Hammond Castle Museum Day Trip
Welcome to Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester, MA
Situated on the Gloucester, Massachusetts shoreline, Hammond Castle Museum is the former home of the inventor John Hays Hammond Jr. Visiting offers a way to experience a medieval-style home with it’s ornate architecture and landscape views looking out into the Gloucester Harbor.
Built in the 1920s, Hammond Castle houses many artifacts, stained glass windows and winding staircases to explore. You also get to stroll the gardens and view the harbor from the overlook.
Get information and purchase your visitor tickets here. The museum is open daily in October and Fridays through Sundays in November.
Tip: You do not need to purchase tickets to visit the grounds and overlook. However, we recommend you do because there is so much to see, and your admission helps to maintain and restore the castle.
Hammond Castle Museum location | Driving Directions
How to get to Hammond Castle Museum (Gloucester, MA)
Drive to Massachusetts Route 128 North and take exit 14 onto Route 133 toward Gloucester. From there, follow these driving directions to 80 Hesperus Ave.
Note, the stairs to the museum from the parking lot and inside the castle building are narrow, steep and often uneven; strollers and elderly folks (and others) with physical limitations will not be able to comfortably or (at certain spots) safely maneuver around.
What to see at Hammond Castle Museum
To visit the museum, purchase tickets ($18 for adults) in advance to reserve a group tour time. It is definitely worth it because the castle design, rooms and artifacts from around the world are fantastic; it really does feel like you are entering a medieval fort.
While waiting for the tour, take in the castle structure, which is grand and surrounded by a serene garden. And when you walk through the bell tower, be sure to look up!
The tour starts on the grounds where you’ll walk into the castle through a drawbridge and head to the great hall, which has a number of banners, furniture pieces, paintings and other artifacts.
Tip: Before leaving the great hall, walk up the stairs into the dining room to see the Gloucester Harbor views. The windows are fascinating, and you can get really cool shadow and light effects in your photos.
Continuing on the guided tour, you’ll stop at the courtyard and from here can go on your own adventure through the castle.
Tip: Visit the inventions exhibit room, which you enter through a small door at the side, to check out the patents and other artifacts that chronicle the history of Dr. Hammond’s inventions.
As you explore the castle, there are several narrow, winding stairs taking you though the different rooms. The main entrance is where you’ll find the bathroom facilities and a gift shop.
The castle also includes a garden overlooking the harbor. There are a few seats you can rest on and to the side of the castle, you can walk down to the overlook by the rocky coastal landscape. On a clear, sunny day you can see the Eastern Point Lighthouse.
Tip: The arches above the overlook are a great spot for a selfie.
Tip: There is also a secret passageway, and make sure you listen to your tour guide for the two access points!
Tip: If your child is obsessed with visiting a castle, dress them up and head on over. We are sure their creativity will be unleased.
