounds. There was no whining once we arrived.

Jordan was out guide and she was very knowledgeable about Mr. Hammond and the Castle. She was very patient with our 7 year old and his questions. She truly made this home and its owners come alive. The collection in the house is beyond belief. The re-created shops by the pool are simply beautiful. I thought that had I seen this in Europe I would never have seen it so close up; because tourists would be everywhere.

I would highly recommend this to anyone with a love of escentics, inventors, castles, beautiful scenery or mid-evil artifacts. My grandsons wanted to go up and down the castle a second time but I was tired out. I watched the movie a second time and learned more about this American inventor.

Look forward to bringing my husband. The displays are so beautiful.

Hammond Castle makes a truly fabulous day trip. We recently stayed in Rockport but, on an overcast day, instead of going to the beach, we headed to Gloucester. Even the first glimpse of the castle was breathtaking. Mr. Hammond gave quite a wedding present to his wife when he had the castle built for her. There were so many fascinating things to see inside and to learn about. This was a totally awesome experience for anyone who loves photography. It was hard to put down the cell phone camera! In a way, I'm glad we had an overcast day. Otherwise, we probably never would have discovered this unique gem. I'd like to find out more about Mr. Hammond's life and ability to invent. It's probably better to go sans kids to the castle but that was not an option for us. They did great.

This was a great place to explore! We did the guided tour with Mary and she was so knowledgeable and also interjected just the right amount of humor. The Hammonds were interesting people who created an interesting place to store their interesting treasures. Oh, and the view is pretty amazing, too.

I love this place, its full of so much great antiquities! Every where you look you can find a piece of history that will inspire and intrigue you.

Inside the castle was too dark and smelly. It was hard to see the collection, which was quite a mishmash of things, because of the very low lighting. The castle grounds are a little bit better. It was not worth my $10.

If you love the Renaissance, medieval times, gothic-like architecture, you will enjoy this "anomalie" in the Cape Ann area of Massachusetts. This castle was the passion project of the millionaire inventor of 400+ items, John Hammond. As a child, his parents took him to Europe and he became enamored with castles. So he build this one in Gloucester of all places. It was interesting to see the amassed treasures and the guided tour did have a ton of information. You toured just a couple of rooms and then were able to explore the open areas on your own. If you are a fan of that time period, you'll enjoy it. Also, clearly, it is not for anyone with mobility issues.

This castle reminded me of Hearst's Castle, on a smaller scale, as it is filled with artifacts taken from European castles and homes, as well as some Roman artifacts. Hearst gave Hammond a ceiling for this home, one taken from Europe. Also interesting information about the patents that Mr. Hammond got for all of his inventions. Worth the visit.

This was a great place to tour. Especially liked that the owner was a jokester and to see some of the oddities he built into the castle.

This is truly a house that was built to look like a castle. It's pretty cool. I booked a tour ahead of time, as it appeared that was required while searching on their website. However, you could also just show up and walk the castle on your own. It was nice to get a little more history about the castle and Mr. Hammond from the tour guide that we wouldn't have known from a self-guided tour. Also, the tour was informative, but not super long (maybe about 1/2 hour), which I appreciated.

This Should Be the Nbr 1 Tour in Glouster! Hammond Castle is wonderful! Absolutely breath taking! Historical elements galore! Staff enthusiastic & accommodating! Make time to visit!

It is really nice and every time I go there I think it would be an amazing spot for a wedding. However, I do think it is a bit of a tourist trap, especially if you have been to European castles.

My husband and I were just driving along the scenic byway and decided to stop. Definitely a great choice. Very interesting man and so many thing you would not have just known. Definitely worth a trip to take some time and look and learn.

Some of the building wasn’t restored so you can’t tour it all. One part even was vinyl wrapped to look like it was supposed to. The grounds could have been cleaner also but all in all a beautiful building

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!

When we visited the museum was still closed due to covid but it really seems like a cool and unique place. The grounds were beautiful and well kept and the views were amazing.

We took our three young kids to visit the castle. They love stories about princesses and nights. We bought foam swords and shields in the gift shop for a reasonable price. They pretended to protect the castle while we looked around. Our daughter pretended to be a princess. It was hot but beautiful. We never felt rushed and got to enjoy it all.

I've been to Gloucester a thousand times and I never knew this place was here. I was really taken back by the beauty of this property. There's so many rooms to explore, you definitely need to take your time and look through all of them. While taking the tour of the castle we noticed that you can have a guided tour. We chose not to do a guided tour cause we wanted to take our time. I do recommend to wear comfortable shoes during your time here. The stairs outside and inside can be a little bit challenging. The parking lot is not very big so, you might wanna plan your visit carefully. Overall The Hammond Castle is amazing!

I posted a photo of the exterior of Hammond Castle on my Facebook, captioned "Europe?? Nope - Gloucester, MA!"

To say this place is impressive doesn't even come close. It's jaw-dropping, especially when you enter the Great Hall. It'll take you a while to simply absorb and comprehend everything in there - how old all those artifacts, art works, pieces of furniture, and massive architectural elements are, and the sheer logistics of having them all shipped safely from Europe or elsewhere to Massachusetts in the 1920s, and then having them all installed in this highly eccentric creation of a dwelling. Mind-boggling, but, of course, if you have the wealth that John Hays Hammond had ......

And then there's the realization of what an astonishingly prolific, futuristic, 400-patent-holding inventor he was, right alongside his obsessive collecting of antiquities. It's almost too much to take in! I had to promptly get on the Internet after our visit to learn more, much more about JHH ... and some it was disturbing.

Anyway, we were there on a dark rainy Monday in mid-September, which made the whole experience brooding and atmospheric, with an edge of spooky - intensified by the bleak grey choppy Atlantic Ocean DIRECTLY below the windows.

Important! -- Before planning to visit, be aware: navigating the many old, uneven, sometimes-slippery stone surfaces and steps, exterior as well as interior, can be difficult for some. I believe the website says something like "elder-unfriendly." Those with mobility and/or balance issues may find Hammond Castle challenging, or even inaccessible. Some areas of the Castle seem like a confusing rabbit warren of dim, narrow passages and steep, precarious steps ... there are some handrails, some heavy ropes to hang onto, and some carved-in stone grooves to grip, but you must always be very careful.

A must-visit. Every bit a gothic castle you'd imagine in a story but amazingly the former home of a true genius inventor. Lots of nooks and crannies to check out, history to learn, diagrams and articles of Hammond's contributions. It's worth a visit on its own.

Stunning castle on Gloucester Bay. Stone and brick interior walls, imported carved stone windows, arches throughout. Fascinating "house" of the inventor John Hammond. Not to be missed.

We came from Nebraska and this Castle was one of our main tourist attractions we planned to see. We checked the dates and times before going. Said open until 4:00 pm. We got there at 3:30 and they literally shut the door as we were walking to the Entrance. I thought it was a mistake that it was locked,so I knocked and no one even acknowledged the knock. Very disappointing, as only opportunity we will have to see. We did enjoy walking around the outside and taking pictures! The view was amazing. My suggestion would be for hours to be posted for when doors close, so that people are not turned away during posted open times. I did check the posted time today as I am writing this and it states open. To me this means open!

This was my second visit to the castle since 2010. Originally, a tour guide led our group, but it is now self-guided with a book in hand. A must see for those who like historic homes and history. John Hammond was an eccentric inventor who is well known for his inventions, innovations and illustrious taste.

Finding the home is not difficult and not too far from town, but the day we went, an annual Renaissance festival was held to benefit the home which directed us to park elsewhere with a shuttle for a fee. Normally, the parking is free at the castle. The only negative was that the fee or a partial fee could have been refunded with the addition of the castle admission.

I did receive a much more involved retrospect of the historical and mystical history of the home during my prior visit. The home itself does appear to offer admittance to spaces since my prior visit as well. A must see in Gloucester for anyone. Admission was only 15.00.

What an interesting place to visit. Lots of rooms and artifacts. Took so many pictures. Make sure you go all the way to the top of the stairs.

Such a unique experience! Stunning views with a very interesting history! An incredible step back in time! Tour at your own leisure - definitely plan to take lots of pictures. I've been multiple times - a fun place to visit no matter what the weather is like!

Hammond castle has free parking and looks right over the bay. The castle itself is stunning and a great place to visit for a half day. The castle is a lovely jumble of other castles from Europe made into a grand manor house. Great place to bring kids and for folks into history. The tour is incredible. Well Worth it.

Not worth the time nor the expense. Very dark castle with no gardens. Gorgeous view but that’s it. Not worth it. Disappointing way to spend the time.

The castle is interesting. It was the home of an prolific, but strange, inventor. Only a few rooms are open to the public. And, if you go in the summer, it is not air conditioned.

My husband and I enjoyed touring the castle but I would not say you should go out of your way to see it.

I am a person that loves going on weekend trips to explore new places. Since COVID-19, I am so sad that I haven't been able to do that. So when I saw pictures of Hammond Castle on my friend's Instagram, I knew I wanted to visit.

My mom and I drove up to Gloucester from Boston on a Saturday morning (about an hour's drive). The drive was very scenic and didn't feel like an hour.

When we got there, we were told to follow the arrows to wait for the next tour. However, they were setting up for a wedding where we were waiting. My mom and I were find standing there, but it seemed to disturb the employees, so 5 minutes before our tour we were moved to a different location.

The tour lasted about 30 minutes. They gave you an in depth tour of 2 of the rooms and then you were free to roam to the other rooms. It was really interesting and very in depth. Mr. Hammond was quite an interesting guy!

For $18 and beautiful views, it is well worth the trip!

Gorgeous castle to walk in/around a learn a bit about. We got some awesome pictures here. Really cool experience if you have some time to spare in Gloucester.

(Actually family without children of any age. Dear Trip Advisor. It's annoying that this category does not exist. )

This is a super super place to visit. Meant for ages to see it and then drive by it accidentally. Came right back the next day.

