Castle Hill Tours & Tickets

Guided tours of the Great House at Castle Hill cost $15 for Trustees members, $30 for nonmembers and $15 for children 12 and under, and include grounds admission for a three-hour visit. Tours run from mid-April to late November. Grounds-only admission is free for members, $10 for nonmembers and $5 for children.

Tickets are sold online through The Trustees, and some, including Guest of the Cranes, Hollywood on the Hill and Highlights on the Hill, can also be bought on site when space allows. Tickets for each season are released closer to April.

Grounds Admission vs. a Guided Tour

There are two ways in. A grounds pass gets you the gardens, the Grand Allée, the woodland trails and, when the Great House is open, a self-guided walk through its first floor. A guided tour adds a costumed interpreter and the parts of the house you can't see alone, from the bedrooms to the basement to the roof. Tour tickets include grounds admission, so you don't buy both.

Grounds admission covers a three-hour visit. Advance grounds passes are suggested, not required; without one, entry is first come, first served, and summer weekends sell out in good weather.

The Tours

The Trustees list these guided tours for Castle Hill:

• Guest of the Cranes: the main house tour, set in 1929. You play a real acquaintance of the Crane family and see the family bedrooms, bathrooms and guest rooms. Hourly from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 50 to 60 minutes, for adults and children 9 and up.
• Cupola with a View: the architecture tour. David Adler's design choices, a look at servant life, and a step out onto the roof for the view over the estate.
• Behind the Scenes at the Great House: basements, kitchens and the service side of the house, including the electric wind indicators and the telephone system a plumbing magnate built in. About 50 to 60 minutes, for adults and children over 8.
• The Cat's Meow: a 30-to-40-minute family tour for children 3 to 8 with one adult. Mrs. Crane's Siamese cat, Ptolemy, has gone missing before the party, and the kids help find him.
• Hollywood on the Hill: about 90 minutes on the films shot at Castle Hill, from The Witches of Eastwick to Little Women, mostly outside on the forecourt and terrace plus the first floor.
• Highlights on the Hill: a 50-to-60-minute ride around the grounds on a tour cart that seats five, with the estate's history and views of the gardens, marsh and water.
• Grand Stairs to Back Stairs: the whole house, from the family rooms to the basement to the rooftop, in about three hours, with a light snack.

Schedules change by date. Check the Castle Hill tours page for what runs on the day you want.

Which Tour to Pick

• First visit: Guest of the Cranes.
• Architecture or photos: Cupola with a View, for the roof.
• Kids under 9: The Cat's Meow.
• Limited walking: Highlights on the Hill (the cart can't take a wheelchair; it has one step up).
• Movie fans: Hollywood on the Hill.
• A full day inside: Grand Stairs to Back Stairs.

Accessibility on Tours

There's no elevator in the Great House. The Grand Staircase has 30 steps, Cupola with a View climbs three flights, and the behind-the-scenes and full-house tours use several staircases and aren't suitable for visitors with mobility issues. A headset amplifier is available on request for any tour. Children under 2 have to be carried for the whole tour.

Before You Go

• Arrive 15 minutes before your tour. The Trustees say they likely can't reschedule late arrivals.
• Child tickets are for ages 12 and under.
• Groups larger than 12 can book private tours.
• An audio tour is available in the TourTrustees app.
• Castle Hill tickets don't include Crane Beach. The beach needs its own pass.