quarters for farm workers. Home of the Larnach family The building, which Larnach himself simply called "The Camp", was coined a "castle" by local press on 8 December 1874, a few days after William and wife Eliza moved in. After a series of personal and financial setbacks he died by suicide in New Zealand's Parliament Buildings in October 1898. Following bitter legal battles over Larnach's will, the Larnach family sold the house in 1906. Reputation as haunted house Larnach Castle has a reputation as one of New Zealand's most haunted buildings, with accounts of sightings of the ghost of a bearded Victorian gentleman (presumably Larnach himself), unexplained smells of cigar smoke and port in unoccupied rooms, and visitors and workers at the castle feeling as if they have been suddenly pushed in the back. These tales have drawn paranormal investigators from both New Zealand and overseas, with the location appearing on various "ghost hunter" television programmes from both New Zealand and the United States. Modern history Restoration Throughout the twentieth century Larnach Castle went through constant changes of ownership and usage. The building fell into disrepair, and in 1967 was bought by Barry and Margaret Barker. Norcombe Barker became Larnach Castle Executive Director in 1990. Significant restoration work has since been carried out by the Barker family, along with retrieval of original furniture to refurnish the house. The gardens were not an original feature of William Larnach's home, and have been awarded "Garden of International Significance" status by the New Zealand Gardens Trust. Funded by its tourism operation, upkeep of the building is a continuous operation—in 2015 the music room underwent a $100,000 refurbishment. Tourism Larnach Castle operates as a significant tourist attraction in Dunedin, receiving approximately 120,000 guests per annum. The castle is open to the public 365 days a year; offering guided and self-guided tours, events and accommodation. The Castle regularly hosts in-house events; notably their annual Winter Ball. Larnach Castle Ltd operates three accommodation types; Larnach Castle Stables, Larnach Castle Lodge and the nearby luxury accommodation Camp Estate. Guests staying in accommodation are offered the opportunity to dine inside the Castle. Appearances In 1985 it was used as a location for the filming of the TVNZ Dunedin production Hanlon. The same year, it was used in the introductory scenes in the US-New Zealand film co-production, Shaker Run. In 1994, a play about the Larnach family tragedies, titled