Walked around on our own but the tour guides were doing some groups and seemed really really enthralling. I'd highly recommend 2 visits, one with the tour guide then take time to look in detail on your own at everything. There is so much to see. And what an interesting family and fascinating house. Every room is full of surprises and laugh out loud stories. Mr Hammond's father was the owner and builder of the other castle in Gloucester but you can't visit that one.

Gardens are beautiful and the view of the sea is worth a stop all of it's own. Bring a picnic and enjoy the view.

$14 adult admission. This guy was a genius. The museum had a self guided tour, and a guided tour that spelled out some of the highlights. His inventions are all around us today, the radio contol one was fantastic. A list with all his patents is inside and extensive. Highly recommend. Could be a rainy day activity, although you would miss the outside view of the grounds. We probably spent 80% inside. Small parking lot. Spent maybe 1.5 hours there.

Fantastic spot for a medieval castle! Gorgeous views of Gloucester Harbor. Fun, self-guided tour through a wonderful former residence of John Hays Hammond, inventor extraordinaire. Cool indoor pool feature, as well as his laboratory, library, and Renaissance artifacts. Whole family had great time

We visited Columbus Day weekend and they were doing a haunted house on the weekend and bussing people from a nearby parking lot. It was so much fun! The grounds were so nice to explore and the castle was decorated for Halloween. Even thought you were walking through a haunted castle you could get a very good feel of what the castle is like and it was really cool. Just as you would imagine a medevil castle, right down to the drawbridge.

My husband and I did a self guided tour of Hammond Castle which was a great way to experience the castle at our own pace.
The architecture is impressive and the history facilitating. We loved looking at all the interesting and unusual artifacts throughout the many rooms. The bathrooms were clean. The castle grounds are beautiful with lovely ocean views.
Make sure you leave yourself lots of time to explore.

Brought my 25 year old daughter here for her birthday! We loved the guided tour plus then were allowed to wonder around on our own. Beautiful architecture! The waterfront property & gardens were amazing & she took so many photos. Needless to say, my history-loving, princess had a great time! Gift shop had some really cool items too- like a ring of large vintage looking keys and helmet keychains!

I thoroughly enjoyed my tour of the residence/museum of John Hays Hammond. I would highly recommend the guided tour. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and added significantly to the experience. It should be noted that it is NOT handicapped accessible! I would also note that the gift shop is very outdated and dirty and that the room where they show a ten minute video only had four chairs in it.

Don’t miss this stunning medieval castle complete with drawbridge! Stunning views of the harbor. Be sure to wear the appropriate footwear to climb the stone stairs and circular stairs.

Hammond Castle is wonderfully eerie and weird. We booked the Spiritualism Tour and it was very interesting. We ate our dinner on the lawn of the castle which had been unplanned because originally we were going to eat at the Seaport Grille due to unforeseen time constraints we went to Causeway and got a delicious meal only made better by the fact that we had a blanket and I had jeans in the car.
After dinner we went for a tour of the castle learning about all if its semi macabre history. It was very interesting and enjoyable. WE had several tour guides throughout the tour but each was just as good and just as nice. In fact the tour was scheduled for an hour and it turned into an hour and a half. Memento Mori , a partial skeleton, a weird echo chamber and were regaled with a few stories of ghosts at the castle. I did not realize that Hammond was buried there along with his mummified cats. When I asked the person in the gift shop if she saw any spirits she said no but she did see cats!

One oddity, when leaving the castle to walk back to the parking lot if you go to the right you end up in someones yard equipped with a security camera and huge no trespassing sign. I completely do not understand why there is not a sign or even a barrier to prevent you form taking the wrong path if the neighbors do not want you to walk in their yard!!

I have visited Hammond Castle Museum three or four times now, rom a self-guided tour to school field trips with a guide, but I have never been there at night.

My son and his family were visiting a couple of weeks ago, and I noticed that the castle holds candlelight tours on Thursday nights in July and August.

The castles atmosphere certainly changes at night and with candles. The tour lasted a little more than an hour, and happily, was not a duplicate for any tour I have had during the day. The tour guide simply focuses on other things to share about the castle .

Naturally, the kids loved being in a real castle. If this kind of thing is your first trip there I would also recommend going for a self-guided tour during the day where you can take your time and wander about at will. Because of their tight schedule, and the dimness of the castle, we needed to stay together for this tour.

Note: The castle is not handicap in stroller friendly in most areas. There are narrow, awkward staircases, etc.

Hammond castle, and this candlelight tour in particular, are well worth the trip.

Cool castle and great to do on a rainy day. Very informative with the crazy nature of Hammond and his design work of the castle. You can finish this in about an hour. Entrance was reasonable at $10 with free parking.

I recommend a guided tour. You don't want to miss a single thing. It's amazing and quite impressive. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Stopped here on a rainy day when we couldn't take advantage of the beach. Toured through this eclectic former home and found it very interesting.

This was a very entertaining adventure. The castle was amazing to tour and the characters of the time were a great enhancement to the environment. Great day trip.

I had never heard of Hammond Castle until I saw an Instagram post about it from Destination Salem. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re in the area, it’s so pretty and the history is super interesting. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and made the tour fun. If you’re driving up from Boston or Salem, take the scenic route on 127, such amazing views!

An excentric inventor (Hammond) had this place built. It is filled with many interesting features. There is a 20 minute video available for viewing prior to intering the castle. I reccomend that you do watch it as it gives good background information. There were two areas undergoing renovations so we did not see them. Some rooms dedicated to a display about Hammond's inventions which are as amazing as the castle. Make sure you stop here when in Gloucester. Check hours prior to visiting.

My favorite room is the indoor court yard. He could change the weather to make it rain or mist. The pool looks very shallow, but he would dive off the bridge, it is really over 8' deep. Throughout are his collection of artifacts from the 12th through 15th centuries. Having a remote controlled full size boat with no one on it must have had some really great reactions from other ships. What a fascinating man. Can't wait to learn more.

Had high hopes. Our guide sucked. Idk if Chris was trying to be funny or what but basically had nothing good to say about Hammond himself. The whole talk was about how useless and dumb everything was and really he was just a rich guy with $ to waste. I started the tour feeling like I’d already wasted 20$. Considering how the guided and self guided tour were both the same price it was all a waste. And then at the end there’s a box for donations and tipping your guide. They might want to rethink their business plan.

We had the best tour guide. Easy to hear and very informative. It seemed he must have study very long and hard to have remembered so many details of information.
Differently read up on this castle or take a tour very sorry not to have taken our tour guide name. I listened in on another tour guide who did not say much.
Hammond invented so many different patents! From blender to Ham Radio, organ, ships radar and that just a start. I thought I’d be bored, no way!
Built the castle has to be a museum while also living there with a wife 10 yrs older than he.
Best view in the castle is through the woman’s bathroom .

We thoroughly enjoyed the hour-long tour of the castle and hearing the history of the eccentric inventor who built the castle. We recommend a visit to the castle for adults and children alike.

The place is beautiful, very different and cool to see, you feel a little lost inside with the many doors, stairs it feels like a maze and if u have asthma then just go out side because the smell inside can be strong

A must see on your trip there! Take the tour..you will be amazed at this man's genious and feel his presence in every room!

Wow! This castle was full of textured layers. So much to look at in each room. A lot of thought went into designing this one of a kind Medieval abode complete with a moat and a very distinct personality. The castle sits at oceans edge and hosts weddings and other functions as well. The parking lot offered outhouses...no thank you. But, I was happy to use the restroom inside. Cost is $12 pp $10 seniors. There was some interesting history told here. It would return. It’s a beautiful castle.

Been to Hammond castle a number of times
Usually go every other year as they are always working on parts of the castle and opening new areas. Lots of neat things to see

Our guide Allison made our day! Very knowledgeable and took her time to answer our questions. She also stayed with us till time for her next tour - thank you. The castle is interesting with a lot of artifacts. Many small rooms. Many staircases Fun to think he lived in it most of his life. Nice! Highly recommended.

This place was just filled with architecture and history. The garden room and outside the front of the castle were my favorite.

We walked the beautiful grounds with our children, who thought this was a real castle, princess and all. We did not take the paid tour inside but we noticed it was $10 per adult. It took us about 15-20 minutes to leisurely stroll the grounds and take pictures. This place would be amazing for wedding pics. Beautiful views.

We were in Gloucester for the day and were looking for some things to do. We selected the Hammond Castle and were glad we did. First, it is such an interesting place, and Mr. Hammond was such an incredible person. I am surprised we do not know more about him and his inventions. Coming to the castle, you are on a road leading out of Gloucester, but near the ocean. Once you get to the castle, parking is a bit limited, and it is necessary to walk down a sloped area to get to the castle, but once there, it is worth it. The view from that area out to the ocean is just marvelous. And when in the gift shop, looking out the window, you have such a majestic view. But the Castle itself is so very interesting and so full of many items he purchased and brought back from Europe and other parts of the world. It took about an hour or slightly more, to walk through, and we could have easily spent much more time, but at our age, going up and down a lot of stairs is a bit tiring. You enter the castle on the main floor, and then go down a hallway to a set of confining stairs to take you down another flight. From there, you enter the main hall and other rooms and another set of stairs, taking you down to another area, or across the courtyard and up into the bedrooms. Mr. Hammond was involved in the area of electronics and radio. When you read the information about him, you learn he had over 1,000 patents. What an incredible man. This place is well worth a visit. I would say, especially on a nice sunny day when you can look out and see that marvelous view of the Ocean and have the time to go through every place in the castle.

The castle was closed on the day we visited, so we didn't have chance to get inside. We walk on their property and or really beautiful.

Who builds a castle in Gloucester? A guy who had 436 patents to his name and had a fascination with medieval architecture. Mr. Hammond. Self guided tour of this most unusual attraction. Lots of narrow spiral staircases. Too bad it was foggy for our Christmas season visit which killed the views of the ocean.

