My girls and I had a fantastic time visiting the grounds of Crane Estate. I loved that we bought our pass online ahead of time because we had about a 90 minute drive. When we arrived the fog was rolling in over the back hills, it looked amazing. My kids enjoyed the statues and all the steps. I would most certainly visit again. We also bought a beach pass and walked the beach after it made for a wonderful day.

We have photographed at least 12 weddings at this stunning wedding venue on the North Shore and find something new and amazing at every wedding we capture here! The staff that operates and manages this venue are top notch, and the views are seriously unbeatable. One of our favorite wedding venues in MA hands down.

Fall is a great time to visit and explore the ground. Took about two hours to walk around and see the main sites

Excellente place to take photos and enjoy nature and old style mansion. Mansion is close due to COVID, but worth going to take pictures

Be sure to watch web site for covid info.it effects visit times..be sure to bring off spray there are lots mosquitoes if you walk by the wooded part of grounds...so much ground to cover so wear good shoes..castle was not open but grounds keep you busy..

Great visit even though we couldnt go inside. Great example of Americas gauche elite class copying anything European without any understanding. Like the busts of all the Caesars that just repeat after a while or the lead griffins that are painted brown to look like bronze.It was also fun finding all the shots used in the 2019 movie, Little Women.

Incredible! You need to pay to reserve a parking spot beforehand and the house is closed indoors due to COVID.

Crane Estate is nothing short of a fairytale wedding venue. As a wedding photographer who has shot at Crane Estate for many years, it really is a dream venue. There are SO many amazing locations to take photos - the Grand Allee, the Italian Garden, the front and back of the mansion, and the iconic spot down at the end of the lawn with breathtaking views of the whole estate. Your guests will be speechless when they enter the mansion! The ceremony overlooks the rolling lawn going straight into the ocean, and you can see the beautiful Crane Beach down on the right. The bridal suite is fit for a princess, with tall ceilings, huge windows, lots of natural light, and so many antique details.Maura is the director of Fireside Catering (the company they use) and she is the queen of weddings at this castle. She’s so easy to work with, kind, and accommodating. I love coming back wedding after wedding to see her. The food is phenomenal - from cocktail hour passed apps, to full oyster bars, to dinner. The vendor meals are phenomenal - which, they’re usually pretty bad then the guests get served the good stuff. So, if the vendor meals are top notch, you can imagine the level the guests food is at. If you’re looking for a classy, elegant venue unlike anything else in New England - stop looking!

Beautiful gardens and grounds with views of the ocean and Ipswich estuary. Due to COVID-19 the building can only be entered by buying a timed guided tour ahead of time, but worth the effort.

The Mansion is still closed because of Covid-19 but the gardens are as beautiful as ever. Tickets are now required and a visit is limited to 3 hours. You are also not supposed to go down to the beach anymore.

Beautiful peace of history took the golf cart grounds tour worth the extra $

Weirdly sobering felt like I was walking around ruins. Its an interesting educational experience and has some beautiful scenery

I appreciated the scenic views and classical grounds surrounding the great house, including the overlook of the ocean and the formal garden. A little over an hour was a nice amount of time to spend walking over the grounds. We would have enjoyed touring the inside as well, but it was currently closed because of Covid. (If you have seen the 2019 version of Little Women, you may recognize the view of the great house and lawn in the rear of the house which is depicted as a mansion in Paris in the movie.)

We visited on a hot summer day. We visited with the on duty lady ranger a bit before we walked around. She shared about 15 mi ites of info, and the highlights not to miss her help was awesome, and we enjoyed a long walk all around the hill, and all the trails. The views are spectacular. We enjoyed a picnic in the shade out at the end of the long lawn, down by the view of Plum Island. Sign up for a pass, as they are limiting attendance. The house is not currently open, so well wait to visit again when its open and we can learn more about the family.

Almost didnt leave review because want the place all to ourselves, however, truth must be told! Spectacular, all 360 degrees

It is really Beautiful but please be prepared to pay 20$ just to walk around the grounds, which close at sunset. I couldnt find that information anywhere on their website so be warned!

Excellent park & gorgeous estate ran by really dedicated folks. Visited on fairly gloomy day in May but it didnt take away from absolute beauty of landscaping. First floor of the grand house is free with admission to the park & absolutely worth the visit. Make sure to ask questions - you might find hidden rooms and understand a bit more about how people lived here a century ago. Perfect for a leasurely stroll outside.

