Posted in Boston
December 01, 2017
The Hidden Castle Near Boston That Almost No One Knows About
Gloucester has a reputation for gorgeous, sandy beaches and whale watching. However, those are far from this North Shore town’s only attractions. Hidden away on the edge of a cliff is a Medieval-style castle!
John Hays Hammond, Jr. was the son of a successful mining engineer. Hammond was a prolific inventor, with 400 patents and hundreds of inventions to his name; the only person in the country who held more patents was Thomas Edison. Hammond is best known for using radio waves to develop remote control technology.
Hammond used to scare local fishermen when he sent unmanned, remote-controlled boats into the ocean. Think driverless cars are unnerving? Try ghost ships.
Hammond used to scare local fishermen when he sent unmanned, remote-controlled boats into the ocean. Think driverless cars are unnerving? Try ghost ships.
The castle served as the couple’s home. It also housed Hammond’s huge collection of artifacts.
You may or may not discover the castle’s hidden doors and secret passageway!
Hammond was interested in the occult. He collected Roman tombstones and the museum has a human skull that's supposed to be from a member of Christopher Columbus’ crew.
Then again, what else would you expect from a man who led one-man funeral processions through town whenever one of his Siamese cats died? He would preserve his deceased pets in jars of formaldehyde.
Then again, what else would you expect from a man who led one-man funeral processions through town whenever one of his Siamese cats died? He would preserve his deceased pets in jars of formaldehyde.
Despite these quirks Hammond kept company with some pretty famous folks. The likes of Cole Porter, John D. Rockefeller and Ethel and Lionel Barrymore, all visited the castle. And part of an episode of "Bewitched" was filmed here.
This seasonal attraction is open to the public from spring until fall.
Address: 80 Hesperus Avenue, Gloucester, MA 01930
Use the directions from the castle’s website rather than GPS, which may lead you astray.
Have you checked out the best castle near Boston yet? Share your experiences (and photos) with us on Instagram (@only.in.boston) or Boston Only on Facebook!
For a tour of more Massachusetts castles, read our past article: “This Road Trip To Massachusetts’ Most Majestic Castles Is Like Something From A Fairytale.”
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