Really gorgeous! Our( 2) 14yr. olds had a blast touring on their own while we caught up with them here and there. They and we took tons of pics. Indoor and outdoor views were spectacular, and in May will be full of flowering fauna.

Beautiful and quite interesting. A must. Amazing eccentric pieces that goes with an amazing story. Every room has a hidden treasure. To stop and appreciate the beautiful is necessary to get the most out of this experience.

Because we got a late start we were forced to do the self guided tour. Still very interesting though I think doing the guided tour (no extra cost for it - just timing) would make this much more enjoyable. Hammond sounds like he was a piece of work - would love to have more insight into him.

Went here for the first time on a trip with friend. I was amazed by how important architecturally and historically this castle is. It really is a castle. We had the most informative and interesting tour guide you could ever hope for. If I didn't live hundreds of miles away I would love to go back. It was really swell.

The Self guided tour was well Organized. The path they had you take was a one way path which prevented tourist getting in the way of each other. The interior of the Castle was as impressive and the exterior with furnishings of the correct time period.

Second time there. We took the guided tour this time and was allowed to explore after . Both views from inside and out are spectacular. So much history inside and artifacts from around the world. Well worth the trip.’

Interesting landmark, museum. Fascinating history. We took the guided tour, which I would recommend - but it is not necessary.

If you like history and into castles this is the place to see. A very beautiful place with the best ocean views!

Okay, this place is certainly unique and worth the visit if you are in Gloucester. John Hammond was certainly a genius and an eccentric, but not the romantic he is cracked up to be. All the women I know who heard how he built the place for his bride swoon over how much he must have loved her, until they learn that she never wanted the place. His idea of a birthday present to her was a bronze nude of himself in full anatomical detail, if you know what I mean. They would routinely go days without even speaking to each other. So by all means go. At the least, maybe your wife or girlfriend will learn that having a man willing to build her a castle is not as great as it sounds.

The museum/castle has some very beautiful rooms and exhibits, some other spots appear to be a little derelict and could use some restoration. Ultimately it was a fun stop off that took us about an hour to go through. Some rooms were closed because there was work being done in them. Some of the staff seemed pretty clueless.

We truly felt like we went back in time and traveled to Europe, even though the Castle was built in the 1900's. We went with young children and they loved exploring the castle from the inside and the premises as well. We enjoyed learning about the eccentric and funny personality of Mr. Hammond and about his many inventions. Our exploration in total took around 2 hours, so allocate enough time for a relaxed tour of the castle. Good to know that the l last tickets were sold at 3:30 pm. Worth the trip!

The Hammond Castle is definitely worth visiting. It has a striking Gothic style and is located seaside. The most fascinating thing about Hammond Castle is all of the inventions by John Hays Hammond, Jr. He added many secret passageways to his home and there is an indoor swimming pool with its own weather system. The castle is rumored to be haunted and we watched the Ghost Hunters show highlighting the castle after our visit. Truly a fascinating place and it is obvious that the current owners are working hard to preserve it for generations to come.

This was worth the $10. It is really necessary to watch the video prior to going through to get the true personality of Hammond and his wife. The signs explained everything but the video showed his eccentric and practical joking ways.

I was confused by the gift shop that seemed to be an ecclectic mix, not necessarily relating ot the castle. Salt and pepper shakers, medieval swords and geodes. An odd mix.
The castle was intriquing, but was in needs of grounds cleanup. A garden club should donate their services to assist in plantings. The wooded areas had benches. The arches were great photo opps. I hope that this place continues to be cared for. It is a great place for photography. There was a wedding there the day before which wasn't cleaned up so there were used cups and hangers around the property. If the property is rented, it should be cleaned up quickly.

I was surprised at how many patents Hammond had. It was an eye opening tour of a great inventor.

It's not a big castle, but there're a lot of interesting things. Mr. Harmond Jr. was indeed an interesting host. Make sure you take the guided tour to get the best experience.

Castle on a lake with a draw bridge and arches looking out on the lake and arches looking at the inner courtyard and the rest of the stuff a castle has. Unfortunately it wasn't open when we were there but we could still look around the outside.

Thought this was a very interesting place to visit. Didn't take long to go through the castle, but there was a lot of fascinating items there. His history is interesting. Worth the visit.

I was here for a work meeting but the castle was incredible to visit. The views were stunning, the information inside the castle interesting, and the castle itself was very well-kept. Would highly recommened visiting!

It was closed, as per the website it was supposed to be open, we took a Uber ride that cost us about 20$ to see this castle,even the sign outside the castle said it was open.They should keep their website updated.

This is a real castle on the ocean in Massachusetts. Real in the sense that it was someone's home, real stone and wood, built like a medieval castle. It was a lot of fun with beautiful views. Definitely worth a visit.

Have gone here several times. But all the times I have gone the castle was closed to view inside. This time I got to go inside . It was as pretty as I remember when I went on one of my kids field trips decades ago. I say you need 2-3 hours as there are beautiful grounds to visit after you go through the inside of the castle.

I enjoyed the 30 minute guided tour of the great hall and the atrium (with the pool). It’s very pretty and a lot of cool things to look at. The pool was so pretty!

It’s a little pricey for a guided tour of two rooms and then self guided tour for the basement and the 2 bedrooms upstairs. The whole thing took one hour. But the views of the Atlantic Ocean are amazing from the backyard. If you are in the area, check it out!

Very interesting and pleasant surprise. Enjoyed the tour. Well worth it. Make sure you watch the intro video before the tour - we missed that. Hammond was an interesting character and the visit prompted us to research him further. Definitely a place to visit!

This is an excellent destination for couples, groups, families and children. I went with my wife but we know our children would have also enjoyed. Remarkable architecture to be seen in America. Medevil castle mixed with several other architectural eras. The area they allow as part of the tour is impressive. It is unfortunate that private quarters were not partially opened but even with those closed off there is a large area to explore. Well maintained and also close to most areas in Gloucester.

Hot humid and overpriced..Some cool history with the RC parents and inventions etc..Especially related to torpedoes..But overall kind of a rip off for what they charge.

Fee is only $10 which is good news. View is beautiful enjoy. The interior is old mold and uncared for.

First of all, Take the Guided Tour

A skilled guide enhances any museum.

I found the guides here to be knowlegable, patient, and passionate for this marvlous place.

Here at Hammond Castle they transformed what could have been a dry experience into one that was exceptional.

My family had a great time here, even my teenage sons (who are tough to please).

Second of all, not only is this place not Handicapped Accesible, it can be dangerous to anyone.

The problem is not lack of maintenance, but rather, apparently of design. I've not visited the great castles of Europe, but I'd expect they also have issues with stairs and handrails.

Stairs can be uneven, steep, slippery. Handrails vary from stone handholds carved into the wall, to rope, to missing.

If you have any balance difficulties, or use a cane, it may be best you skip any visit.

I was expecting great views of the harbor but got a whole lot more. Take a guided tour. The artifacts are amazing.

We were there off season so could not tour the castle, but we did do the haunted castle at night. It was fun.

We were not able to go inside since it was closed BUT to see the outside alone and walk the ground WOW. Castle is totally medieval look and I wish we could have seen the inside to see the complete collection.

Beautiful place. Really friendly staff. Did the self guided tour. The booklet is pretty detailed and there are also signs throughout with QR codes if you don't want to do a guided tour.

We were so glad we decided to check this place out. The views and photo opportunities are amazing. Very reasonable admission fee. It is a self guided tour and if you read each description on the map that is provided as you go along, it is very interesting. We noticed most people just walk around without referring to the map, so they may not have gotten out of it as much as we did. We spent about 2 hours here and had a great time.

This is great exhibit about life and inventions of an early 20 century American inventor, John Hammond. He was able to invent and test a sea drone ship, which traveled from Gloucester to Boston and back using radio waves to navigate it. He had some other inventions as well, including a robotic dog, which was supposed to react to light and scare away (or maybe, even shoot) robbers. He also collected great culture artifacts, like Russian orthodox icons, and architectural elements from Europe. The mansion is built right on the edge of a hill overlooking the ocean. Parking was a bit limited, so it would be recommended to come early.

We go to this castle at least once a year; we love the fairs it has and the historic look of it by the beach. There is a lot of vendors at the fair and they have cute items; for the kids there is face painting, inside there is acting and singing if when in a fair.
We've also visited without a fair and it's a great spot for photos and makes you feel like you are in Europe for the day.

My husband and I took the self guided tour of Hammond Castle Museum. We loved going from room to room. There were lots of stairs to go from different levels. I loved the Great Hall the most. It had an organ in the room and all the pipes were housed in the walls surrounding walls. The pipes were all hidden. I enjoyed The Courtyard with a pond but was really used as a pool for John Hays Hammond and his guests. He could have it filled with either fresh or salt water. This Castle was a wedding gift to his wife.

This place is amazing, quirky and beautiful! Staff is very nice and polite. Lots a great photo opportunity

We visited this castle as our 1st stop in Gloucester. It was a very unique experience with amazing views! All 3 of our children loved it!

The last time I visited the Castle (at least two years ago), there was no option for guided tours or even an audio guide. There were just some tiny, ancient typewritten plaques in each room. Well, today I had an EXCELLENT and very well-informed guide for the main parts of the Castle, and then the non-guided sections had some updated, helpful and easy-to-read plaques. Pretty impressive that they're hitting it out of the park right now, in spite of the pandemic! The gift shop is also much improved; more attractive space and better merchandise, though unfortunately I thought the jewelry very overpriced.
Although the Castle may seem like an ideal rainy-day activity, I'd recommend going on a clear day because the gardens are charming and the view of the ocean very nice. Bring binoculars if you can!

Interesting building and décor. My grandkids (8 & 10) loved it. Very knights of the round table oriented. Very pretty. Reasonable admission fee.

