Join us on a captivating journey through history as we explore the profound connections between art, innovation, and the human imagination. Delve into the fascinating intersection of artistic expression and community dynamics, from the medieval world to the present day. Discover how art has shaped our collective identity and inspired generations to push the boundaries of creativity. Don’t miss this enriching series that celebrates the power of imagination to transform the world around us. Join the conversation and be inspired! The series includes:

• Monday, May 6: 140 Years of Television Technology. Presented by: John Leysath, Curatorial Director, Hammond Castle Museum
  • Television is one of the most ubiquitous technologies in human history, so much so that we tend to take it for granted. However, the story of TV is a winding tale of decades of painstaking research, false starts, technological dead ends and breakthroughs, commercial failures and successes, aspirational ideals, and human drama. The full picture of TV is composed of a mosaic of individual scientists, engineers, and industrialists who helped to bring it to life, including our founder, John Hays Hammond Jr., whose contributions to the medium are often overlooked. “Who invented television?” is not a simple question. Through this presentation, the complex evolution of television will be traced, the pioneers who forged its path will be given their due, and in particular, the significance of Hammond’s work will be revealed.
• Monday, May 13:  Science and Spirit in Italian Renaissance Painting. Presented by Rocco Gangle, Philosophy Professor, Endicott College
  • The form and function of the painted image changed drastically during the 15th-century Italian Renaissance. From the late medieval paintings of Giotto to works of Renaissance painters like Botticelli and da Vinci, one feels as though stepping from an old world into a new one. What were the sources of this transformation of image and world? How was this transformation related to other cultural shifts such as the rise of humanism, a burgeoning secular society, and the scientific revolution? This presentation examines the religious, philosophical, and scientific backgrounds to the changes of the image in Italian Renaissance painting, in particular the development of linear perspective techniques, and connects this visual revolution in painting to its accompanying spiritual, cultural, and scientific revolutions.
• Monday, May 20:  Witches and Wards: Magic and Counter Magic in 17th Century England and New England. Presented by: Krystina Yeager, Founder, Historians Guide to the Salem Witch Trials Tours
  • Beliefs and fears surrounding witches and the Devil were rampant in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Laws against witchcraft were in place as early as 1542 in England. The resulting witch trials were published in witchcraft pamphlets written for the public to consume. While the church advised the people to trust in the power of God, many people took defense against witches into their own hands. Specific items concealed in walls or specific markings carved into fireplaces were believed to keep the Devil and his agents away. When the British came to colonize America, these practices came with them and can be found in many local historic homes even today.
• Tuesday, May 28: Lotta Dames, No Horses – The Life, Death, and Legacy of John Latouche.  Presented by: Caleb McMurphy, Director of Visitor Services and Education, Hammond Castle Museum.
  • On July 7, 1956, the librettist John Treville Latouche’s seminal American Opera The Ballad of Baby Doe premiered in Central City, Colorado. “It’s about love and It’s about money,” Latouche had joked, in predicting the public’s response to the Opera, “And there’s no combination an American audience likes more!” Today, The Ballad of Baby Doe is often cited as one of the most significant Operas in the American canon, but Latouche would never know just how right he had been. One month later, John Latouche was dead. He was 41. Over the course of his short years, Latouche lived a remarkably dynamic life; like a brilliant star, he pulled some of the most important artistic figures of 20th-century American culture into his brief orbit. The story of the community which Latouche anchored is one that features well-known characters such as composer Leonard Bernstein and artist Marcel Duchamp and local figures like Margarett McKean and Hammond Castle Museum’s own John Hays Hammond Jr.In fact, through Latouche’s legacy, a curious assembly of artists, poets, and occultists, many of them Queer, came to assemble at Hammond Castle Museum in its founder’s final years. This is a story about the life of John Latouche, but it is also a story about love. About money. About art. About magick. About false accusations of murder, and more. This lecture, the final in Hammond Castle Museum’s May Series on Art & Community Through the Ages, will also serve as an introduction to Hammond Castle Museum’s June Pride Month programming.

Admission: $15 per presentation / $50 for series. Member savings apply.

Friday, April 19th – 6pm
Monday, April 22nd – 2pm.

$25 per attendee.
Hammond Castle Museum Member benefits apply.
Attendees may explore the Gertrude Cawein At Hammond Castle Museum fine art exhibit and enjoy a self-guided tour of the Museum.

