Have you ever caught yourself daydreaming about what it’d be like to live as royalty in medieval times? Well, you have the unique opportunity to walk through Hammond Castle- an epic fairytale proportions less than an hour outside of Boston!
Hammond Castle is located on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the quaint town of Gloucester. An unmissable part of the landscape, this European style castle was constructed between 1926 and 1929, and has a plethora of history behind its construction in Massachusetts.
The castle was formerly the home and laboratory of John Hays Hammond, Jr., an inventor and pioneer in the study of remote control. His work was so prolific that he held over four hundred patents in his lifetime.
However, Hammond was often described as being “a man of the future who chose to live in the past”. He was an avid collector of art and artifacts. Thus, he created his residence around large stone archways, windows, wooden facades, and other architectural elements from the Old World.
The castle brings together a unique combination of art, architectural elements, and culture. The architectural styles of the building feature 15th-, 16th-, and 18th-century architectural elements, and it sits on a rocky cliff overlooking Gloucester Harbor.
Today, the castle operates as the Hammond Castle Museum, displaying Hammond’s collection of Roman, medieval, and Renaissance artifacts as well as exhibits about his life and inventions. Highlights of the tour include Great Hall, which will make you feel like you’ve stepped inside Harry Potter or Game of Thrones, and a gigantic pipe organ, which some of the greatest organists in the world were invited to play.
Hammond Castle Museum is open daily for guided and self-guided tours. Tickets are $20 for adults, with special discounts for children and senior citizens. Find more information at their website.