Visited on 8/9/20. Understandably we were not allowed inside the mansion due to Covid. We were able to walk the grounds, which are massive and absolutely gorgeous. The staff were extremely kind and helpful. Once inside tours start again we will be back to visit again.

An incredible place to visit. Grand estate with great views of the water. Worth exploring for a few hours. Plenty of food options in nearby Ipswich. Crane Beach down the road.

Awesome place.Well maintained.Not crowded.Calm environment.Good place to take kids.Place where you can enjoy the beautiful view.

The most elegant, pared-down castle in America - wonderful place to spend the day w a lover w kids...or even alone. The simplicity and geometry of the gardens is unique. The rolling hills behind the estate look like green waves of grass that rise and fall all the way to a spectacular view of the beach. Pure poetry in design. The cafe’ doesn’t have much besides snacks drinks & hot coffee/tea so bring food. Make sure you wander and check out the Allee’ and ruins of the rose garden. Heaven everywhere you look. ️️️

Its very nice place to visit in summer. Beach is very close.

The Crane Estate is beautiful and I will go back again when the house is open. The gardens and land is beautiful

Love this place inside and out. Gorgeous gardens all around overlooking the ocean,. Many different tours of he mansion. Interesting history. Perfect place to bring a picnic and enjoy so many views and private spots.

Beautiful estate well worth a visit. We want to return to visit the castle as we only enjoyed the grounds for the New Horizons art show event.that took place there a few weeks ago.

I love this place so much, especially the mall sweeping from the Great House to the Casino and on to the sea. The Italian Garden and Rose Garden are also gorgeous.

Amazing, stunning, take your kids, your love, no dogs allowed. Breathtaking views. Perfect for picture lovers or just a casual walk

A must see estate beautiful grounds to walk around .and explore property near cranes beach area

This property is mesmerizing! In the national historic register, Castle Hill is a wonderful destination for history buffs, lovers of architecture, landscape and adventure! The staff brings the era to life!

We were invited by some friends to attended the Fire & Ice event this year, it was a really cool event.There were some really cool ice sculptures, and a cool cocktail bar carved out of ice. A fire artist, food, COCKTAILS and live cover band that was kill’n it!We had a really good time!The estate was a really nice backdrop for the event. We would go back next year!

A beautiful piece of history that is well kept by its caretakers. A great place to bring the one you love and walk through the gardens and fields. Also great for small families looking for a day trip.

Great views, tons of space to walk around. Great place to hang out and have a picnic.

This was an amazing place that my sister had her 40th Birthday party at during a 1920’s Lawn Party. The grounds were beautiful and everyone looked amazing in their time period appropriate attire.

We loved this place. We were there in early spring and the house was not open for touring but we spent some time walking around the beautiful grounds. We were there for at least an hour and covered a lot of ground there. The views and the estate are beautiful!

The estate is so well maintained and beautiful. Our family enjoyed our tour and especially the gardens. Often times it is not easy to bring children to such places, but we really felt welcomed, thank you.

A must visit Place with Family. Pack your Lunch with you. And enjoy eating it in the lush green grass of Castle Hill. There are multiple destinations. Book prior in order to Park your Vehicle.

Make sure you get your passes before. If not you will waste your whole drive . No passes at the entrance, no passes available online for same day. Plan accordingly.

Great place, bring water, no a/c. Supper friendly staff :)

Great place to visit, movie set location that is beautifully designed, rose garden I will come back in the spring/summer

This place is gorgeous. Even if you dont go in the main house, the gardens are to die for. Loved every minute!

Spectacular views, beautiful gardens, plenty of trails, and the ocean... Great for visiting any time of the year

Beautiful!!! This is an amazing place to visit. Its is nice for a little light walking. The Green space behind the house is a nice walk. Head towards the ocean for a great view. They also have a few tables where you can sit and relax a while on your walk out to see the ocean. I went with a few friends for the summer Thursday night concert series and we had a great time. You can see Cranes beach from the house. Wonderful views, great use of your time. You will not be disappointed.

Very unexpected art show on the grounds and a beautiful setting! So many wonderful things to engage the minds, body and soul. Normally $15, but today was free! Added bonus!!

Hills are fun to roll around

Wonderfull grounds well kept would and will go again

A very worthwhile gem of a place. Best family picnic spot and good for a long stroll to a less populated area of beach

Amazing public venue with programs, concerts, and other events for all ages.

