Coffee with the Cows at Appleton Farms
Celebrate summer with this special hike to visit the Appleton cow and calf herd. Meet these mamas and their babies as they spend their morning grazing in our beautiful pastures. Coffee and pastries will be provided by our team so you can “graze” alongside the cattle and enjoy the physiological… Read More
Growing Together: Pickling and Summer Preservation Workshop
Celebrate the abundance of the growing season in this hands-on Pickling & Summer Preservation Workshop. Participants will learn simple techniques for preserving fresh garden harvests from Appleton Farms through quick pickling and introductory preservation methods. Together, we’ll create flavorful pickles, discuss food preservation basics, and discover ways to extend the… Read More
Wildlife Identification Walk
Join Ranger Robert for a one-hour easy-paced wildlife identification hike at Bartholomew’s Cobble. Learn how to identify the animals that live in the area by examining tracks, scat, fur, bones, game trails, and other signs of wildlife activity found throughout the landscape. During the program, participants will explore the ecology… Read More
Designing for Delight: A Garden Tour of Naumkeag
Explore stunning terraces and garden rooms with sweeping views of the Berkshire Hills as our passionate garden guides share the stories behind the creation of this iconic estate. These popular tours take visitors beyond the blooms to focus on the fascinating history of the Choate family, the vision of landscape… Read More
Castle Hill Tour: Highlights on the Hill
Join us for a leisurely tour of the Castle Hill grounds from our comfy tour cart. You will hear the rich history of the estate while enjoying the breathtaking views of the gardens, marsh, and water. This is the perfect way to get a comprehensive overview of the Crane Estate,… Read More
Castle Hill Tour: Cupola with a View
This is our most Instagram-able tour experience and a particular treat for those interested in the architecture of the Great House and its surrounding property. You’ll gain insight into the architectural choices made by David Adler as he designed and built the Great House, the second home the Cranes built… Read More
Spill the Tea: Lecture Series
Join us for Spill the Tea, a new outdoor lecture series at Naumkeag offering an engaging blend of history, storytelling, and afternoon tea set within the estate’s iconic gardens. The program begins at 4:00PM with an informal tea service on the Arborvitae Allee, featuring a selection… Read More
Castle Hill Tour: Hollywood on the Hill
This guided tour highlights the many star-studded movies that have been filmed at Castle Hill over the past 40 years, such as The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009), The Equalizer (2014), and Little Women (2019). Hear behind-the-scenes stories about Timothée Chalamet, Matthew McConaughey, Jack Nicholson,… Read More
Passport to the Past: Stevens-Coolidge Guided House Tour
Discover the stories behind the walls of one of North Andover’s historic gems. Join us for a guided tour of Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens, a Colonial Revival treasure that reflects early 20th-century elegance and global influence. Once the summer home of Helen Stevens Coolidge and John Gardner Coolidge—a diplomat and… Read More
CraneOutdoors: Kayak Historic Fox Creek
The Great Marsh—the largest contiguous salt marsh in New England—is not only brimming with fascinating natural history, it is also home to a rich cultural history. Nowhere is this more evident than in the meandering waters of Fox Creek. Connecting the tidal estuaries of the Essex River basin and the… Read More
CraneOutdoors: Kayak Adventure on the Castle Neck River
One of the best ways to enjoy the natural beauty of the Massachusetts North Shore is kayaking the placid waters of the Great Marsh—the largest continuous stretch of salt marsh in New England, extending from Cape Ann to New Hampshire. The Castle Neck peninsula on the Crane Estate is a… Read More
CraneOutdoors: Sunset Kayak in the Crane Wildlife Refuge
There are few places on the North Shore that more reliably enjoy spectacular sunsets than the back side of Crane Beach, overlooking Essex Bay. On this outing into the… Read More