tor house

Take the time to do a Tor House Tour! It's an amazing little place and piece of history in Carmel! Very cool tower to climb; sweet little house and garden.

The Tor House is a unique attraction for adults visiting Carmel. Whether you are interested in architecture, California history, scenic beauty or the poetry by R. Jeffers you will find this spot a must see. The one hour tour of the home, given by excellent docents, weaves together the life and poetry of Jeffers with California history and architecture/design. Parts of the tour require you to be "a bit of a mountain goat" and can be a challenge for those of us who are less limber, but the visit is well worth the time and energy. The natural scenery alone is incredible.

I had honestly never heard of Robinson Jeffers before coming to visit the house and I'm so glad I can now appreciate the mark he left on the literary world thanks to this delightful tour. The older gentleman who was our guide was adequate but not the most charismatic or knowledgeable. That said, the site itself is well worth the 1 hour tour as the house, the ocean views, and the infamous Hawk Tower are equal parts eerie and beautiful. Some people say it's haunted so keep your eyes peeled. Seeing the Steinway piano in the living room knowing that Gershwin and Chaplin tickled those ivories and touching one of the portholes in the tower that Napoleon once handled adds a special bonus to feeling the presence of this important, if not unappreciated, literary figure in American poetry.

I go to Carmel/Monterey about twice a year but had never known about Tor House until I read about it on Trip Advisor. The descriptions here were so intriguing we took the tour on our Anniversary getaway. First off I do not want to spoil the tour by providing too many details. The way the docent wove the details and poetry together with the sights was perfect, almost like stepping into the Jeffers family's life! I highly recommend this to couples on a romantic getaway because as the docent leads you on the tour you get glimpses of the love between Robinson Jeffers and his wife Una. If you are interested in seeing how people lived in the late '20s-40s this will be of interest to you too. If you are a world traveler the artifacts are up your alley. If you are castle fan/enjoy the challenge of climbing stone steps- you'll like it. And best of all, if you are a Jeffers fan or just appreciate poetry this tour is touching.Our Docent was Lucas and the Jeffers' poems he selected to read along to tour were perfect for the settings! I was so intrigued with the story of Jeffers and Tor House prior to taking the tour that I bought a book and started reading about Jeffers before we came. And the tour not only met my expectations but made me even more interested in learning more! I am glad we live close enough because we plan to come back for one of the Tor House events this year, in fact we would drive from the East Bay (90+ minutes) just to attend one.

we've lived here for 50 years and always said we'd do it..finally happened upon it at the right moment..very charming..the guide was excellent , knew a lot and jeffer's life was fascinating..his wife's ex husband lived up the street in the "other" castle..who knew...they were friends and she did her laundry at the ex's house! What a tiny miracle the whole thing is!

Robinson Jeffers Tor House is unique and fascinating stone structure. Built by the hands of the poet Jeffers the house is an important part of Carmel's history and well worth a visit.

The Tor House in Carmel, California was the home of poet, Robinson Jeffers. The history of the house, which Jeffers built himself; carrying rocks from the beach and surrounding area, is a fascinating study of the life and times of the man and his love of the local environment. And when you stand in different locations on the grounds, inside the house, or at the top of the tower, you cannot help but feel the sense, meaning, and a deeper enjoyment of his poetry. The experience is enhanced by the excellent docents conducting the tours. This is a hidden gem in Carmel and should not be missed!

take a moment to linger on the site where one of America's greatest poets was inspired and reveal his innermost affinity for a special place

Tor House is one of the most enchanting places to visit in Carmel, especially if you're fond of California writers. The home of Robinson Jeffers and his wife, Una, Tor House is full of history, memories and California turn-of-the-century bohemian writer lore. Only open Fri/Saturday, so plan ahead for a tour.

We had a great tour guide, loved the tour. The story and grounds are very romantic. The views of the ocean from Hawk Tower are inspiring.

very interesting to learn about the Author , his Family and life - even for a foreigner !difficult to find the Place in the outskirts of Carmel, and not easy to find a parking Place.

Seaside castle built by hand by a single man. Small, but beautiful grounds and a great tour. Walk the neighborhood when you're done.

