Candlelight Tours of Hammond Castle Museum

Tours are offered at 6, 7 & 8 p.m.

Member benefits apply to Candlelight Tour tickets.
All proceeds from this program will support the restoration and preservation of the Museum.

Following the advice of his 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 in August and September and offer you the chance to see the building as Hammond so often did; after dark. During these approximately 55-minute fully-guided tours, you will be escorted throughout many of the Museum’s galleries, including rooms in the Hammond residence which are not usually a part of the daytime guided experience. The Candlelit tour places an emphasis on the Castle’s role as John and Irene Hammond’s private home, in addition to covering more general architectural and historical details of the building and collection. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see the Castle through Hammond’s eyes!

Carry-In/Carry-Out Picnics: Guests may enjoy a carry-in/carry-out picnic on our seaside lawn before their tour on Thursday evenings in August! Reservations are $5 per party and start one hour prior to your ticketed evening tour. Reservations are required in advance.  Hammond Castle Museum members enjoy complimentary picnic reservations.