My mom and I visited Castle Hill on the Crane Estate about a week or ago when we spent a long weekend exploring Cape Ann. Our experience was great. Chicago industrialist Richard Teller Crane Jr., heir to Crane Co., and his wife purchased the property in 1910. They built a first house on the site, which was razed only a few years later (it was not constructed to withstand New England weather). Then they built the house you see when you visit, a Stuart-style mansion inspired by 17th century English country houses. The house was bequeathed to the Trustees upon the death of Mrs. Crane in 1949. The Trustees still take care of the property - 2,100 acres of the original 3,500 acres, the house, Crane Beach, and the Wildlife Refuge. I learned all this and more when my mom and I took a guided tour of the home. The tours are interactive, and the guides are dressed in period costumes. Typically, at least a couple of people on the tour are given characters as a way to learn about the family and the house. Our guide Theo was incredible - so friendly and knowledgeable about the house. Since our tour was just my mom and me, we didn't do the interactive tour, but it was perfect. We really learned a lot from Theo, and we just had a great time with him. If you don't do a guided house tour, you can do a self-guided house tour of the first floor only. And you can get a grounds and gardens pass that does not guarantee admission to the house but does let you explore the Italian and Rose Gardens, Grand Allée, Casino Complex, and our vast network of woodland trails. The grounds are pretty incredible - the Grand Allée in particular, with its rolling hills out to the view of Ipswich Bay, so if you just have time for the grounds, gardens, and the exterior of the house, it's worth a stop. It was a great tour, a beautiful house, and gorgeous grounds. The estate is well worth a visit if you're in the area and are interested in architecture, gardens, or history! read more

See all

Another beautiful day at Castle Hill. This time we did a cupola tour and had the opportunity to visit other parts of the house. After we walked around the grounds and enjoyed a great summer afternoon. read more

See all

Beautiful place to visit up in the North Shore. We visited during off season so we were not able to see inside the mansion, however we were able to walk the grounds. They give you a map upon arrival to aide your exploration. We were able to see pretty much everything on the property. The estate is also located right on the water so not only are the grounds beautiful, but you get to enjoy pretty views of the ocean as well. I will say while it was still beautiful, it was very cold visiting in March, as it was windy right by the water. Nothing inside was open so you had no place to warm up. Despite this I still enjoyed it. Also none of the gardens were obviously in bloom so keep that in mind. It was $10 per person to view the grounds at least so I'm not sure what they charge when it's actually open. Overall great experience and I would love to visit again during the summer. read more

See all

Need ideas on your next day trip? Check out Ipswich, located in the North Shore area. My friend came from out of state and we visited Castle Hill, which is a Tudor Revival mansion. We did a tour to learn the history of the mansion and those who used to reside. The location is beautiful and you can see the ocean in the distance. The gardens are well maintained and just amazing. Great for photo ops read more

See all

An absolute must if you are in the North Shore. The grounds are spectacular, and the mansion is equally as beautiful. The history of both is nice, and with ties to Newport, make it even more interesting to a Rhode Islander, such as myself. We will most definitely be back to check out more of this beautiful estate, as there is no way you could see it all in one day. read more

See all

This is a great spot in the Cape Ann; one could visit for just a hour or half a day here. The house and grounds are impressive and kept in great shape considering the size, age and foot traffic it sees. Initially we just did the $10 self-guided visit, which includes the grounds and first floor of the house but once inside we went for the additional $20 Guests of the Cranes guided tour. This tour allowed us to go to the 2nd floor and our docent provided facts in an entertaining fashion. If you're a fan of history or architecture then you'll want to visit and take the tour. The house and the tours are really more for adults and older children. If you have younger kids, I would not recommend bringing them. read more

Castle Hill - View of the front. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

If you have ever visited the mansions in Newport, you'll be completely underwhelmed with this place. They charge you just to see 2 rooms downstairs and the grounds with additional charge to see upstairs-- what?! When we saw the first floor, we decided not to opt for the second floor. We did walk the mall all the way to the end and took the trail to the beach.... beautiful! Helluva walk though, be prepared for that. Wouldn't return to the estate but would love to spend a day at the beach! read more

Castle Hill - This walk is way longer than you think it is - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

