If you want to head out on a short hike to a castle in New Hampshire, then Madame Sherri’s Castle should be on your bucket list. We ventured out to Wantastiquet Mountain aka Rattlesnake Mountain where Madame Sherri Forest is in Chesterfield, NH to see what the fuss is all about.
I admit this is one of my favorite locations to visit. I’ve been here plenty of times over the years and it never ceases to amaze me. Madame Sherri’s Castle, or the remains of said castle, sit up in Chesterfield, NH and is open to the public. There are other hiking trails around too, so make a day of it with the family.
NOTE: Leashed dogs are welcome on these trails, so feel free to pack up the furry family members to spend a day at Madame Sherri Forest.
The Mystery of Madame Sherri’s Castle
On this particular day, the parking lot for Madame Sherri’s Castle was full. So many people were flocking to visit the castle ruins. Kids, dogs, and adults alike were venturing up towards the sign that says “castle 150 yds” …
Madame Sherri
A young French woman born Antoinette DeLilas made her way to New York City for a life in the theatre. That was in 1911 and this woman soon changed her name to Sherri and opened up her own costume business. After acquiring quite a load of money, her husband soon died and left her a widow. Being that she had ample riches and could afford much of whatever she wanted, she decided to purchase a piece of land near Spofford Lake in Chesterfield, NH.
Sherri’s Castle
Upon this piece of land Sherri’s immaculate castle was built. What we see now as old ruins was once a pretty happening place. You can still see the stone columns that once held two floors of Sherri’s castle together. The staircase leading up to where the second-floor stands, crumbling, for visitors to view.
Madame Sherri’s Parties
Up until 1965, the locals reported seeing beautiful women coming and going at all hours of the night. During the day, Madame Sherri would drive around with nothing but her fur coat on. This flashy lifestyle, here in the middle of a NH town, most certainly stirred up the rumor mill. Madame Sherri certainly enjoyed a good party, and while none of us will ever truly know what happened in these woods all those years ago, the story is pretty interesting.
On her death bed, at age 84 Madame Sherri signed the rights to this land over to Ann Stokes. Ann stokes continued keeping this area up until it was donated to the Society for the Protection of N.H. Forests. With over 500 acres of land here to explore, Sherri’s Castle is by far the most magical of all the places in this woods.
People say that this is a great place to visit near Halloween season when the ghosts and goblins come out to play. Some say Madame Sherri’s ghost still haunts this area, but who knows. Perhaps you’ll see her ghost one day and realize that, quite possibly, all that the locals said … was true.
I love old places that have ‘haunting’ stories to them. I would love to visit Madame Sherri’s Castle if I’m ever in NH! Thanks for sharing about this place.
So much fun exploring old places! Especially ones with stories and ghosts!!
Sounds like an interesting place to visit. We like going on unique hikes, and this would be driving distance for us. We have been to somewhat similar places, like the abandoned hotel in the Catskills on Overlook Mountain.
Ok! I love a good scare and this place looks like so much fun! I love hearing about history.
I would like to visit there. Looks like really great place to hike through there . Love the name too.
This looks like a really interesting place to explore. my family loves visiting castles and this one sounds like a great one!!
I love being able to explore old historical places. We don’t have a ton of them around here and it’s too hot during the summer to go too. I’m wanting to move somewhere closer where I can find a river, lots of trees, and places to go walking that are easy for me to do since I have mobility issues. Colorado is on my list but it’s expensive to live there. Unfortunately, I’m stuck in Texas for a few more years at least but with my health problems, I love that I have access to great doctors and health care providers here.
That is so cool! When I visited Europe, I loved seeing all of the castles. But having some here in the US is so cool. I had never head of Sherri or her castle. I can only imagine the lavish parties she must have thrown.
I bet they get a lot of visitors during Fall especially during Halloween. Castles intrigue me yet they’re kinda scary.
Wow! I would love to visit Madame Sherri’s Castle! This looks like a wonderful place to visit. And it’s story is really intriguing.
It looked creepy at my 1st glimpse. Must be a place that I have seen from a horror movie before I just cannot remember the title. It’s interesting to visit.
What an interesting story. Thanks for sharing it with us!
It looks like a fun place to see. I’d love to see a drawing or photo of what the castle looked like back in the day!
I would love to visit this place. I really enjoy hiking in the woods and exploring old ruins. This would be a perfect place to take my family to visit.
Wow, what a beautiful place! I love exploring when we travel and finding out the local stories. This one is really cool, thank you for letting me know about it!
What a cool story! I would love to visit here during October–or anytime really. It’s a neat photo spot too!
Oh fun!! I love going to places like that. Thanks for sharing and that would be a great place to visit during Halloween season.