Virtual Exploration & Experience
FREE virtual backgrounds available at the very bottom of this page. Enjoy!
Welcome to our virtual library, where you can explore Lucknow from the comfort of home. Be sure to visit frequently as we add more to this collection!
Support Free COVID-19 Resources
As with many organizations, our normally self-sustaining operations will be negatively affected by this crisis. Our Virtual Library is supported by Castle memberships and donations. We truly appreciate any and all support that our community can give to us by becoming a member or making a donation. We hope that we’ll see you soon at a program or on a tour and look forward to being there to welcome you to the Castle!
We want this virtual library to be an enjoyable and enriching resource! Please tell us how you think we’re doing by taking this brief survey.
Enjoy a Virtual Tour of Lucknow!
When viewing and sharing these tours of Lucknow, please envision yourself exploring the halls, witnessing the artifacts, and enjoying the views!
These video tours were prepared and narrated by: Robin Sherman, Curator & Museum Manager
Submit your feedback on our virtual library in this brief survey.
The History of the Lucknow Estate
Lucknow has a unique and vast history that has become an important cultural resource for the community and visitors from around the world.
What do you find most interesting about the history of this special estate?
Virtual Tour: Lucknow’s Second Floor
Follow us upstairs to explore the guest wing, master suite, servant’s quarters, and beautiful views that can be enjoyed from every room. Preserved in time, thoughtful details and natural light make this a welcoming space to have arisen to each morning.
What do you imagine it would have been like to be a guest of Tom and Olive Plant?
You can view this video with captions by clicking here.
Enjoy these activities that pair with the Tour of the Second Floor
Enjoy Stories and Experiences of Lucknow!
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Olive’s Lucknow
A poem published in P. Gray’s History of Castle in the Clouds (Bromley & Company, n.d.). It’s attributed author is Olive Plant, the original owner of Lucknow Estate.
Have you enjoyed some of the delights mentioned in the poem?
Enjoy this activity that pairs with the Olive’s Lucknow video.
This video was prepared and narrated by:
Robin Sherman, Curator & Museum Manager
The Earl of Ossipee Park
When Thomas Plant purchased Ossipee Mountain Park in 1911, he clashed with the homesteading community that had lived in the area for generations. Learn about this conflict and the reputation for ruthlessness that earned him the nickname the Earl of Ossipee Park.
Have you seen the sites of the Lee or Horne homesteads during a visit to Castle in the Clouds?
This video was prepared and narrated by:
Robin Sherman, Curator & Museum Manager
Global Influence on Lucknow’s Architecture
This video explores the various global influences on Lucknow’s unique architecture. Part of the New England Arts & Crafts movement, Lucknow mansion also pays tribute to architecture stylings from throughout Europe and Asia.
This video was prepared and narrated by:
Mackenzie M. Padula, Programs Coordinator & Interpretive Manager
The Greenhouse
Nature and technology intersected in many places on the Lucknow Estate, but perhaps nowhere more so than Olive’s greenhouse. Join us for a brief look at this how this vanished example of Lucknow’s spirit of innovation blended with the scenic beauty of the Ossipee Mountains.
This video was prepared and narrated by:
Robin Sherman, Curator & Museum Manager
Learn About the Land Before Lucknow
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Geology
Did you know the Lucknow mansion sits on the southern slope of an extinct volcano? Learn about the world-renowned caldera the Castle calls home, the unique geology of its “backyard”, and how the Plants managed to create space for their 10,000 square-foot home on this uniquely-formed terrain.
Enjoy this activity that pairs with the Land Before Lucknow: Geology video.
This video was prepared and narrated by:
Robin Sherman, Curator & Museum Manager
Ossipee Mountain Park
Before Thomas and Olive Plant owned the more than 6,300 original acres of the Lucknow estate, who inhabited the land? In addition to homesteads of early settlers, you may be surprised to learn the estate was once a place for visitors to stay for a week or more, exploring the mountains, waterfalls and abundant nature – much like visitors to Castle in the Clouds do today!
How would you have filled your days as a visitor of Ossipee Mountain Park?