See all

Beautiful grounds. Nothing on website about no entry into mansion or castle because of winter hours. Can't rate what we couldn't see. read more

See all

Such a beautiful place to visit! The grounds were astounding! There was so much to see in different areas of the property, including inside the castle/mansion. Definitely worth checking out if you are visiting the area. read more

See all

Since moving back to MA, it has been a great pleasure/hobby of mine to check out places around the state that I have not had the chance of going to--Castle Hill/the Crane Estate being one of them as of recently. As others have noted, the grounds are incredible: the view of nearby Crane Beach and Steep Hill Beach at the top of the hill, and the several rolling hills leading down to an overview of the ocean--wow. And the grounds are extremely well kept, as you can wander around the property and check out gardens and more. There are a number of places you can plop down a blanket and hang out for the day for a picnic, relax, etc. In the Casino area, there also were fire pits for rent (although, may be more of a fall activity as the days are getting warmer!). Like other properties that are popular with the Trustees, a reservation is encouraged to ensure you don't make the long drive and find out that it is sold out for the day. Definitely worth the trip! read more

This place is for a nice summer weather to enjoy the day in MA. May get crowded on the weekends but not many cities like this around the area. read more

See all

I'm a little torn with my review. First, we had just endured several days of rain and were really just out looking for a place to get outdoors and walk on this nice sunny day. We stumbled upon Castle Hill and decided to give it a try. The property is beautiful and we certainly enjoyed walking the grounds for a few hours. And we had a lovely picnic on the patio of the house with great views. So that was awesome. What I guess I am torn about is the price. First it was $10 per person just to access the property. That gave us full access to the outdoors which is what we wanted so it was probably worth it. That also gave us admission to several rooms in the downstairs of the mansion. There were some signs in each of the rooms describing them which was actually interesting. I would have actually liked to learn more about the house and the family that lived there but the tours were an additional $30 per person per tour. It just seemed pretty expensive. Anyway, it was a lovely day and I don't know that we could have found a prettier spot to spend the day outdoors. read more

I went to Christmas at Castle Hill. It was so amazing! They decorated each room with a theme and they had docents in each of them explaining interesting facts about the estate. I enjoyed the hot cocoa and cookies after the tour. I will definitely be back next year. read more

Just became members of the Trustees, and we decided to take a trip here to wander the grounds and look around the Grand House. Wow. We weren't planning to pay for the tour, but it was $5 a person with our membership and it was well worth it. Tour guides were extremely interactive, engaging even for our kids, and very knowledgeable about the estate. I don't have a great interest in historical architecture, but it was difficult not to get excited about the place when the docents were clearly loving their job. We came here with zero knowledge of the history of the property or of the Crane family and left with a wealth of it. It seemed as if the property was open for free (it was MLK day), because we stopped at the entrance gate and there was nobody in the gatehouse. You can walk around the grounds and the first floor without a tour guide, but the second floor of the Great House is accessible only by the tour, which is $15 without a membership, and took us about 1.5hr. It was sad that we were there on a winter day, because it was bitter cold... we are already longing to come back here in the spring when things are greener so we can just walk the grounds, which are clearly spectacular, even covered in snow. There is a huge outdoor chess board, a large scale temporary art installation that the kids can climb on, and acres of beautiful landscape and picnic tables, all along the oceanside. Truly can't wait to be back here when it warms up outside. We read more

Castle Hill - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

After touring a few mansions in Newport, RI, I found that Castle Hill topped the list of mansion tours. First, the grounds are phenomenally breathtaking. WOW. I only wish I'd had more time to walk to the ocean. The home itself is harmonious-- beautiful architecture and design, without being gaudy or pretentious. The tour was so much fun! Our tour guide, Brendan, knew layered details about the property, each room, and the Crane family. He was a class act. Also, the tour is immersive-- meaning each of us had a role to play-- as if we were back in 1929, coming to stay on the property as guests of the Cranes. This was so much more engaging than simply being passive recipients of information! I highly recommend visiting Castle Hill and taking a tour! read more

It's an interesting place, but there should be one tour that shows you the whole house. You have to buy admission ($10) and two tours ($20 each) to see all floors of the house. $50 a person is pretty steep. read more