Step into the vibrant world of outdoor summer theatre on Cape Ann with our upcoming lecture, a perfect complement to the expanded art exhibit featuring the multitalented Eric Pape. Pape, the visionary behind the 1909 Outdoor Pageant at Stage Fort Park, not only set the stage but became a model for future productions in the region. His collaboration and close friendship with Percy MacKaye infused the pageant with artistic intention and grandeur, leaving a lasting impact on the cultural landscape of Gloucester, Rockport, and Lanesville. Join us as local historian, Leslie Bartlett delves into the rich history and artistic legacy of Eric Pape, exploring how his innovative approach continues to inspire outdoor performances to this day. After the program, attendees may explore the Gertrude Cawein Eric Pape fine art exhibit and self-guided tours of the Museum.

Reservations required.

Doors open: at 10:00 am. Timed Admission.
The last entrance is at 3:00 pm.

Join us tomorrow, Saturday, April 13th as we celebrate the start of our new season and our visionary founder, John Hays Hammond Jr, whose pioneering scientific achievements continue to shape modern technology! Born 136 years ago on April 13th, 1888, Hammond’s enduring influence transcends time, and we’re commemorating his extraordinary legacy.

As our special gift to you, enjoy:
-Free admission to see the breathtaking Great Hall and a limited number of smaller exhibit spaces during your timed admittance and discover the magic that inspired Hammond’s visionary creations.

-Enjoy free access to the “Gertrude Cawein At Hammond Castle Museum” fine art exhibit of nearly 60 works by Eric Pape.

Please note:
No admittance without advance registration. RSVP is required for us to manage attendance as capacity is limited. Not all rooms within the Museum will be open during this special event. Thank you for your understanding.

Join us this April as we will present “Gertrude Cawein at Hammond Castle Museum,” a new exhibit of nearly 60 works of art by Eric Pape, (1870 – 1938) the distinguished artist and former Cape Ann resident. This exhibit offers a unique insight into the multifaceted talents of Pape. Renowned as a painter, designer of the iconic “Tablet Rock Memorial” in Stage Fort Park, and a society portraitist, Pape’s brilliance shines through various mediums, including pencil, pen, watercolors, and oils. At the heart of this celebration is the full-length portrait of Gertrude Cawein, painted by Pape and loaned from the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, KY. For the first time outside the Filson, visitors can witness this rare example of Pape’s work as a society portraitist. 

The connection between the Cawein family, Eric Pape, and Gloucester runs deep. Poet Madison Cawein, known as the Keats of Kentucky and Gertrude’s husband, wrote a poignant Ode to the founding of Gloucester for the 1907 Gloucester Day celebrations, during which time Pape presented his iconic Tablet Rock Memorial. The exhibition will also feature an elaborate pen and ink drawing by Pape, representing Madison’s moving elegy upon the death of Pape’s first wife, Alice Monroe Pape, in 1911.

Tickets are now available at: https://bit.ly/HCMAprilCalendar

Celebrate the transition from 2023 to 2024 in unparalleled style by gathering your friends in the opulent setting of our Castle’s Great Hall. Prepare to dance the night away to the sensational beats curated by DJ JRM of Scape Audio New England, all while being charmed by our master of ceremonies for the evening, the incomparable Bruce Jacques! Check out Bruce’s reel here for a sneak peek into the infectious energy and unparalleled entertainment he brings to every event. Indulge your palate with a selection of enticing hors d’oeuvres crafted by Creative Catering, and raise your glass for a complimentary champagne toast as we collectively countdown to the magic moment at the stroke of midnight, marked by our dazzling New Year’s illumination.

But the festivities don’t end there! Embark on a journey through Hammond Castle Museum’s many rooms, each possessing its own unique charm and rich history, enhancing the layers of delight woven into your New Year’s Eve celebration. Join us for an unforgettable night of music, laughter, and exploration, creating memories to carry into the promising dawn of the new year.

Bid farewell to 2023 and ring in the brand-new year, 2024, in grand style in our Castle’s Great Hall. Get ready to dance the night away with the fantastic beats of Scape Audio New England and be entertained by our emcee of the festivities – Bruce Jacques! Savor the evening with an array of mouthwatering hors d’oeuvres by Creative Catering and raise your glass for a complimentary sparkling champagne toast as we count down to the stroke of midnight with our New Year’s illumination. But that’s not all! Explore the many rooms of the Castle, each with its unique charm and history, adding an extra layer of delight to your New Year’s Eve celebration. – Doors open at 9:00 pm and the celebration goes to 1:00 am. – Tickets are only $125 for each guest. – VIP Tables (Limited Availability) are only $850 and offer guaranteed seating for up to 6 guests, a bottle of champagne, and six souvenir champagne glasses for your midnight toast!