Wow, what an amasing man & story. The tour guide was wonderful, knowledgable & friendly & thank you for keeping this part of history alive. You become so engaged with the place & just wanting to learn more and more about Robinson Jeffers & his family.The stone maisonary incrediable !!

I went to the torhouse.org site, called to make a reservation, and surprisingly enough got through! Note that the phone number is different Mon-Thurs, from Friday-Saturday!That weekend, I'm looking for the 5 digit address on Ocean Drive, or was that Ocean View drive? Even the tour guide on the phone can't remember the address! What was the last 5 digit address you could recall? We motor along the one way Scenic Drive, past the first Frank Lloyd house on the ocean, and just before the second Frank Lloyd house, known as the 'butterfly house', take a left on Ocean View Ave. The 3 story stone tower in the backyard stands out like a sore thumb, and is visible from the street. Gated entrance, brick walkway just like in the Wizard of Oz, but this one is not lined with flowers, but abalone shells! 100 year old granite stone building, with computer written paper sign declaring no photography in the house nor on the premises. And that includes selfies! Step right up, only $10 per person, tours Friday, Saturday 10-4 on the hour! Advance reservations required. A lady in our group inquires about bathrooms -that will be another $10 mame! -:) Millions visit the Carmel area every year, but only a few thousand go on the Tor House tour And our tour has only 4 people-certainly one of the most exclusive tours in California! First stop is the front entrance room with the wall of pictures: Robinson Jeffrey a the Carmel golf club in 1913, twin sons born in the 1916, 1918 pasture land subdivided into 16 building land plots for $200 each to Jeffers, 1920-1924 Jeffers builds the Hawk Tower out of granite stones hauled by horses from the pastureland, 1925 national career launched with poet publication, 1946 aerial picture of the approximately 2000 cypress and eucalyptus trees planted as windbreaks -no other houses nearby, 1947 wrote his only play for broadway New York, 1950 wife Uma dies at age 65 of breast cancer, 1962 Jeffers -a life time smoker -dies of emphysema during a rare snowstorm in Carmel, 1970s Tor foundation established with Tor House sold for $200k, 1999 last of the direct descendants dies. We go to the piano room, and passing some foot wide stairwells with 9" stairs leading to upstairs -not built for today's building codes! An old weathered black painted Steinway, with signs saying do not touch -to preserve for future generations to enjoy. Poetry books galore behind glass cabinets, all hardbound, most without covers. In the dining room, a narwhale horn, that Uma Jeffers wanted to use as a cane, mounted on the wall -at 8' long a bit too tall for her! The docent gives pointers on history, architecture and reads passages from poetry -the last poetry I read was in high school English -drab boring stuff, not exactly fond memories, and to think that I paid $10 to listen to this! We leave the house and go outside to the Hawk tower. Three stories, with secret passageways, very narrow stairwell, with steps up to a foot in height -I'm practically on all fours to climb up! Now you see the reason no children under 12 allowed!Second story of the tower has a marble floor outside, overlooking the gardens -barely enough room for 6 people, the usual limit on tours. Place is built like a castle with turret shaped structure, and openings in the wall to shoot arrows at besieging attackers! Up I go to the third floor, an outdoor stairwell with only a chain railing on the outside -one wrong step and it's Hasta La vista baby, to parphrase our ex-governor! High winds, with a spectacular view of the buildings, the brick walkways, the yard, the surrounding homes, and the Ocean waves crashing a hundred feet away. Highlight of the tour!

We arrived at Tor House a few minutes late having booked online in advance. We were a bit flustered after heavy traffic in San Francisco. However, we could not have been made to feel more welcome by our docent, Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts. From start to finish he was wonderful!! The house itself is fascinating and throughout Elliot bought it completely to life by his recitals of Robinson Jeffers' poetry. We were not very familiar at all with his life or poetry but this didn't matter at all as Elliot captivated us all, (including 4 young adults) with his stories and anecdotes. The house and tower are full of fascinating objects that Elliot brings to life in a truly personal way. We spent a very enjoyable couple of hours with Elliot and would like to thank him once again for a really remarkable visit and experience. Book up now if you can. I believe they also hold wonderful reading and social events throughout the year.