Good historical summer home for the.wealthy of the early 1900's. Beautiful grounds with gardens and the restored house. Managed.by the trustees of reservations. Take a visit. read more

See all

A quick hour drive from Boston, I arrived with my family on a Thursday afternoon at 2pm (the area closes at 5pm). We were quite surprised that the admission fee is $10 per person for non-members and not $10 per vehicle like it was for Crane Beach. Nonetheless, the fee was well worth it because the estate is HUGE and there was so much to see. Past the entrance, you will be led up a winding path up until you reach a spacious parking lot. The map makes it easy to find where you want to go, but you really don't need it as it is easy to follow the paths/trails around the gardens and to the back of the impressive castle, where there is a great expanse of grass and sculptures. Overall, it was a great walk around nature. Very peaceful. I wish we got to see inside the castle as well, but it was closed off for visitors. read more

See all

Just enjoyed a beautiful afternoon and night there for a wedding. Wedding was at 6pm. It was a beautiful set up outside overlooking the rolling hills. Note: have your ceremony at 6pm or prior if it's outside as the bugs do start biting. After the ceremony, we had drinks and apps (passed and stationary) and bar service. The apps were delicious, the contracted caterer for the venue is top notch and their catering staff is friendly and helpful. I, myself am a retired wedding planner and catering event coordinator so I am speaking with an eye for these types of venues and events. The dinner was under a large circus style tent and they offered heaters and shawls for women if needed. The sides of the tent can be rolled down so that helps prevent wind and rain from coming in. Dancing was inside in a good size dancehall. There were 175 guests in attendance and at times every single person was on the dancefloor at the same time. It was a wonderful time and i highly recommend this venue if you do it right. Note: Get there early by 3pm to have your photos taken, do not wait until after the ceremony. Our bride was very organized and did this and it worked out best. read more

We drove to Castle Hill to visit this weekend but the staff on the entry didn't allow us to do that because we had a dog in our car. He stated that it is not allowed to be the dog on your property. It is okay, we understand that BUT we faced the problem of being unable to leave our dog in our car in her carrier, even if someone from our family was able to sit in the car and wait for other family members to visit the castle. It is unbelievable that this can happen in the US! It was rough, very disappointed!! They broke our weekend plans, they ruined our mood, and we lost the weekend time! This is the most undog-friendly place in the world we have ever visited. We like traveling and our dog travels with us, were in Europe, and Asia but we faced such type of discrimination for the first time!! read more

This place is beautiful we had been once before during the later part of last fall (2019). The views are gorgeous and with covid going on it was a nice spot with no crowds. The new rose garden is beautiful and the team working on it has done a wonderful job! One pro tip others have noted is to BRING BUG SPRAY. Over the course of 15 minutes we were bitten over 50 times on the legs, arms, and back. It was impossible to get away from them - hundreds of young mosquitoes. We went at 10am on a Friday during the first week of September. It was sunny with perfect visibility, but without any bug spray we only lasted about 30 minutes. I would recommend Crane's Estate for mid to late Fall visits. It is definitely worth seeing, but the mosquitoes are hard to ignore. It would be nice to have some warnings on the Crane Estate's website. I see deer tick warnings, but nothing about mosquitoes. read more

Castle Hill - View of the Estate - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

See all

Beware: Lots and lots of flying and biting insects! At a recent event I attended everything was absolutely perfect until nightfall, when dinner was served outside and insects started biting. At that point, it became a nightmare. Days after the event, my wife and I continued to have many nasty-looking and itchy insect bites. I counted more than ten bites on my hands and legs. The insects even bit through my socks. Guests at my table and other tables were scratching themselves throughout much of the dinner. One guest even wrapped his head and face in cloth napkins to try to prevent the insects from biting! I became busy swatting away insects from my plate and trying to gobble my food quickly. As far as I could tell, there were no preventive measures taken by venue management to handle the insect problem. And, if there were, they were not very effective! Some people went to their cars to find insect repellent. But then, the smell of insect repellent plus the itching was too much to deal with. Dinner conversation quickly turned to talk of insects and mosquitoes as well as mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Prior to nightfall, the venue was perfect -- great scenery, nice grounds, a very interesting mansion at the site and no insects. Unfortunately, this was ruined by the many biting insects after dark. If you plan an event here, or are a guest here, my strong advice is to leave well before nightfall! I sent an email to Castle Hill with my feedback, but never heard back. This review would have garnered 5 stars had this been a daytime-only event. For such an event, I would highly recommend this venue. read more

