Description

Thursday Night Candlelight Tours and Spiritualist Tours At The Castle!

Following the advice of mentor Alexander Graham Bell, John Hays Hammond Jr. conducted the majority of his work in the evening. While this put Hammond at odds with the rest of the inhabitants of the castle – including his wife Irene – he concluded that working throughout the night and sleeping during the day positively impacted his work as an inventor. 

With this in mind, “Candlelight Tours” are offered Thursday evenings during the months of July and August. Guides will escort visitors through the castle’s many rooms, placing an emphasis on the Hammonds themselves and the time that they spent in their castle home. Visit and immerse yourself in the lost era of quiet luxury and candlelight.

Thursday Night Spiritualism Tours: The American Spiritualism Movement enthralled America’s upper and middle class during the late 19th and early 20th centuries – John Hays Hammond Jr. and his wife Irene included. Both Hammonds took an active role in the movement, contributing to the body of work vastly in different ways. In honor of their involvement and interest in psychic capabilities, we offer the Spiritualism Tour.

Spiritualism Tours are offered alongside our Thursday Night Candlelight Tours Program during July and August with a separate admissions process. These special tours delve into the history of the American Spiritualism Movement and the culture that formed around it, as well as the contributions of both Hammonds. We will discuss cultural phenomenons such as spirit photography and séances as well as the more scientific aspects of the movement such as Hammond’s research in ESP. 

Thursday Evening Picnics:  We are pleased to offer guests with Thursday evening Candlelight or Spiritualism Tour tickets the opportunity to picnic on our ocean-facing lawn starting one hour prior to the ticketed time. Reservations are free but required in order to access the lawn. Guests will need to adhere to a strict carry-in and carry-out policy as well as social distancing guidelines. 

Candlelight Tours are offered at 6 pm,7 pm and 8 pm and the Spiritualism Tour is at 9 pm.
Advanced reservations are required.