This video was prepared and narrated by:
Robin Sherman, Curator & Museum Manager
Learn About the Land Beyond Lucknow (Post-Plant Era)
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Tom’s death in July 1941 occurred only months after the death of Joseph Emery, the mortgage holder of the Lucknow Estate. The executors of Emery’s will then foreclosed on the property. Fred C. Tobey of Plymouth, New Hampshire purchased the estate as a summer home in 1942.
Click on this link to read more about the Tobey Era.
Becoming “the Castle”
Did you know Castle in the Clouds has been open to the public since 1959? Join us for a brief look at how, under the direction of Richard S. Robie, Tom and Olive Plant’s beloved Lucknow Mansion became “the Castle”.
This video was prepared and narrated by:
Robin Sherman, Curator & Museum Manager
Explore the Castle's Collections
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Tom’s Trophies
Thomas Plant became an avid horseman late in life, but that didn’t prevent him from winning first prize honors at various horse shows between 1903-1910. Explore his collection of six trophy cups earned alongside his most prized horses: His Highness, Dusky Dazzler, Ebony Boy, and his favorite horse, Sunshine.
What are your favorite hobbies? Do you have your own collection of memorabilia?
Enjoy this activity that pairs with the Tom’s Trophies video.
This video was prepared and narrated by:
Robin Sherman, Curator & Museum Manager
Paintings, Prints and Bronzes
Often overshadowed by the other beautiful details of the Castle, each of the pieces of artwork that adorn the Lucknow estate has its own story. Our Curator offers you a more intimate and interesting look at art owned by Tom and Olive Plant, pieces that are authentic substitutions for missing originals, pieces from recent donations, and “mystery pieces”.
Do you have a favorite piece of art in your home? What is its story?
This video was prepared and narrated by:
Robin Sherman, Curator & Museum Manager
Castle Sneak Peek: Reopening Lucknow
Learn a little about the Castle in the off-season and our current restoration work in this sneak peek.
Have you ever wondered what goes into opening the Lucknow Mansion for visitor tours?
This video was prepared and narrated by:
Robin Sherman, Curator & Museum Manager
Castle Sneak Peek: Blue Room Restoration
Have you ever wanted to know more about the restoration that takes place at the Lucknow Mansion?
The first step of restoration is always research. Get a sneak peek at some of our early revelations as we prepare to restore the Lucknow Mansion’s Blue Room.
This video was prepared and narrated by:
Robin Sherman, Curator & Museum Manager
Listen to the Legends of Lucknow: Oral Histories
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Interview with Executive Director, Chuck Clark
Castle in the Clouds Executive Director, Chuck Clark, shares how he got his start at the Castle, the ways he has seen it evolve during his time here, and what he loves most about being a part of this special estate.
How did you get where you are today? What about your personal work or hobbies do you find meaningful?
This video was recorded on Zoom, and prepared by: Mackenzie M. Padula, Programs Coordinator & Interpretive Manager
Did you know the entire Castle property was once for sale?
In 2002, the Lakes Region Conservation Trust (LRCT) took on a $5.9M fundraising campaign to purchase the roughly 5,500 of 6,300 remaining acres of the original Lucknow estate purchased by Thomas Plant in the early 1910s. If this campaign failed, it is likely the property would have been developed by another purchaser and the Castle would not be the public resource it is today.
Check out NHPBS’s Windows to the Wild: Preserving a Way of Life to learn about this extraordinary effort. Then, be sure to learn more about the LRCT and their non-profit mission to preserve the beautiful lands of our region!
Explore our Library of Virtual Experiences
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Please enjoy these downloadable PDFs that explore the history of Castle in the Clouds and the details that make the property so unique!
- Arts & Crafts Architecture
- Butler’s Pantry
- Caldwell Light Fixtures
- Dining Room Restoration
- Domestic Servants
- Thomas Plant: The Earl of Ossipee Park
- First Floor Guest Chamber
- Food at Lucknow
- Guests at Lucknow
- Irving and Casson Furniture at Lucknow
- J Williams Beal – Lucknow’s Architect
- Kitchen
- Library
- Main Hall
- Olive Dewey Plant
- Plant Memorial Home
- Servants’ Hall
- Sun Parlor
- Thomas Plant Company
- Tobey Furniture at Lucknow
- Tom Plant
- Owners’ Chamber Restoration
Submit your feedback on our virtual library in this brief survey.