The estate was beautiful however the staff was completely rude and did not seem like they wanted to be here. They also were not too keen on answering questions. read more

Gorgeous, historic home in a beautiful area. If you like historic homes and don't have time to go to England then the Crane Estate is a must-see. The gardens are also beautiful and undergoing restoration so getting better each year read more

This place is absolutely gorgeous!!!! My mum is from Ipswich England so when we went to Salem she wanted to swing by Ipswich Massachusetts. While in Ipswich Massachusetts we stopped by Castle Hill. It is absolutely massive and beautiful. I feel grateful I was able to experience it. There were employees tending the garden and when I asked questions they were extremely nice and respectful. This place is a must see. read more

We had our wedding ceremony on steep hill beach and our ceremony in the barn. It was absolutely gorgeous! Our wedding manager, Caroline, was very attentive and she was very on top of things on the day of! Many people took walks around the grounds to see the different areas and I everyone who I talked to said that the venue was perfect! I can't wait to get our professional pictures back! The only drawback is that they don't do rehearsals, which I understand because it is a very busy place. I would choose this venue all over again! read more

Castle Hill - Wedding at the Barn! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

Beautiful place, but staff is rude and unwelcoming. Kristina completely ruined our day by training us where we can and can't go. Complaining to us how other visitors vandalized her signs, leaving their cars on the Crane's parking lot, but going on the beach to swim and braking rules. Instead of calm relaxing weekend we just got stress and even couldn't visit the house, bucause they just forgot to remove the sigh saying the house is closed today.... read more

Such a beautiful estate. Perfect spot for a wedding. Love when I get a chance to photograph a wedding here. read more

Castle Hill - Love when I get to photograph a wedding at this beautiful spot. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

The Crane Estate is the landtrust that oversees both Crane's Beach, the great house on Castle Hill, and the nature preserve surrounding both. Really, though, most people use the phrase to mean the big-ass house on the top of the hill overlooking the beach. Crane's Beach is reviewed elsewhere on yelp, and many reviewers have said the same thing: it's essentially the most beautiful beach on the North Shore. I would argue it's one of the most beautiful in New England, period, partially because of the preserve surrounding it. The Estate, though, is what makes this place so awesome. From May to October, when you're done getting your beach on, you can roll up to the house on Castle Hill and get a tour of the beautiful, ridiculously huge mansion there. You'll probably recognize the house itself - it's been in a ton of commercials. The house is at one end of what feels like a half-mile rolling green field, flanked by giant trees, that funnels you directly to a cliff that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. On one side, you can see the Crane Estate, and on the other, the wide expanse of the beach and the sea. It's so picturesque, it makes me want to crap my pants. During the later parts of summer, there's also a big concert every Thursday night right on the mansion itself. Tons of people bring out their beach blankets and lawn chairs to check out who's playing. The shows aren't really about the music, although I've seen some decent cover bands here. It's really more the combination: the views, the location, the people. As long as you bring some bug spray, it's a magical evening of delight and wonder. If you ever wanted to have sex that you felt was worthy of a romance novel, this is probably the place to do it, although try not to traumatize the kids. Two things to be aware of about the estate: first, it's not the cheapest place to go if you need to park (it's around $20). Two, during the summer, and especially late at night, the mosquitos get FIERCE. Make sure you bring bug spray, or you may be consumed alive. read more

Wow! What a powerful place. You can just feel it's magic & history. A Must See when visiting New England! read more

Beautiful grounds opened to the public. Grounds are accessible from the beach (and the beach fee that comes with it) or through the estate entrance. At the time we visited, the estate entrance was closed for an event, but we didn't realize until on our way out that there was a side entrance that also charged the estate fee. Would have saved entrance money if I'd know that. Didn't get to see inside the mansion, but the grounds were expansive. The open field is hilly and nicely lead to the cliff-like edge overlooking the beach. read more