Hammond Castle Museum Member savings apply.

Join us for a fun night of tabletop games in the Great Hall.

Enjoy favorites such as: Dixit, Risk, Fluxx, Munchkin, Chess (Lord of the Rings Edition), We Didn’t Playtest This At All, Apples to Apples, Settlers of Catan, and The Oregon Trail Card Game and more! We will also have “Hammond Naval Warfare,” a game of naval strategy designed by our founder, inventor John Hays Hammond Jr!  Don’t see your favorite games? Bring your own!

All games are on a first come/first serve basis. Doors open at 5 pm and gaming goes on until 10 pm. Bring your family & friends and stop by for an hour or stay the whole time! Light snacks will be available for purchase. Kids up to age 10: $5 / $15 general admission. Hammond Castle Museum members savings apply!

Timed Sessions: 6 -9 pm, Museum Closes at 10 pm.

Admission: $25

Leave the little ones at home for a night out and experience Hammond Castle Museum after dark as it comes alive with the spirit of Halloween.  Come dressed in your favorite Halloween costume to explore the hallowed halls of Hammond’s castle, the very rooms where legends of the inventor’s ghost ships were born!   

Visit the Alchemists laboratory in the Great Hall or walk amid the mysterious midnight mist in the courtyard while plenty of candles cast haunting shadows creating the perfect backdrop for your spookiest Halloween photos.  Don’t miss this unique opportunity to explore Hammond Castle in all its eerie splendor. Whether you’re searching for the ravens we’ve hidden, enjoying the candlelit ambiance, or simply reveling in the Halloween spirit and taking your Halloween photos in the most majestic of spooky settings, our Costumes & Candlelight self-guided tours promise a hauntingly good time! Ideal for ages 13 & up.

Hammond Castle Museum member discounts apply! All proceeds from this program will support the restoration and preservation of the museum.

Join us tomorrow, October 14th as we Return to the Renaissance on our oceanside lawn with a live musical performance, a demonstration of a Knight’s battle, and improv by none other than Shakespeare himself! The Brotherhood of the Arrow and Sword, an educational-based medieval reenactment group will perform an armored fight demo as well as explore life on the medieval battlefield. The Brotherhood is dedicated to the presentation and practice of historical European martial arts and other facets of medieval life. Their armored fight demonstrations are high energy and entertaining. The Penniless Jacks is a high-energy folk-rock band that focuses on livening up traditional “tavern” music. Shakespeare Approves will keep the kids giggling with his family-friendly antics and improvisational banter. Guided Tours will not be offered, allowing our guests the freedom to explore the Museum at their own pace. FREE Off-site parking at Stage Fort Park (24 Hough Ave, Gloucester) will be required.  Two free “Yellow School Bus” shuttles will run continuously from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. between the Park and the Museum. There will be a Hammond Castle Museum staff member at the park & ride site in State Fort Park to assist with questions.  (This program was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 7th. All original reservations will be honored at the original times.)   Photo by CMO Photography.

Two Sessions: 10:30 am & 1:30 pm.  Doors open at 10:00 am. Adults: $35 / Kids 5 -12 yrs: $10 / Ages 4 & Under are FREE with Ticket. Hammond Castle Museum member savings apply!

Step into the extraordinary as we embark on a journey through the ancient art of Tarot, guided by the seasoned intuition of Annette Dion. As a gifted psychic Tarot reader, Annette will lead you through the veils of divination, helping you access profound wisdom and insight.

The Hammond Castle Museum creates a unique setting that harkens to the vibrant depictions of the Ride-Waite Tarot deck, enhancing the experience. Under Annette’s guidance, the 2-hour class will unveil the essence of each card, unraveling each of their meanings and mysteries. For an immersive and interactive experience, we encourage you to bring along your own tarot deck. Uncover the magic that lies within its cards, and let Annette guide you on a transformational journey.

Attend in person or participate online as this program will be streamed live. A digital copy of the program will also be emailed to all participants.

In Person: $99, Virtual Participation: $77.