A fun weekend stroll. We drove from Boston, easy drive. Nice grounds to walk around, a peculiar Castle itself

Beautiful estate tucked away in Ipswich, MA. Amazing landscapes and stunning interiors. Unfortunately, we didnt 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.

Wonderful great house. Fun tours. Huge grounds to check out. Dont miss it!

The past comes alive in this lovingly maintained grounds. The staff fall into the scene with mannerisms and knowledge of the period polished as bright as the silver. The music rolls when the bottles pop, and the roaring 20s is just a scheduled event away. All levels of dancers, dance-! All level of parties, from the mentally stimulating tea and lady fingers over talk and gossip, to the full on speak easy swinging of the band too big for the grand stand. Anytime, is a great time- visit this mansion and beach!

Outdoor event while the house is closed for COVID. Well done. Planning on going back for a garden toue.

Enjoyed our visit to the castle. The tour guide was excellent in the Guest of the Cranes where we toured the second floor. The tour was worth the $15. There is no cost to tour the first floor or the grounds. There is a cost of $15 per car to enter the grounds.

The Ipswich Chorus and Orchestra both performed an outstanding musical extravaganza at the Crane Estate in Ipswich today. I am certainly pendulous because my granddaughter performed in both the orchestra and the chorus. Great voice in the chorus and outstanding knowledge of her cello.That being said, they performed outstandingly! The music in both the Orchestra and the chorus was pitch perfect and one could not believe that these young high school students could fulfill this mission, but they did and with great musical know how !!!CONGRATULATIONS KIDS !!!

Spectacular place to visit!

Absolutely Beautiful place. A must see

Beautiful grounds and ocean views!

It has a good view, but thats all. The big house is not open for the public. Its beautiful, but there is not much exciting things to do that, only pictures.

Very beautiful but lots of walking to see the grounds. Hit the beach first so that you can use your parking ticket to reduce admission price

Fun place, although my friends and I drove an hour to find out it was closed for a private event. The online information about times is somewhat misleading. That said, we had a nice time roaming the grounds, and there were plenty of plaques around describing the place, so I still felt like I got some historical knowledge.

This castle is amazing! I went here over the summer with my family and we took a tour around the place! I love spending time here!

Magnificent! The gardens are so beautiful , the mansion was fascinating has a 360 view of the beach below Castle Hill,very long walk from the mansion to the edge of the gorgeous lawn and gardens. You have to come and visit here!

Had fun! Found the beach area so be sure to bring sunscreen to really enjoy the whole time.

A very special place. They staged Mousetrap there last month. I had auditioned but did not get a part. Wonder view of the Gulf of Maine!

The best time to visit is in the early fall. The crowds have thinned and you can stroll around the grounds pretending that you have the place to yourself. A walk down the lawn to a view of the ocean is a must. But also take time to walk down to Steep Hill Beach and take the path along the river back to the house. Bring a picnic and spend a few hours!

Awesome experience its a must a Christmas time. For a small entrance fee you receive cookies,hot chocolate, tea,coffee. You can buy wine or beer and sit and listen to wonderful music, also there is small appetizers. Employees available to explain each room. Wonderful

Loved the house and had fun on the tours!!

Fantastic place for just $10. Be prepared to spend some time cause the place is massive!

Beautiful estate with lots of history and gorgeous grounds to tour on your own or via golf cart tour.Former Summer estate of Crane plumbing family.

Would have loved to go inside. Beach was secluded and nice.

The house is cool. It was $15 per car to get in but if you want to go to the second floor you have to pay for a tour. The grounds are were its at. They are huge with a couple of gardens, rolling hills, some art work, oversized chess and checker boards and the best part, a huge beach. We were very unhappy with the Crane police as they drove by us on their 4 wheelers very fast. It was on a walking path and we had our two year old with us. Very rude! The rest of the staff were very friendly and polite.

Interesting to see the Crane estate. Theres a trail that leads to a very nice beach where you can walk along the shore.

Beautiful view! Wasnt able to go inside. Will go back earlier in the day

Great place. The one modern artwork installement was a Godless conglomerate of stainless steel and concrete geometric shapes which some administrator had the gall to install next to the place where the Castle Hill concrete needed repairs the most. MISAPPROPRIATION of resources.The other situation was that alot of the lime-concrete Greek statues were suffering badly because of the acididy of New England rain. The irony is that the Cranes made a fortune by inventing a method of preserving steel with ceramic coating.Nonwithstanding the modern art and some statue decay, this place is an impressive monument to Great-Gatsby-era life!