Another spectacular wedding venue!!!! The grounds are breathtaking with fantastic water views. The mansion is well maintained with a classic charm that will leave your guests in complete and utter amazement. Service and food was provided by Gourmet Caterers who deliver nothing short of the best! My experience here was exceptional and I would highly recommend this venue to anyone looking for a beautiful, exquisite and private place to have your wedding reception and ceremony! read more

What really impressed me about Castle Hill were the grounds and the beautiful setting.The house itself is large and frankly no more than moderately interesting.I came to see the house and can not vouch for it as an event site.As a place to visit it is worthwhile. read more

Castle Hill - Inside - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

See all

It was a total blizzard out and they refused to let us reschedule or get a refund. I don't know how they didn't cancel but I can't imagine even half of the attendees showed. The roads are in terrible condition, why would I risk an accident to try to make it? Very inconsiderate of them to refuse to accommodate us with the awful weather. read more

Note: This review is for Castle Hill as a wedding venue If you love sweeping ocean views, historic buildings, sprawling lawns, and intimate sunken gardens, this place is for you. We toured several venues on the north shore, in Boston/Newport but my heart was at Crane since I was a young girl. Before you book you should know that because they are owned by a large conservation group and are a registered historic property, you don't have a ton of flexibility when it comes to decor, vendors, timing, etc. However, even with those restrictions, my husband, myself, and my mother were all totally enchanted by the beauty of the place and we decided to book immediately. Also, as a former vacation home for the Crane family, the setup of the house is not like a traditional wedding venue -- unless you tent ($$$) there won't be a bunch of tables surrounding a dance floor, but rather the tables are put in different rooms and you dance in either the ballroom or on the terrace. Some people (including myself) are not a huge fan of that, but when I saw it all put together on our day I actually kind of loved it -- it felt like we were guests in someone's home which created a very personal and intimate vibe. So lovely. Another bonus for us was that the property is protected and will (hopefully) always be there for us to visit and bring our children to, etc. Sounds sappy, but that was actually very important to me - I dream of the days when our children run on that amazing lawn! : ) Day of, everything went off without a hitch, and we were all ecstatic with our choice. Many of our guests had never been up to the house and they were all blown away by the views and magical atmosphere -- it is truly stunning. We worked with Ashley, Toni, and Laura, and all the ladies were very helpful, responsive, and caring. I highly, highly recommend The Crane Estate for a bride who wants a timeless, historic feel with an unparalleled ocean view -- you won't regret it! read more

Love Castle Hill and the grandeur of a seaside estate and its marvelously landscaped grounds. The main house and the grounds were pristine and very well maintained. Walked down they rolling lawn lawn towards the ocean and enjoyed the spectacular views of the ocean. I came with my kids to explore the beautiful grounds. Luckily to experience Alicjia Keawafe exhibit of tunnelTeller sculptures. It was hot so we did not walk all the way down to the ocean. Recommend bug spray. We loved imagining the was our summer home. Wonderful and welcoming staff. Picked up sandwiches at the museum store before heading to Cranes Beach. Brief visit and can't wait to come back again. They have great events at Castle Hill, checkout their website. Thank you Trustees for preserving this beautiful estate and many more! read more

See all

We went here for the roaring 20s party and it was absolutely glorious. The Gatsby-esque feel of the house and the spectacular grounds really take your breath away. And if that isn't enough, the ocean views will certainly get you. One of the most beautiful places I've seen on the East Coast! read more

Beautiful estate tucked away in Ipswich, MA. Amazing landscapes and stunning interiors. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the gardens from the roof because it was raining when we visited. However, the views from the top of the hill were breathtaking. Be sure to take a walk down to the beach, the view of the ocean is quite refreshing. read more

See all

Recently attended a wedding at this amazing piece of land. The mansion was incredible as was the surrounding hills and beach. Had a great time exploring this place. Only drawback was that it was surrounded by a cloud of biting insects, very similar to the cloud of locusts talked about in the Bible. read more

The grounds are beautiful, unfortunately that is all we could see since the power was out. The house is basically downtown abbey, and I wanted to see inside so bad! There is access to crane beach, so you might as well come here if you want a beach day and throw in a tour of the mansion while your here. If the power is on, that is. read more

Castle Hill - View of the casino. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts