Just north of Boston lies a unique tunnel with ties to pirates, lost treasure, earthquakes, and Spiritualism. Dungeon Rock is inside the 2200 acres of Lynn Woods, a peaceful pocket of forested wilderness.

Like many good tales, this one begins with pirates. It was 1658 when a pirate ship sailed into Lynn Harbor. We know that its crew was in possession of treasure, because they bought tools from locals with piles of silver.

The pirates established a camp on the Saugus River, but locals weren’t the only ones aware of their presence. British soldiers heard rumors that pirates were in the area and hunted them down. Three of the four pirates were caught and hung, but the fourth man escaped…

Thomas Veal fled, ending up in the area that is now Lynn Woods.
Flickr/Linden Tea
He sought refuge in a cave and lived there for a while – supposedly with the pirates’ treasure in tow.
Flickr/Brian Herzog
Unfortunately for Veal, an earthquake struck, causing the entrance to his cave to collapse. The pirate either died during the earthquake or as a result of being trapped in his cave.

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But while this story explains the presence of a cave, it doesn't explain the tunnel.
Flickr/nycscout
In 1852, a Spiritualist called Hiram Marble heard the local legend and bought the land around Dungeon Rock, hoping to unearth the buried treasure. It’s worth noting that he wasn’t motivated by personal wealth. Spiritualists thought they were able to speak with the dead and Marble believed he was receiving messages from the pirate, Thomas Veal. If Marble found the treasure, it would prove the validity of Spiritualism.

Hiram – later joined by his son Edwin – began digging a tunnel, blasting through the rock with dynamite and then digging. It was an expensive project so they sold bonds to investors who hoped to share in the treasure.
While most tunnels are straight, this one is unusual because it alters path, seemingly at random. That’s what happens when you use séances to decide which way to dig...
Flickr/nycscout
The Marbles’ search was never successful and Edwin Marble is buried at the site.
Today you’ll find the tunnel hiding behind a metal door in the rock and you can actually go inside. Steps descend into the ground, from there the tunnel snakes for 135 feet before ending in a solid rock wall.
Flickr/nycscout
Tunnel access is typically available from May 1 through November 1, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Visits to the tunnel during colder months can sometimes be arranged by contacting lynnwoodsranger@aol.com. Be sure to bring a flashlight along!

Here is a map of Lynn Woods. As you can see, the Pennybrook Road entrance is closest to Dungeon Rock.

Have you explored this one-of-a-kind tunnel yet?

For more quirky Boston history, check out our past article: “The 11 Weirdest And Strangest Things That Have Ever Happened In Boston.”

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