Such a beautiful place to visit. The stories of previous owners...fantastic!

Beautiful outing on a sunny day!

This 59 room English country, Stuart-style mansion perched above the Atlantic Ocean, was built as a summer retreat in 1928. Now a Trustees of Reservations property, tours are offered of the first floor by guides in period costume.This stunning property overlooks an impressive, undulating Grande Allée, in addition to salt-marshes, fields, gorgeous gardens and paths meandering down to the sea.The house and grounds are adjacent to pristine Cranes Beach on Massachusetts other cape - Cape Ann, named after Queen Anne, Queen consort of Scotland, England, and Ireland from 1590 to 1619.Self-guided landscape and garden tours are available via smartphone app titled “TourTrustees: Castle Hill”.

Castle Hill refers to either a 165-acre (67 ha) drumlin surrounded by sea and salt marsh or to the mansion that sits on the hill. Both are part of the 2,100-acre (850 ha) Crane Estate located on Argilla Road in Ipswich, Massachusetts. The former summer home of Mr. and Mrs. Richard T. Crane, Jr., the estate includes a historic mansion, 21 outbuildings, and designed landscapes overlooking Ipswich Bay, on the seacoast off Route 1, north of Boston. Its name derives from a promontory in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, whence many early Massachusetts Bay Colony settlers immigrated, and predates the Crane mansion.The estate is a relatively intact work from the Country Place Era of the turn of the 20th century, when wealthy families built extensive country estates. The Crane Estate includes architectural and landscape designs from at least seven firms or individuals of national reputation, including the Olmsted Brothers and Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, and is extensively documented. In recognition of its state of preservation and design, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. The property is now owned by The Trustees of Reservations and is open to the public.

Beautiful place to hang out or take a date!

Interesting and beautiful place to visit. There are concerts during summer.

This place is just magical. Spectacular views from the top of the hill overlooking Ipswich Bay. A time-tunnel journey back to a golden, gilded-era.

Someone kicked my blanket, took my shoes, and i got beaten up it’s not a save place. prep boys are also a problem there too.

We went to the Crane Estate on the third day of our Boston Trip. We really werent sure what to do in Ipswich, other than we knew we were visiting Wolf Hollow. We found this on a tourist site, and though we would check it out. We were not disappointed. The grounds were amazing, and the house was beautiful. We took the guided tour of the house, and they present the tour as if you were back in 1928, and it is still being inhabited by the Crane family. It was well worth our time to visit.

Beautiful grounds. Peaceful, breath taking and so worth it. It is a long stroll to the end of the back yard but the view is well worth it. The chess game is really fun to play.

Crazy amazing site, lots of your options and other aspects - not your average mansion location

Go on a nice day. The grounds and the exterior of the house make the experience. While the inside is nice I certainly expected more grandeur. The Rhode Island mansions spoiled me.

This is an absolutely beautiful place for a walk or picnic. They also hold concerts during the summer

Felt like I was in England! Love the garden ruin and Downton Abbey feel!

Had a romantic day here on Valentines day. Spent a couple hours walking the massive grounds and sight seeing.

Was a bit chilly because of the Winter season. Will definitely go back in the Summer to see the gardens and walk the beach!

Wow. Stunning views. What a place. If you are planning a wedding this would be the your first choice !!

Beautiful venue for any type of event. This is the view I had while eating a fantastic dinner.

One of the most beautiful places in New England!

Very beautiful place to visit with nice view of the sea. the tour (about 30$ each) and is not that interesting.

Pretty amazing to see and explore this estate. The design and architecture of this property is beautiful.

Great spot for the whole family. A little pricey if you want the tour.

Very unique place to visit. A building and grounds from a different age. Well worth taking the guided tours. Lots to see and the tour guides are experts in their craft.

What can I say. Castle Hill is a gorgeous place for a birthday picnic. The house, the gardens, the rolling lawn down to Cranes Beach. We had a blast.

Beautiful views, stunning landscape and only in Ipswich.

Great place for an afternoon stroll. Great views all around. Decently priced at $15/car. Hours should be more clear, however. Visited on a Sunday afternoon and were told the grounds would be closing on 5pm, despite the website stating the grounds are open until sunset except for Fridays and Saturdays during the summer.