Guided Group Admission

A variety of Coastal Education and Recreational Programs and Cultural Tours are available for all ages, delivered by trained educators and/or guides. We offer a regular suite of content options as well as special themes and unique itineraries.

Coastal Education Programs

o 2-hour outdoor programs led by our Coastal Educators
o Focus on habitats, plants/animals, weather, erosion, and natural/human-caused changes through time
o Age-appropriate activities tailored to age/grade level
o Inquiry-based, interactive, hands-on

View the full list of program options here. Programs are linked to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, documentation of which is available upon request.

Cultural Tours

o Adult or youth groups may take a guided tour of Castle Hill’s Great House, gardens, and/or grounds
o Tours are tailored to be age- and/or audience-appropriate
o Tours are delivered by interpreters who may be in period costume depending on the itinerary
o Themes include art, architecture, life in the Roaring 20s (“front of house” and/or “back of house”), horticulture, the designed landscape, and more

View the full list of guided tours currently offered.

Recreational Programs

o Guided kayak tours for ages 12+ in the protected estuary of Essex Bay, June-October
o Guided hikes and combination hike/kayak excursions
o Maximum of 24 youth (ages 12+) per trip (+ chaperones)
o Prior kayaking experience is a plus, but not required
o Guides offer kayaking instruction & interpretation of the natural/cultural resources of site
o Ample parking at Crane Beach and shuttle service to the launch area

Group Size and Fees

In order to enhance learning and protect cultural and natural resources, our programs are offered in groups of 15 participants per educator or guide. At any given time, we can accommodate the following maximums on a guided experience:

• Up to 45 participants at a time for outdoor coastal education programs
• Up to 30 participants at a time for guided tours of the Great House, gardens, and grounds

Please note, however, that larger groups can be accommodated onsite on a particular day. In this case, a portion of the group may engage in self-guided exploration or “free time” while others rotate through the guided programming. Or, groups may elect to take part in a combination program where they undertake both a guided cultural tour and an outdoor education program on the same day.

Fees start at:

• $10 per person for a one-hour group tour of the house, gardens, and/or grounds
• $15 per person for a two-hour outdoor coastal program
• $25 per person for a three-hour program that includes both of the above
• There is a $200 minimum for all group bookings

Program fees include general admission to the Crane Estate and parking for up to three additional hours beyond the program time. Financial assistance may be available, pending reserves, for groups with a demonstrated need.

If you are looking to book a coastal education field trip or group tour of the Great House, please email craneeducation@thetrustees.org or call 978.356.4351. If you are looking to join a public program such as a guided hike or kayak trip, click here to explore our listings of upcoming events.

Groups Visiting on Your Own

Groups are welcome to visit the Crane Estate on their own, whether to go to the beach, explore the gardens and grounds of Castle Hill, or hike our trails. Special pricing of $100/bus (Memorial Day through Labor Day) and $75/bus (all other times) is available. Groups arriving in individual passenger vehicles are subject to all regular entry fees unless alternate terms are negotiated in advance. Parking cannot be guaranteed for any vehicle, bus, or otherwise, unless it is booked in advance.

In terms of amenities, Crane Beach offers restrooms year-round. During peak season of Memorial Day and Labor Day, our full bank of restrooms are open. At all other times, the facilities are limited to just two open restrooms unless a prior arrangement is made. Please note that there is no running water in winter. Also available during peak season is lifeguard coverage of a delineated swim area, our Beach Store, and Snack Shack. Large groups planning to utilize the Snack Shack are asked to inform us of this in advance so that we can plan accordingly. These amenities cease after Labor Day, though the Beach Store may stay open on weekends into the autumn on fair weather days.

At Castle Hill, visitors can tour the gardens and grounds with an audio tour app available on Google Play or the App Store. Portable restrooms are available in our main parking lot year-round, even when the Great House is closed. A small Gift Shop is open during times when the Great House is open (please refer to the Castle Hill page for our hours). Apart from a small selection of snacks in the Gift Shop, there are no food/beverage offerings at Castle Hill at this time.

If you are looking to book a self-guided group visit for an audience of 12 or more people, please email craneeducation@thetrustees.org or call 978.356.4351. If you are looking to join a public program such as a guided hike or kayak trip, click here to explore our listings of upcoming events. 

Family and Adult Learning

A number of educational programs are available within our lineup of public programs and events. These include outdoor learning programs focused on the natural history of the Crane Estate, as well as guided tours and specialty talks about the cultural history of the site. Visitor favorites that are geared towards youth and families include our family-focused CraneExplorer series, including shipwreck walks, owl prowls, animal tracking, guided tours of our Great House, gardens, and other cultural resources, explorations of Choate Island, and more. Adult learners, please also read about our Coastal Education Volunteer training program in the section on Volunteering.

Please visit Things To Do and search for events at Castle Hill, Crane Beach, and the Crane Wildlife Refuge for a listing of upcoming opportunities. Terms and fees for these programs are contained within each listing.

Volunteering

Coastal Education Volunteer Training Program

The Coastal Education Volunteer (CEV) training program provides an opportunity for participants to gain knowledge and skills useful to the delivery of coastal programming at the Crane Estate and within our local communities. Via this four-month, 12-session course, volunteers receive instruction in coastal processes, local natural history, ecology, coastal change and resilience, and environmental education. Trainees demonstrate their skills by developing a hands-on coastal education resource that would be usable in a local coastal environment, and these projects are presented to peers at the end of the course.

Volunteering on the Coast

Both CEV graduates and those who have not completed the CEV program may serve as program assistants in our coastal education and recreation programs and collect environmental data for community science projects. While prior completion of the CEV program is not a requirement for all coastal volunteering opportunities, it is encouraged, and we will prioritize the accommodation of our CEV graduates in volunteer roles. Assignment-specific training will be provided for all who serve.

In terms of coastal cleanups, we offer a facilitated cleanup on a quarterly basis. Outside of those, groups interested in conducting a cleanup may do so on their own, and we offer tips for self-guided cleanups. Please note that groups coming for self-guided cleanup are subject to regular entry fees and policies, and we are not able to provide a member of staff to greet or otherwise coordinate self-guided cleanup groups.

Volunteering at Castle Hill

In addition to coastal volunteering, the Crane Estate team engages volunteers in numerous ways across the site. Volunteers support our work in stewardship, horticulture, ecology, curation of cultural resources, and public programs/events.

To learn more and/or to see a list of current volunteer opportunities at the Crane Estate, whether for groups or individuals, please visit our volunteer website or email volunteer@thetrustees.org.