Please enjoy these downloadable PDF coloring pages! Please feel free to share your colored masterpieces with us – share directly to our Facebook page or tag us on Instagram (@castleinthecloudsnh) and Twitter (@castle_clouds)!
Submit your feedback on our virtual library in this brief survey.
Keep up to date with our blog, Chronicles of the Castle, which offers insight into our collections, restoration, the community that supports the Castle, our land conservation efforts, and interpretation of modern headlines and how it would’ve compared to historic headlines witnessed by the Plant family.
Submit your feedback on our virtual library in this brief survey.
Lucknow Revealed: Research, Restoration & Mystery at Castle in the Clouds
Highlighting some of the exciting restoration projects at the Castle, our research discoveries, and the Castle’s unsolved mysteries that remain today. Can you help us decode the Castle?
On display: May 2018 – May 2020
Content by: Michelle Landry, former Curatorial Director with assistance from Robin Sherman, Curator & Museum Manager
Design by: Yvonne Lauziere, Stark Creative (Wolfeboro, NH)
Click any of the links below to explore this exhibit! Check back soon for more exhibit content, including artifact photos.
- Restoration and Preservation Since 2006
- Discovering the History Behind Plant’s Castle
- Understanding the Castle’s Unique Design
- Building the Castle: Materials for a Mountaintop Fortress
- Global Influences
- Examining and Assessing the Evidence – Responsible Restoration
- Restoring Lucknow’s Historic Timbers
- Portico Problems
- Preserving the Pergola
- Masonry Mysteries
- Chimney Challenges
- A Lost Chisel
- Saving the Servants’ Quarters
- Bringing Back Lucknow’s Bedrooms
- Dining Room Discoveries
- Special Conservation Projects
- Documenting the Castle’s Furnishings
- Investigate! Writing on the Wall
- A New Beginning for the Castle’s Basement
- Cleaning and Conserving the Refrigeration system
- Help Decode the Castle
Our new exhibit, The Shoes that Built the Castle, will be showing in the gallery beginning in the 2020 season!
Submit your feedback on our virtual library in this brief survey.
Please enjoy these downloadable PDF activities and guides! Please feel free to share your colored masterpieces with us – share directly to our Facebook page or tag us on Instagram (@castleinthecloudsnh) and Twitter (@castle_clouds)!
- At Home Scientist – Acid Rain
- At Home Scientist – Volcano
- Color by Number
- Games of the 1920s – Hopscotch
- Games of the 1920s – Jacks
- Games of the 1920s – Marbles
- Green Houses & Gardens
- Historian at Home – Genealogy
- Historian at Home – Newspaper Perspectives
- Homemade Roundels
- Homestead Era – Entertainment
- Homestead Era – Working Roles
- Hosting a Lawn Party Checklist
- Household Helpers Activity
- Indigenous Americans in New Hampshire
- Landscape Picture
- Letters from Lucknow
- Picture Perfect Portrait
- Word Search
- Writing Poetry
Submit your feedback on our virtual library in this brief survey.
Have fun video chatting with friends and loved ones using these free virtual backgrounds! You can also host your virtual meetings with Castle in the Clouds as your background:
- How to set your virtual background on Zoom
- How to set your virtual background on Google Meets
Simply click on your preferred version to download.
A suggested donation of $5 to support our non-profit mission is greatly appreciated. Make a donation today!
Submit your feedback on our virtual library in this brief survey.
Are you interested in the gardens that surround the Lucknow Mansion and want to know more? Click here to learn more about the plants our gardeners tend to.
Submit your feedback on our virtual library in this brief survey.
Please peruse these pre- and post-visit activities to help extend your Castle in the Clouds experience. Great for introducing the history of our property before your trip and continuing the learning opportunities after you leave!
Pre-visit Activities
Post-visit Activities
Christmas at the Castle 2022 is “A Taste of the Holidays”. Check out these recipes inspired by our decorators’ favorite flavors and try a few for yourself this holiday season!