A lot of the old art and we did a lot of walking around the castle there I think it’s a nice place to visit if you have trouble with stairs in there

Wonderful place to visit! We knew nothing about John Hammond before, but found he was an amazing inventor with so many patents and a collector of medieval artifacts of museum quality. Every room was a learning experience. The castle architecture was amazing. The grounds and views were beautiful. What a wonderful surprise this day turned out to be! Don't miss it! It is near Magnolia, south of Gloucester.

Truly unique wedding venue. There were several docents on site, and while the reception area was being set up, they offered tours of a limited part of the castle. The docents bring the castle to life with stories of the rooms and the eccentricity of the owner. Our friend whose son was getting married warned us there were pebbles, cobblestones and spiral staircases, uneven surfaces - you get the picture. Heels are not a good idea, unless you are young and very agile! It was November so we did not roam the grounds, but they did look nice.

What an experience and perfect day to visit this amazing place once owned by John Hays Hammond a man considered a genius and his wife Irene.

Cool Victorian castle.
Only open on weekends so on a Wednesday all we could do was walk the grounds.

I used to visit here with my parents as a child. This year I took my girlfriend and was able to take in so much more about this peculiar individual. We highly enjoyed the muesem even as a child I always remember it being the coolest part of our vacation.

Tree lined stone steps wind down the hill from the parking lot and open up to views of the ocean through 4 arches. Take the draw-bridge into the castle built by inventor John Hammond Jr. $20 will give you either a guided or self guided tour of the castle and grounds. It is free to walk the grounds. The vistas from the arches and back yard are amazing.

Interesting history provided by our guide Brendan. He was extremely knowledgeable and answered all questions. Beautiful grounds and loved walking through the castle in our self guided portion of the tour.
Suggestion-if your small children cannot behave it’s best to not take this tour.

Took both the guided tour and the spiritualism tour. Both were amazing and covered different content. The tour guides were knowledgeable, professional, and engaging. Would highly recommend a tour of this amazing castle.

Loved the history and all the textiles that were used in the artwork and structure of the castle. The winding staircases, stain glass windows and gorgeous paintings were absolutely amazing and inviting.

A definite must do when visiting the area. 1-1.5 hours is sufficient to appreciate this very cool castle overlooking the ocean. We took the guided tour but wish it was longer. The guide was great but after 30 minutes she said we are on our own to experience the rest of the castle. It is because the rooms and stairwells are smaller for a group to tour. But each room has info in it to read. There is lots to look at and marvel over from as early as the 13th century. Hammond was quite the unique individual. I had never heard of him and his inventions are quite visionary. Check out the magnetic bottle opener (not to underscore his intelligence) I just found that to be quirky. Beautiful property on the outside. Inside is gothic and on the dark side but so much to see I would highly recommend.

My sister and I did the candlelight tour. The tour guide was Faith and she was very entertaining! It was her first tour group and she did a fine job. Being in a group of about 30 people was tight. though the stories about the Hammonds were entertaining, I think a self guided tour might be more suitable for me because I would have liked to have lingered in the courtyard and organ hall, but had to stay with the group. The tour was over in 45 minutes, I would have liked to have had longer.

This "castle" designed by John Hays Hammond is a must for anyone visiting Gloucester.

The man was a genius and you cannot help but be enthralled by his inventiveness and eccentricity. A couple of hours spent wandering around the castle will leave you intrigued and awestruck. The sheer number of patents (800 or so) filed is amazing and his guests included Gershwin, Meredith and J D Rockefeller.

We went here for the Halloween "Halls of Darkness," which was a lot of fun. I definitely want to go back to see the castle in the daylight and without the Halloween theme. The castle was really cool.

Visited the Hammond Castle and was pleasantly surprised by all that was seen. Great castle with several architectural styles woven in to the build. Mr. Hammond collected several artifacts and pieces from other countries and incorporated them into his castle. 65' ceilings in the master hall, the largest organ ever installed in a private residence with 8200 pipes, an indoor pool and spiral staircases. He was also a great inventor with over 400 inventions and 800 patents.A wonderful spot for weddings and private functions. Well worth a visit.

Beautiful location overlooking Gloucester Harbor. Grounds are lovely. Castle open for tours with reservation but we chose not to enter. Like so many historic places, the Museum is in need of a generous donor to maintain the building and grounds. In the meantime, enjoy this treat.

This castle has a lot of interesting historical artifacts throughout the castle. The grounds are beautiful. The view is spectacular! The tour guide was very funny and knowledgeable! Lots of Instagram worthy pictures!

Interesting stop on my visit from California. We had a great tour guide. Ian was perfectly informative, humorous, and did great relating this gem from the last to the present. I go to many historical sites etc and have lots of tour guides. She definitely rates amongst the more positive experiences.

The “castle” itself, is super interesting and has wonderful pieces of history throughout. Architecture was intriguing. Could have spent much more time looking at each little piece and walking the grounds but was short in time. Worth a stop if it fits in the schedule.

Went for the haunted tour with my husband. As far as the scare factor goes, I’d rate it rather low. It was still pretty fun. We found out that most of the scarers are high school students who volunteer which I thought was kind of cool. The castle itself is beautiful and I’d love to go back during the day for one of their regular tours.

This castle is a tribute to creative eccentric wealth. The owner was a wonderful inventor from the pre WW II years. We learned a lot of untold history.

We stopped at the castle as we were on last day and leaving the Gloucester area. My two boys, age 16 & 21, thought they would only run in for ~30 min and then we would be on our way again. 90 min later, i was having to tell them we had to get going. The boys were surprised by the history of the owner of the castle. My sons were impressed with all the patents, experiments and collections the castle owner had. One of the tour guides gave us the '4 min' answer to our question about the skull -- it is worth every second. Ask about that skull... you will be surprised and amazed. Have fun.

Hammond Castle is worth a stop when in the Cape Ann area.
Built in 1926 by eccentric inventor John Hays Hammond Jr. as home and museum, it showcases a variety of historical architectural styles and has some interesting artifacts on exhibit—as well as amazing views of the ocean.
It’s well worth it to take the guided tour to hear about the interesting character that was John Hammond. Do not take the 3:00 tour, as you likely won’t have enough time to see the portions of the castle that are self-guided.
It’s worth noting that there is no part of this place that is handicapped accessible and if anyone in your party has trouble with stairs, balance, or vision in low-light conditions this will not be enjoyable. The street and parking lot are above the building, which is set into the hill below, so there is a flight of (uneven, irregular, although charming) stairs just to get down to the entrance, with no way to drop someone at the door. There are also many dimly lit, narrow, winding and uneven stairs in the building, many without handrails-as one might find in an actual ancient european castle.

Such a nice stop on our way to Rockport. We did a self guided tour but wish I had done a guided one. It would have been nice to know some of the back story of the place or some info on what I was looking at. We were give a booklet to look at but it isn't the same. I recommend booking a guided tour. Overall the castle was beautiful and the views of the water were breathtaking. Definitely worth a stop.

Ovet the Cut Bridge, just past Stagefort Park is the ersatz medieval caste. It looks out at legendary Norman's Woe which took its tool of wrecked ships. Be sure to see the grand organ and curious period rooms. Strange events and mystic rituals took place withn these massive walls. There were gatherings of nights round the table so to speak.

The castle is absolutely beautiful and full of interesting history and artifacts. John Hays Hammond Jr was a fascinating person and it was awesome to wander through the iconic home he built and learn about his talents and contributions to history. The ocean views from the castle windows are breathtaking and you can walk around on the grounds behind the castle as well. It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

The "castle" itself as well as the history of the owner, prolific inventor John Hammond Jr. is worth a short drive from the center of town. The short video upon entry gave us background information, but the free tour included in the entrance fee really brought the place to life. Our "guide" was actually the curator of the museum and obviously a wealth of information as he shared his love of the place. A great hall, secret passages and Hammond's laboratory - a hidden treasure indeed.

This is more then a castle/home. This guy was a genius! He was so creative with his home. Not only his home his inventions. He has a skull which is supposed to be from a crew member of Christopher Columbus first voyage!!! The man loved his home and still with it...buried in the gardens! We did the self your and loved it!

We did a day trip from NH. The castle was very cool as were some of the stories about its owner. The workers were very pleasant. It was clean and the views were spectacular. It cost us 20.00 per person to get in. That was a bit steep in my opinion. As long as you are ok with the price and you know that this isn’t in the same league as the Breakers in Newport, you could still have a good time, but you won’t see as much as you would in Newport. It’s much smaller. We did the self-guided tour and got a lot out of it. Some of the staircases are narrow and steep.

A very interesting place to visit full of artifacts and discoveries. The free guided tour made it soo much more interesting.

Wonderful time visiting Hammond Castle, incredible furniture and furnishings, very interesting while really cool. Highly recommend it!

A very interesting medieval castle in Massachusetts. Beautifully located on the waterfront. Unique style and friendly hosts.

An eclectic collection assembled by an eccentric individual, and well worth a look. Lovely setting. Many museum-worthy pieces inside. Hammond's life story is interesting, too. A real surprise in Gloucester.

Hammond Castle offers a self guided tour through the magnificent Medevial style home of Hammond, inventor and scientist, father of remote control. His castle home was a gift to his wife and houses an amazing collection or Medevial and Renaissance artifacts. Grounds are gorgeous with beautiful ocean views. There are many stone stairs so it could be limiting for folks with handicaps or very young children, but it is an amazing place with amazing collections and the organ room is astounding!!!

Loved this tour! The building is beautiful and the stories about Hammond are incredible. The guide was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and personable, making the tour both informative and entertaining.

Definitely worth booking a tour - Hammond was an eccentric individual and the stories are worth a listen :)

We had the opportunity to visit the Hammond Castle recently and we really enjoyed the guided tour. Our guide, Eric, was informative, enthusiastic and full of little known facts about the history of this castle built as a museum. Eric welcomed all questions and made the tour interesting with questions for guests and humor and so many facts. The tour was so interesting and we are glad went.

Definately worth the visit. Hammond was an American genius and his home is spectacular. Great to learn about his sense of humor and inventions. The castle home is amazing inside and out. The view of the harbor is worth the visit alone.

We visited on our way to Half-Moon Beach, and it was so worth it! Our kids (3) ages 10-14, did great! They love being able to say they visited a real life castle as they said! Take your time, there’s so many little details be camera ready! Don’t miss the view from the front yard!

I would highly recommend it.
This museum is one of a kind and a great experience. A must see if you're in the area. Great for family.

The setting and the history of this beautiful home and property makes this a must see to everyone in this vicinity.

I took my young kids to Hammond Castle, thinking it would be fun and interesting for them. Not so much. It was hot and boring. There are stories on the wall and a lot of interesting artifacts to look at, but I couldn't enjoy it because my kids were trying to touch everything and run away from me. I would not recommend this as an activity for kids under the age of 10.

We truly enjoyed this self-guided tour. It’s a very unusual place filled with things you won’t see anywhere else. A huge room filled with flags and collections and a big organ, a lovely courtyard, interesting statuary, and nice rooms. There are a few hidden doors, and several rooms tucked away, including one with a great view of a gorgeous stained glass window. The gift shop is full of creative pieces and the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. We had a great time!

Such a fascinating story of the inventor - I would love to have met him! Unique museum with lots of interesting twists! Highly recommend the guided tour.

We spent the morning visiting Hammond Castle and tremendously enjoyed ourselves! We chose the self-guided tour and found the provided pamphlet very handy. There is so much to learn and so much to see. The property is well-maintained and very clean, including the restrooms. There are many photo opportunities so bring your camera!

Seeing a recent statement of "Awful", I feel compelled to say this place is incredible. It was built out of the ruins of multiple European castles by an inventor, and the artifacts within are absolutely incredible - these are the "real deal" - Hammond was a consummate collector with a lot of money, and that's very good for folks with an interest in the items you'll see within the castle. There is stuff from the MIddle Ages, and as far back as Rome. There are some reproductions, but from what I could tell VERY little. You're not going to get much better unless you go to a great museum or Europe itself. Taking in the place in totality is incredible. I can't speak for the air conditioning on any day, but if you appreciate what this man collected and you are looking at are hundreds or even more than 1 thousand years old, I have to say the price of admission is a bargain in my book... That's worth the look off the shore from the back of the castle alone. Don't miss this if anything I'm mentioning is of interest - this was one of my best visits in my east coast trip.

A great insight into one of the key inventors of his generation, a quirky castle built to amuse himself and annoy others.

A significant site for some of the key tools used today in music and war.

The castle was very pretty and provided good opportunities for pictures but not much was going on in terms of sight seeing around the grounds.

The castle was closed for the season but we were able to walk a little on the grounds, Would have loved to see it from the other side. Really beautiful property with AMAZING views.

To think that this was someones home. I personally would love to live in a castle exactly like this one. There is so much breathtaking architecture that embraces you as you walk around this amazing creation inside and outside. My favorite part if I have to pick one would be the drawbridge complete with chains, two Lion statues that guard the front entrance door with a small window to see who's on the drawbridge.
I love this place, it is astounding!

Very interesting historical artifacts, but we didn’t get to see it all because we were give not more than 10-15 minutes after a tour that took us not more than halfway through all the available rooms and were not told how much time we had before they started locking up.

Without any notification and announcement after we were set loose to explore on our own after the tour that couldn’t be completed guided (and that we paid for) due to COVID, we headed to the last rooms a few minutes before 4 only to find that they are locked. Confused, we found a custodian and almost begged to just have the rooms opened up for 3 or 5 minutes so we could look. He refused, as did our original tour guide, saying that there’s nothing they could do and we could ask the lady in the gift shop.

We headed to the gift shop to ask, but was told in a condescending manner that there’s nothing they could do. We asked if we could come back another day just to have a look at what we could not see through no fault of our own. Instead we were asked if we were late to the tour (we were not and instead, the tour actually started about five minutes late) and the staff were generally rude and unhelpful.

Questions inevitably come to mind — why did the tour guide not tell us that we only had till 4pm? Would it have been so hard to just let us finish the two rooms? Why couldn’t they at least give some time for guests to finish up before locking up everything as is customary in many other similar places? Given that our tour started at 3pm, why would they think one hour would be adequate for guests to see everything , guided tour or not, knowing that the museum housed many items, many of which came with extensive text to read?

From other reviews, it seems this museum is not well run, and not guest friendly at all. As it stands, I feel we have been ripped off for the price we paid and would not recommend anyone to visit no matter how interesting the museum is. We had a much, much better experience at the Sleeper McCann House close by, where it was not only beautiful, but the staff were generally helpful and friendly. Never thought I’d say it, but having been to dozens of museums worldwide, this has been the worst experience I’ve had.

Extremely beautiful setting and very interesting visit. Mr. Hamond was a very interesting and eclectic man, and it shows throughout the castle. Just beautiful.

We were there for the haunted tour! The staff did a great job scaring people. However, may need a little more time between parties to setup. You can tell the cAstle is beautiful. Would have loved to see it in the daylight. Worth the trip.

Hammond castle museum is worth the stop if you’re in the area. An interesting man and an interesting piece of history. What you learn may surprise you! You can walk around the property on your own or you can pay to take the tour and see more of the castle.

Enough to learn scientific background of Hammond(not the organ) and his marine and submarine contributions to our WWII effort,and then to learn how he satisfied both his English tudor castle design bent and his wifes French insistence in one castle fascinating

We visited the Castle in October when it is open for special events. Next time visit during the summer. Hard to believe an American would spend the time and effort on constructing this fabulous building.

I suppose you'd call it a castle because of the way it looks externally. It's much more than that.

Inside it's a warren of rooms and passages with some impressive central spaces too.

There are parts of buildings and monuments from across the world, some ancient.

I'll not say more because you need to be surprised. Give it a go! You'll not be disappointed.

While the castle itself is unique and the setting on the ocean is spectacular, the man who built this place was a not a nice person. Listening to the stories told by the guides who tried to make his behavior towards his wife, father and guests into anecdotes was not fun.

The Hammond Castle, built by John Hayes Hammond Jr. in 1929 on the Gloucester shore, was his home and laboratory. The Castle has a large main hall with the Hammond organ he created...the other rooms, the dinning room, sitting room, library and bedrooms are small and dark with small windows to let in light. Guest would enter the castle across a draw bridge over a moat (no longer filled). Parts of the castle were imported from European structures and incorporated into the castle. As for Hammond himself...a brilliant inventor with hundreds of patents to his credit is considered to be the Father of Remote Control technology.

We have seen many homes which have been turned into museums to preserve the vision and collections of the original owners. Hammond Castle takes the cake as the most unusual one we've ever experienced. You can sign up for a guided tour or walk through the castle on your own, as we did. John Hammond was a brilliant inventor and passionate about medieval architecture and artifacts. Each room is jammed with art and items brought back from Europe. There's also rooms which highlight Hammond's inventions. There are many detailed signs describing the items and how Hammond and his wife lived. Hammond certainly seem to have had a playful nature - some cards describe the pranks he liked to pull on guests. This space is NOT good for people with mobility issues - the steps are narrow & the stone floors are uneven. Parking is a bit limited, so plan your trip accordingly.

Visited during the off-season so we couldn’t go inside, but the extra drive to the castle was still worth it. Beautiful landscape, unique historical site, and amazing views! We could still walk around part of the property and look forward to returning for a tour. Only suggestion is adding a sign outside that gives even a brief history or overview for those who stop by to visit during the winter/spring and don’t necessarily use the site’s website.

My husband, daughter and I visited Hammond Castle on our first day of our vacation to Rockport/Gloucester and had a lovely time. The castle is nestled in a quiet neighborhood with lots of beautiful houses. The museum is self guided which is nice because it allows you to see it at your own pace. The castle and the grounds are a lot of fun to walk around and was not crowded at all despite there being quite a few people there. We took our time and explored everything and took lots of photos. It did not seem crowded at all. The view at the back of the castle is ideal as it is right on the ocean and it has beautiful gardens in the front that you can walk through with a few benches for sitting. At the end of our tour on the way out we explored the gardens and sat on a bench for quite awhile. It was very pretty and relaxing. We highly recommend this museum as it was a lot of fun to explore. It is worth noting though that there are quite a few stairs and a few of them were very narrow so if you have trouble with stairs you may want to stay on the main level.

Only recently hearing of Hammond Castle Museum we took an impromptu visit; the castle did not disappoint. While not quite 100 years old the castle feels like a medieval building on the shores of England or France. Built by the eccentric inventor John Hammond, the castle contains many medieval European and some Roman artifacts. We took a guided tour which was filled with interesting facts about Hammond and the castle, our guide was energetic and funny, we really enjoyed the tour. Afterwards we also walked around on our own seeing some things not covered during the tour. The castle has enough to keep one interested for a few hours, including some incredible ocean views from an outdoor lawn. The castle is a gem of the Gloucester area, I thoroughly recommend a visit for anyone interested in architecture, art and/or history.

The docent was excellent and made the tour worthwhile. The owner of the castle was an important American inventor whom you probably never heard of. The castle has beautiful rooms with lovely furnishings and has beautiful views in the back. You definitely want to take the guided tour with Eric so you can learn about the history of the castle and furnishings, hear about the life of John Hammond, and listen to the stories of the rich and famous who visited.

We took a tour of the reproduction castle and found it quite interesting.Our guide was very good and gave us some of the stranger aspects of Mr. Hammond.I know I would not have wanted to be one of his guests.

it's not really a castle at all. It's a mansion built to look like a castle. Not really: it's a mansion with three parts built to look like a castle, a cathedral, and a french château.
The house is very interesting though, and the tour guide gave us lots of great stories and pointed out lots of unique features.

Very interesting history and beautiful location. The Hammonds were an interesting couple, and Mr. Hammond was a prolific inventor who had hundreds of patents. The castle guided tour was less than an hour with about another 45 minutes of self guided exploration. The view of the ocean is lovely, and the breezes coming through the old leaded glass windows was wonderful. Parking is very limited, so get there early if you have a scheduled tour in case you need to find somewhere outside the small parking lot to park and walk over. A very nice 1.5-2 hour excursion.

We enjoyed our time at Hammond Castle. We both said that taking the free guided tour was certainly the way to go! The peculiarities of Hammond added such an interesting spin on seeing the castle, understanding why he built the castle as he did. We certainly would have meandered from room to room without the insights and, in turn, not have nearly the enriched visit we did. After our tour we took time to enjoy the lovely grounds which are alongside the water.

This is an amazing place. The Architecture was stunning. I can understand some of the negative comments but for me viewing this site was well worthwhile. Lots of steps and would be difficult for people with mobility limitations.

The whole place smells of mildew. Hammond wanted to be Isabella Gardner, but instead of the Venetian palazzo, he took the English medieval castle for his model. Stairs are steep and narrow, rooms are small. The only saving grace is the property--the lawn sports a spectacular view of the harbor. Unfortunately, that's not worth the admission price.

We did not take the tour, but walked the parts of the grounds we could. Got amazing photos. Would recommend this location for family, friend, and special event photos.

Could it have been the nice fall weather that made this museum beautiful or the friendly people that work there that greeted us, or the fact that this museum is right in our back yard! Built in the 1920’s it holds such wonders and artifacts it was hard not to spend the whole day! The museum shop manager was outstanding she was full of information and took the extra time to talk with us and our family. The shop itself was well designed with gifts for everyone. Then you enter the museum and we were treated by a very informative tour guide who again took the time to speak with us and tell us the history of how the museum began. The great hall was fabulous, and the invention room was so informative, you can tell someone took the time to do the research on this genius! The courtyard and the rest of the rooms just continued with the breathtaking atmosphere. One thing that I did not understand was why they were setting up a wedding when the museum was open. It took away from great museum. I would suggest that they do that after hours so guests can enjoy their day without walking around tables being set up.

My son got married here last year. The venue is very unique and the wedding was beautiful. HOWEVER - money and a GOPRO was stolen from the bride and groom. They had a GOPRO set up facing the card box that was placed by the wedding coordinator out of view of the museum cameras - FISHY - then she shut off and moved the GOPRO without permission and that went missing with all of the recordings. Very shady! BEWARE! The kids were missing A LOT of cards - just from what we could figure out from close family. We did file a police report but unfortunately the card box was not on camera and the wedding coordinator shut off and moved (and lost) the only other recording of the incident. The wedding coordinators daughter was also on-site seen mulling around the cards. Very suspicious! KARMA is a B****!

We were very pleased with a very knowledgeable tour guide and many delightful nooks and crannies in this few unique Castle. J Hayes-Hammond the eccentric inventor was not known to us before but has now etched a polka e in our Gloucester memories. Great way to spend an afternoon and the grounds are loverly.

The castle was closed when we went there....we took several pics from across the bay....we plan on going back up to the castle next spring....Jim

Actually, we wanted to visit a few weeks ago, but due to my lung condition, there is too much walking and I physically couldn't do it. However, I did visit about 30 years ago, and it was fantastic. Super interesting, amazing story, super cool furnishings and architectural elements to look at.
Go, go, go, unless you use a scooter. Too many stairs and their website even explains that it's not handicap accessible which I really appreciated as we were then able to cross it off the 'to do' list and reconfigure our plan beforehand.

I didnt know much about Hammond Castle before deciding to tour it, and I was pleasantly surprised! Definitely watch the short documentary in the room to the left once you are in the main entrance.....then go explore and make sure to read the little snip-its of info near different artifacts and in different rooms. Mr. Hammond was an amazing individual who led an extraordinary life. His lust for life and humorous nature is reflected in many choices made during the construction and decoration of the castle. The castle itself is gorgeous and at times surprising. WELL worth the small entrance fee!!!

Visiting around the castle taking pictures was wonderful. Beautiful building, beautiful view of the ocean. But, we were not able to find the self-guided tour, and the guided tour was too pricey, so we didn't stay.

Me and my family did the 7:00 pm tour of Hammond castle. Absolutely lovely host and perfect temp at night such a beautiful view, informational, and comedic tour. A few rooms under rehab but still a must see it did not disappoint would totally go again once more rooms open

Beautiful Castle on the Atlantic Ocean in Gloucester Massachusetts. Something you would expect to see in Europe! An incredible venue for a wedding, or any Celebration! A favorite destination of mine.

Hammond Castle is an incredible mix of Old World architecture, artifacts, decor and musical instruments. Definitely get on a guided tour! The staff enhance a visitor's experience with stories and background that would be missed just roaming through this amazing edifice.

Have been to the area a number of times and always missed this place...but you don’t want too...make sure you visit Hammond Castle. make it your destination...the lest expensive greatest destination we have visited....a treasure and right on the ocean....a must visit on cape ann

This castle and everything in it are nothing short of amazing. You can either do the self guided tour or the guided tour for the same cost. We decided. To do the guided tour then wander back on our own. We got lucky and had tne curator, Scott, as our guide and wow did he have energy, knowledge, and a great personality to make it a fun and educational tour. Absolutely amazing!

Stopped here after the beach and was pleasantly surprised! Our two young daughters loved walking around the grounds and seeing a real castle. The grounds were beautiful!

It was very beautiful and very well done for authenticity. The girls were easily distracted like most young kids are and weren’t attracted to the descriptive detail but we found it all very informational.

It cost 500,000 to build. In today's money 8.5 milliion. Took three years. He spared no expense. Good tour with a guide for the great hall and courtyard then you can roam on your own. Lots to read, very informative. He was a prolific inventor.

Interesting museum if you want to see the history of the inventor Hammond. It will remind you that you love light and airy places as his castle is dark and dank in order to get from one for the castle to another their endless little spiral stone staircases. Don’t attempt it if you’ve had a hip replacement as I have it was extremely hard.

We found this castle to be very interesting. You can take a tour or go on your own. It's a beautiful place on the beach. Don't miss this if you are in the area.

Very clean and staff was knowledgeable. Beautiful grounds and history. There are multiple stories and stairwells to get easily confused. But so worth it.

This castle is beautifully located, and has some quirky history to it. It is an interesting visit. The views from the castle are very nice, worth a visit.

Beautiful Gothic Revival castle filled with marvelous things. Hammond was an eccentric, as noted by the fact that he let his Siamese cats claw the Renaissance-era chairs in his dining room! The Great Hall is wonderful, as is the pipe organ, which was the largest privately owned pipe organ in the world. When we first went to the castle decades ago, we were sad to hear a performance of a Joplin rag on it for our tour group instead of a more period-appropriate piece. The castle was originally bequeathed to the Archdiocese of Boston, which sold it. Today, it's a venue for weddings, parties, banquets, and concerts, as well as room tours. Highly recommended.

I had an Awesome time here
Really Beautiful grounds and castle
Loved my time there and will return
Thinking about the times

Unfortunately it was a cloudy day but still we had a great time enjoying view of the Atlantic shore line. We took several nice pictures. We explored many rooms of the castle with its medieval architecture and artifacts. Very interesting story behind the owner and he did seem very much ahead of his time as an inventor. Make sure you stop here when in the area.

When planning a trip from Boston up to Gloucester to take a schooner sailing, we noticed that we would pass close by the Hammond Castle. So we stopped in to visit when it opened at 10 am on a Sunday in mid-May. What an interesting place! Built by an inventor about a century ago, it is very much in the style of a European castle. The eclectic feel of the place was rather reminiscent of the amazing Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston (also built by a person with a great deal of both money and time).
Visitors to the Hammond Castle can take a guided tour or just walk through at one's own pace. It appears visitors are allowed in at timed intervals; unfortunately, we didn't pre-book, but since it was early in the day we were still about to enter without really any delay. An excellent tour brochure is provided at the start with details about all the rooms. Also, be sure to invest a few minutes with the introductory video, which runs in a loop in a room near the entrance/gift shop. It's also possible to walk around the grounds outside around the castle, though we didn't have time to do that.
As fascinating as the building was, there are a few caveats that this reviewer feels must be noted. Since the building was originally a private residence, there is *no* accomodation for the mobility-impaired. All visitors should be willing and able to climb down, and up, spiral stone stairs, as well as narrow servants' staircases. Likewise, to get from the ample parking lot down to the level of the castle involves a number of winding flagstone steps down (and back up) the hill. (To be fair, these limitations are noted on the website.) And although the tour guides we happened across were all very friendly and knowledgeable, one of the other staff was notably patronizing to questions we had.
Overall, however, the Hammond Castle was quite a charming find and an interesting place to explore, there on the south side of the town of Gloucester.

I wasn't expecting much, so I was pleasantly surprised. The building and grounds are beautiful. The courtyard with the pool is very pretty. It was nice to learn about the owner, who led an interesting life. The children there really loved it. Definitely worth a visit.

I can not tell you how greatly disappointed I am by this place. I was in Gloucester in ‘99, saw this castle from the park & wanted to tour this ever since. Now that I’m finally back in the area (Peabody), I made sure this was my #1 place to visit. I researched this place more on their website & made sure to plan a trip around the hours posted on their website (weekends 10-4).

We drove 30 minutes just to find out it’s closed. The property had gabage & garbage bags strewn throughout the front portion if the entrance way from the previous night’s Halloween festivities. The tiny portion of the property & ocean view was nice but not worth the 30 minute drive there. Gloucester was too crowded to find parking so the trip to the area was a waste of our time.

Many other people were there too and were disappointed as well. They had verified with the website also before making their trip out there.

It's an amazing place, like the Isabella Stuart Museum. Tons of history and a must for history buffs. He created radar and radio wave for the military, but built his home and lab in Medieval style. What else can one say: a beautiful site.

The view is spectacular and the castle is fascinating -- hard to imagine such a place sitting on the coast of Massachusetts. We took a self-guided tour -- might have been better to wait for a guide. We were disappointed that the kitchen and war room were closed due to an ongoing restoration project but there was plenty to see and the guidebook was very helpful.

Hammond Castle is Hearst Castle east coast style. It's a great adventure to learn about history and inventions.
If your in Gloucester in October, don't miss the castle decorated for Halloween.
After the tour, explore Gloucester, one of the oldest fishing towns in the country. Great weekend trip!

Don’t go out of your way, but if you are in the area it is cool with a fun story about an eccentric guy.

The castle is very interesting. The guy who built it was quite the character. Very interesting rooms, nooks and crannies. Its really not that big, but you can easily get lost in there.
Pay attention to the details, like the straw mattress in the guest room.
Lots of stairs

Want a great trip into history? Go to Hammond Castle in Gloucester! This castle was built in the 1920's with old Europe in mind. A Great Hall with a huge pipe organ; a courtyard with an indoor pond/ swimming pool, and a bedroom where the doors can be hidden are just a few of the cool features in this former home. John Hammond, the former owner, was an inventor (Hammond Organ, for those in the know) with many patents to his credit. His creative genius is shown beautifully in the Caste. Also available to rent for weddings. : )

We did the self guided tour, but I am sure the tour guides would have.made it better. I want the pool! Loved the grounds as well!

Located on the water in Gloucester, this true castle is not to be missed. A creative and eccentric genius, John Hammond collected amazing items from around the world. For example, he imported and installed an arch from Pompeii, a bunting that originally over the organ that J. S. Bach played, and the facades of houses from France and other countries. We were unfamiliar with his name prior to this visit, but we were inspired by Hammond’s creative genius. He holds many patents and created objects that inspired products that we all use today (including remote control boats, different cooking devices, television advancements, and audio devices that paved the way for Dolby sound). As an organist, I was amazed at the various patents he holds for improvements in the pipe organ — and I never heard his name. I am now inspired to read up more about his life and his inventions. This castle is an amazing place to visit.

A friend and I happened to visit during the weekend of the Renaissance Faire, a fundraiser for the upkeep of the castle. There was a really funny juggler, Paulo Garbanzo. If you get a chance to see him, do--he's hilarious.

The castle itself was interesting. There's a drawbridge and a moat and an interior pond that's deep enough to jump into from about 15 feet high. The family story is interesting and I really enjoyed the notes in the rooms. I had seen the castle on a New England tourism show about hidden stairways and rooms. This house sort of has a hidden stairway, but you don't really get the effect since the door is open.

We have visited Hammond Castle multiple times and always enojy it. I believe you can opt for a guided tour, but we have always explored the castle and grounds on oue own. If you enjoy interesting architecture and unusual antiquities, you will enjoy Hammond Castle. It is definitely a one of a kind museum!

My mother and I visited Hammond Castle yesterday. We were fortunate enough to have Mathew as a tour guide and also to be the only two in his party. It was an amazing experience and one we wont soon forget. I highly recommend the tour. They have self-guided tours, but I much prefer a guided tour. He answered all of our questions, of which there were many, and offered far more information pertaining to Mr. John Hammond and the castle's history than we expected. He also offered so much relevant and related historical perspective and stories that made the tour that much more compelling. I would recommend to everyone and anyone. Do see the quick, 10-minute video prior to touring the castle. It's worth it. Also, the castle is right on the ocean. Beautiful.

Hammond built an interesting castle from parts from Europe. The details are fascinating.

We didn't take the tour, but listened in on parts. I'd recommend taking the tour. You can walk around on your own later. Be sure to see all parts that are open to the public. The layout is complex.

When we first moved to Gloucester almost 50 yr ago we discovered the castle and fell in love with it's history and story. Over the years we have enjoyed being involved in with many events from silent movies accompanied by the organ, weddings, concerts and tours. This year under new guidance and direction the castle is offering a wider variety of programs, tours and events. If you haven't been it is so worth a visit and if you haven't been in a while plan a return trip.

We stopped as a side trip from Boston. It is an absolutely beautiful place with a lot of historical artifacts collected over the years. They offer guided or self guided tours. If you’re a fan of architecture or just unique places, it’s with a visit. Takes about an hour to go through the tour.

My kids we so amazed. It felt like we were in a fairytale. This place was so beautiful with amazing outdoor views. You can chose to tour with a group and a guide or just roam the castle on your own. We chose to go off on our own and enjoyed every moment of it. There are bathrooms inside as well as a gift shop. Great place to explore!

Hit upon this by accident on a beautiful day! Wow! Has a Drawbridge (small) and lots of museum quality artifacts. The view is amazing. Has an atrium with pool. Hammond has a great story - inventor of remote control more for drones than tv.

Excellent historical experience. This is an interesting slice of history on the New England coast. Built by an inventor it is an eclectic collection of history incorporated into his special castle by the sea. Worth the time. Recommended

This is a great museum if you are anywhere near it! The drive to it is absolutely beautiful. The grounds are beautiful. The view of the ocean is beautiful. The castle is unique. The gift shop is fabulous. The tour is wonderful. I've been twice and both tour guides were knowledgeable, fun and informative. The inside is incredible. This is a must on your bucket list!

If you read. Hammond. Biography you will really enjoy this amazing castle
If not read it !!! And then visit the place

Recently stopped on a whim and wished I had allowed more time. Fascinating place with beautiful ocean view. Make sure you allow at least 2 hours to fully tour the nooks and crannies. For the best experience, take the guided tour which gives you added extra insight.

I had never heard of this castle or the builder. It was interesting but difficult to learn about him and his inventions and the castle. The tours are self guided and the few tags on the walls next to the artifacts were difficult to read.The walkways are very narrow and often winding and dangerous for older people and the lighting is not adequate. The explanations of what he accomplished and the war effort he supported was very poorly done and no one was available for any explanations. They need to upgrade to modern museum lighting and technology. Guided tours or tapes would help immensely.

very interesting medieval style castle. Interesting person who used to own it. I would recommend seeing it.

A very interesting tourist spot. Loved looking at all the old artifacts. Not handicap friendly as there are a lot of narrow stairs throughout the castle. Not a location I would return to every year.

This castle had the perfect amount of intrigue and plaques to read. Mr. Hammond was definitely an interesting character and I was amazed at how much he contributed to technology way before its time. The self-guided tour took about 1 1/2 hours. You can make it shorter if you wish but definitely go into every room.

John Hays Hammond, Jr. was an inventor with an impressive number of patents that funded his very eccentric home. If you are the type that can spend time in each room reading about the artifacts and nosing through the details in each room you can spend 1-1.5 hours here and learn quite a bit about history and what was going on in John H's mind. If you don't like details/history just keep driving along the coast. Very interesting and eclectic collection of military, religious, nautical, radio, sound and medieval history. To fully enjoy this experience slow down and look for details and you won't be disappointed. Be sure to bring a camera as the ground are well kept and very photographic. There's a small gift shop and restrooms on site but no food so plan accordingly.

The castle is surprising because it is a real castle. The tour was interesting. We learned about the building of the castle, John Hammond’s life story, his inventions, and the histories of his collections. It is one of the better museum tours. I highly recommend it especially for history buffs.

We visited Hammond Castle during our trip to Cape Ann. So worth it. We were staying in Rockport, put the GPS on no highways and took a very scenic drive to this landmark. I can’t say enough about how amazing this place is and how up close and personal the walk thru. Parking is convenient, castle is beautifully located on the water. The indoor courtyard and mix of architecture styles beautiful.

I had never heard of John Hammond, but a tour of his castle makes me wish I knew more about him. His story has it all—A brilliant man who married an older woman, for whom he built the castle. Throw in a scandal, and it makes for a fascinating tour.

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Our guide was knowledgeable, the castle is stunning and well worth the time to visit. I especially liked having time on my own to explore.

Hammond Castle Museum is a must see for people of all ages. The view is lovely and structure is impressive; however, one must go inside to explore the different areas of this amazing structure. There is a magnificent great hall, winding staircases, and views of the beautiful interior courtyard from several rooms. On the lower floor check out the lower den and kitchen. Don't forget to look for the hidden wine cellar. The collection of religious icons, and artifacts are not to be missed. Hammond was an accomplished inventor with many patents, and some of his inventions are also on display. One may take a guided tour or opt to do a self guided tour and move about the castle at their own pace.

There's nothing quite like this place. But its passageways make a Frank Lloyd house look roomy. The challenge for you is to traverse the house and not get lost.

My wife family is from Gloucester and the castle was built when her father was a teen. So while we were in town doing genealogical work we headed over to see what all the hoopla was about. I was disappointed. I spent my whole life in the engineering and construction business as both a owner and employee. Work on several Historical project in major cities and this is shame. This could be a special place if it was kept up . The plaster is falling a way in several areas and it need a good clean up. Can you reach out to a Historical group or a local contractor that would help?

Truly and unique place. A tremendous amount of detail went into the building of this architectural beauty! An American castle but you would think you were in Europe! Views are amazing as well! We learned a lot about the owner and he was a talented inventor and contributed so
Much in our science field! It is worth the visit!

My wife and I enjoyed a tour of the Hammond Castle Museum. The 1000 tour lasted approximately 45 minutes, after which my wife and I spent 30 minutes on a self-guided tour. I wasn't aware of the many accomplishments of John Hays Hammond, Jr.. The tour was extremely informative. We had about 20 people in our group. The castle has some steep spiral staircases - folks with mobility issues may have issues.

Inventor John Hammond who had over 400 patents and pioneer in remote control built this medieval style castle as a showcase for his art and as a wedding present for his wife. This attraction offers a self guided tour. You are given a map and watch a movie about his life. It is pretty cool with an indoor pool, secret passageways, a bridge and a number of bedrooms. He was a practical joker and had a straw stuffed mattress in one of the guest bedrooms to give them the full medieval experience. There is also a large pipe organ. Very interesting.

My husband and I enjoyed the castle very much. We began with a short tour and then were able to wonder the castle freely. The tour was good and I'm glad they kept it short. Sometimes those things can drag out. Being able to walk around freely was perfect. There are different levels with narrow stairways. The uniqueness of the layout was astounding. Lots of little interesting finds also. My favorite part was that the castle sits right on the ocean. The views are breathe taking. Definitely worth your time if you're in the area.

Don't miss this if you are in the area. A very unusual place that was built as a workshop and laboratory for John Hammond who had the most patents except for Edison. Very eccentric - especially his lifesize nude statue. Wonderful furnishings and great stories. Grounds are also great.

This place is very beautiful and the grounds and gardens are very pretty.This was our second visit.We did not realize that the castle was closed on mondays,but you can still explore the grounds.i would definitely recommend this for any age.

We arrived at 6:30 for the 7 o'clock shuttle at the parking shuttle stop at Stagefort Parking. The shuttles over to Hammond Castle began to roll at 6:45 pm, it is a quick 5 minute drive there, then you get in the ticket line which is about 10 minutes, then you go around back and uh-oh that is where The Big line begins. You are in these roped off lines similar to going thru customs, we were in that line outside at night for a solid hour. The your go off with your teenaged tour guide for a romp thru the Haunted Castle, which lasts about 20 minutes. Then get back in line for the bus back . Teens loved it, too scary for little kids. Not at all wheelchair accessible or good for anyone with mobility issues as you have to run fast up and down numerous, small, twisty staircases. The actors work really hard and teenagers were screaming with fun. I think too gruesome for little kids and lines are much too long outside in the cold. PS no wi-fi connection.

Very interesting and enjoyable way to spend a rainy afternoon with my daughter & grandchildren. The castle & Hammond stories were a highlight of our trip. Intrigued and beauty all around. The grounds were nice even in the rain. My daughter bought tickets, so not sure about any discounts. Definitely check out this castle!

Somewhat interesting "castle." Unfortunately, the guided tour didn't really add much value to the experience. The tour only highlighted a few of the eclectic items houses there. An audio tour with specific information about each artifact would have been better.

This was a great place to visit. Interesting. Amazing architecture. Walk right up to exhibits. Not a big castle but lots of stairs. Set the GOS on Avoid Highways and enjoyed the ride.

We purchased 4 tickets for the tour in advance,but got stuck in traffic due to an accident. We called ahead and were td we could join the tour once we arrived. Once we arrived it was a different story.The staff would not let us join the tour in progress and sold our spots. Then they would not refund or honor the tickets another day. Horrible service!

So glad we stopped by. Who new there's a midevil European Castle hidden in Gloucester. It was interesting to learn about John Hammond as well.
Very cool!!

Put this on the top of your list if you're visiting the area -- location has some of the most stunning scenery (hello ocean view!) as well as having vast array of history to learn about the owner
Do not miss this place, you will be amazed with everything insde

We just wandered around on our own & didn't do the guided tour... but I will say that the people working here seem to really enjoy their jobs (which is fantastic)

Great architecture and self guided. Good if you enjoy different design work and an eclectic artifact display. A short distance away is the "original" castle built by the father but it remains a private residence and not available to tour.

Our family wanted very much to tour Hammond Castle. On our way home to Maine from Boston, we drove to Gloucester specifically to tour. The website indicated that it was open during the week but when we arrived at 10am on September 6, the posted sign said that it was only open on weekends. Lovely exterior and views from the grounds.

Since there isn’t very much to do in Gloucester except go to the beach this looked like an interesting castle to visit. It was. We happen to be in between guided tours so we opted to do this on our own. DON’T! Be patient and wait for the guided tour. I listened to one of the guides and it was far more fascinating listening to her than reading all the signs. This is definitely Gothic so be prepared. It certainly isn’t Newport mention but Hammond is an interesting individual to learn about.

We chose the Thursday night candlelight tour. It was wonderful. The "guide" was knowledgeable, enthusiastic and clearly loved her job. The castle, its owner and history was remarkable. Tons to see and read about. Some of the areas are smaller spaces and tight stairways, so be aware that the castle isn't an accessible space. An enjoyable evening.

Not really comparable to the other great American Castles like Hearst and Biltmore, but worth seeing if you happen to be nearby. Seniors get in for $9.00 each. Adults $10.00. Parking is free.

Amazing castle on the New England coast. The self-guided tour with booklet was extremely informative and the history of the owner/builder was fascinating.

Hard to find without GPS but well worth the trip. Mr. Hammond had a very interesting life and had a very expensive taste. The art and artifacts throughout the castle are very interesting. I would love to see the living quarters but they are off limits per his request when he left the estate to the state. Well worth the visit.

My wife and I have been vacationing in this area for years and never knew anything about this Castle or it's existence. On a tip from friends we thought we would check it out after a day at the beach. Not really knowing what to expect we entered the Castle. It is a self guided tour and you receive a book to help you navigate thru the Castle. It was taking a step back in time to see how it was built and how Mr. Hammond and his wife lived at the time. We checked out all the rooms which still have the original belongings, study, library, Great Room for his entertaining. My favorite was his work room which was fascinating of all the technology at the time he created especially for the Government during WWII. They show a video history with commentators on Hammond and his life. I suggest watching that first before doing tour as it will help assist you on what you will be seeing throughout. Very cool place and the history of the castle and the Hammonds was more than interesting. Cost $12 per adult but we were glad we checked it out. We both enjoyed the visit and recommend to anyone who likes American history !!

Incredible story and Architecture that has surprises around every corner. We would have rated it a 5 probably if we had gotten there soon enough to get in on a tour. So much to see, it goes on forever.

looks nice inside and out. the history is interesting.. the views are spectacular from all sides. well worth the trip.

History, art, knowledge and then the castle. Our guide Emily was remarkable! At times guides don’t capture the group. Emily was incredible. Pointing out things of interest, telling stories and asking for questions and then having answers made the tour even more informative. The story of John Hammond and his family was interesting and has caused me to look further. The artwork, artifacts could be found in any museum and they are in what was his family home.

I loved this place! I enjoyed waking throughout the castle. My imagination went wild seeing all the rooms and the beautiful courtyard. The gardens were beautiful and fragrant with all the beautiful flowers.

I’ve always loved coming to the Hammond castle. I go everytime I’m in Gloucester, if you are in the area definitely recommend checking it out.

My boyfriend and I really enjoyed this tour! We came across it as something to do after visiting Salem and it was so beautiful. The scenery and view of the ocean alone was worth coming up here. We took a tour with our guide, Dasey, and she was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and patient (with the young kids in our group asking dumb questions as kids do). She took time to answer more questions after and she was personable and funny throughout the tour as well. We found it worth our money.

Just because castles are rare in the USA was reason enough to tour this one while in Salem MA. The magnificence of it and the beauty of the sea behind it did not disappoint us. Incredible views. It may not be on the grand scale of European castles, but does have some imported structures and artifacts from them. The tour guide was thorough about interesting facts you would not pick up on if you just walked around on your own (and the ticket price was the same). Just beware of the many stairs, some steep and some without rails, if you have walking issues. There are huge granite stairs just getting from the parking lot to the castle.

Hammond castle sits on the sea In Gloucester. Imported from Scotland it is an actual castle. An ecentric inventor, he has more patents than ANYONE except Edison. Radio control, remote control. The list goes on and on. He has one of the largest Pipe organs in the world in his Great Room..Look this up if you are ever in Gloucester.

By any standard an amazing museum. It is an approximately 8,500 sq ft Gothic Castle complete with a draw bridge. Definitely worth a visit.

We were driving through and only had 15 minutes so we decided to stop and check it out. We knew we would not have time to go in and explore but wanted to at least see the outside and the grounds. The castle is very impressive although smaller then I really expected. It had really cool little nooks that were real gems and the view onto the ocean was gorgeous! My only negative is that we had a handicap person with our party and although they offered parking for her, there was not a clear way that we could get her down to the castle and grounds other then the hill with stone steps. There was probably a way if we had more time to ask and get her down to the grounds at least but it wasn't obvious for sure. This is a place though that we all decided we want to go back and visit when we had more time.

We’ve come here for a few years in a row around my son’s birthday (now a teen). In the earlier years he was amazed, now he’s able to appreciate the historical and scientific significance. We notice something new each time. For the fee, the benches and outside furniture could be in better repair.

We saw this years ago. But we were in the area on Monday only to find out they were closed on Mondays in the summer. But we were allowed to walk around the grounds. This is a must see.

Interesting place to visit. Unusual place for a Castle similar to those in Europe. Lots to see and historical facts to learn.

Awesome castle with amazing history. This is a must see! The exhibits were mindfully crafted. Hammond was a genius and can be seen in his creations.

The guy that built this castle was definitely a bit strange... And it's evident in this castle. I took the self-tour as the your guide that day was sick. I enjoyed reading all the details and anecdotes posted around.

The War Room and kitchen are closed currently for renovation, and you are unable to see his private residence because of a stipulation he made... Which makes me all the more curious of what it looks like up there....

It took us almost 2 hours to go around. I recommend it!

Hammond Castle Museum is one of the unique places we've ever visited and we have traveled extensively in the USA and Europe. The combination of the architecture, art, science, and history is fabulous. The tour guide is wonderfully helpful and incredibly knowledgeable (Chris). This visit will take you into the life of a strange and wonderful man who created this castle and also was responsible for some of the most important inventions of the 20th Century. It is also a great wedding venue.

Definitely a unique location! Hammond turns out to be an inventor who was foundational for a surprising number of today's technologies and who wanted to leave his home as his legacy. Not handicap accessible but if you're physically able to deal with some steps it's an amazing voyage into several historical European eras, with authentic materials Hammond brought home from his travels. Lovely location on a cliffside. Restrooms and gift shop available, informative film worth the 5 minutes at the beginning of your tour.