Must-see attractions in Cape Cod

  • Dune's edge, pitch pine, Marconi beach, wellfleet, Cape Cod national seashore.

    Cape Cod National Seashore

    Cape Cod

    Cape Cod National Seashore extends some 40 miles around the curve of the Outer Cape and encompasses the Atlantic shoreline from Orleans all the way to…

  • Salt Pond Visitor Center

    Cape Cod

    The Salt Pond Visitor Center is the place to start exploring the National Seashore – and it has a great view to boot. Here you'll find exhibits and short…

  • Heritage Museums & Gardens

    Cape Cod

    Fun for kids and adults alike, the 100-acre Heritage Museums & Gardens sports a superb vintage automobile collection in a Shaker-style round barn, an…

  • Captains' Mile

    Cape Cod

    Nearly 50 historic sea captains' homes are lined up along MA 6A (the Old King's Hwy) in Yarmouth Port, on a 1.5-mile stretch known as the Captains' Mile…

  • John F Kennedy Hyannis Museum

    Cape Cod

    Hyannis has been the summer home of the Kennedy clan for generations. Back in the day, JFK spent the warmer months here – times that are beautifully…

  • Coast Guard Beach

    Cape Cod

    All roads lead to the National Seashore's Coast Guard Beach. The main road from the Salt Pond Visitor Center deposits you here, as do cycling and hiking…

  • Sandy Neck Beach

    Cape Cod

    The barrier beach at Sandy Neck extends 6.5 miles along Cape Cod Bay, backed the entire way by undulating dunes and a scenic salt marsh. It's a…

  • WHOI Ocean Science Exhibit Center

    Cape Cod

    You'll gain insights into the work of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution at this museum, where interactive exhibits include a full-size model of the…

  • Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge

    Cape Cod

    Take Morris Island Rd beyond the Chatham lighthouse to reach this 7600-acre wildlife refuge, spreading from Morris Island to encompass the shifting sands…

  • Whydah Pirate Museum

    Cape Cod

    Of the more than 3000 shipwrecks off the Cape's coast, the Whydah is one of the best documented and is the subject of this family-friendly museum…

  • Sandwich Boardwalk

    Cape Cod

    A local favorite that's missed by most visitors, this wooden-plank boardwalk extends a scenic 1350ft across an expansive marsh to Town Neck Beach. The…

  • Head of the Meadow Beach

    Cape Cod

    Part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, this wide, dune-backed beach has limited facilities, but there are lifeguards in summer. If you happen to be there…

  • Lighthouse Beach

    Cape Cod

    Directly below Chatham Light is Lighthouse Beach, an endless expanse of sea and sandbars that offers some of the finest beach strolling on Cape Cod…

  • Truro Vineyards

    Cape Cod

    This boutique vineyard, the first on the Outer Cape, is worth a stop. In recent times it has added a boutique distillery, South Hollow Spirits, producing…

  • Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

    Cape Cod

    Birders flock to Mass Audubon's 940-acre sanctuary, where 5 miles of trails cross tidal creeks, salt marshes and beaches. The most popular is the Goose…

  • Marconi Beach

    Cape Cod

    Part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, Marconi is a narrow Atlantic beach backed by sea cliffs and undulating dunes. Facilities include changing rooms,…

  • Chatham Fish Pier

    Cape Cod

    In the mid- to late afternoon, head to Chatham Fish Pier, 1 mile north of Chatham Light, to watch the fishing fleet unload its daily catch.This is a prime…

  • Chapin Memorial Beach

    Cape Cod

    Families will love the gently sloping waters at this dune-backed beach. Not only is it ideal for wading, but all sorts of tiny sea creatures can be…

  • Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen

    Cape Cod

    This is a lovely mixed bag of family-friendly attractions: a nature center surrounded by walking trails; a small museum dedicated to Thornton W Burgess,…

  • Nauset Beach

    Cape Cod

    Dune-backed and gloriously wide and sandy, this wild barrier beach extends for miles along the open Atlantic. Nauset is one of the Cape’s best beaches for…

  • Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

    Cape Cod

    This family-friendly museum offers exhibits on the Cape's flora and fauna, including an aquarium and a butterfly house. It has a fine boardwalk trail…

  • Skaket Beach

    Cape Cod

    On the bay side of town, calm Skaket Beach is a magnet for families – kids love wading in the shallow waters to dig for hermit crabs. Its generous sands…

  • Old Silver Beach

    Cape Cod

    Of all Falmouth's beaches, none is finer than Old Silver Beach. This long, sandy stretch of beach attracts scores of college students, families and day…

  • Nauset Light Beach

    Cape Cod

    Cliff-backed Nauset Light Beach, north of Coast Guard Beach, is the stuff of dreams. It's broad and sandy and its features and facilities are similar to…

  • Gray's Beach

    Cape Cod

    Gray's Beach, also known as Bass Hole, is no prize for swimming, but a terrific 0.25-mile-long boardwalk extends over a tidal marsh and creek, offering a…

  • Shark Center Chatham

    Cape Cod

    Stop here for the lowdown on one of the Cape's most intriguing summer residents: the great white shark. Interactive exhibits and videos aimed at kids and…

  • Mashpee Wampanoag Museum

    Cape Cod

    Learn about the history and culture of some of the Cape's original inhabitants at the Mashpee Wampanoag Museum. It's a small space, with just a few…

  • Sandwich Glass Museum

    Cape Cod

    Sandwich glass, now prized by collectors, had its heyday in the 19th century, and this heritage is artfully displayed in this excellent, sprawling museum…

  • Nauset Light

    Cape Cod

    Nauset Light is a picturesque red-and-white lighthouse guarding the shoreline at the Nauset Light Beach. Look familiar? You may have seen it on all the…

  • Seagull Beach

    Cape Cod

    Long and wide Seagull Beach, off South Sea Ave from MA 28, is the town's best south-side beach. The scenic approach to the beach runs alongside a tidal…

  • West Dennis Beach

    Cape Cod

    Extending one gorgeous mile along Nantucket Sound, this is the south side's mecca for swimmers, windsurfers and kiteboarders. It's a good bet for finding…

  • Nickerson State Park

    Cape Cod

    This 2000-acre oasis has eight freshwater ponds with sandy beaches ideal for swimming and boating, as well as miles of cycling and walking trails. Bring…

  • Cahoon Museum of American Art

    Cape Cod

    Contemporary painting and traditional folk art from various eras and cultures across America are highlighted at the Cahoon Museum of American Art. There's…

  • Cape Cod Highland Light

    Cape Cod

    Sitting on the Cape's highest elevation (a mere 120ft!), Cape Cod Highland Light dates to 1797 and casts the brightest beam on the New England coast…

  • Cape Cod Canal

    Cape Cod

    Cape Cod isn't connected by land to the mainland, but it's not exactly an island, or at least wasn't until the Cape Cod Canal was dug in 1914. The 7-mile…

  • Highfield Hall & Gardens

    Cape Cod

    Saved from the wrecking ball in the 1990s and lovingly restored by the community, Highfield Hall dates from 1878 and was one of the early summer mansions…

  • Craigville Beach

    Cape Cod

    Looking for a warm-water swim? Craigville, like other south-side beaches, has warmer water than those on the Cape's north side. This mile-long stretch of…

  • Falmouth Museums on the Green

    Cape Cod

    Falmouth's quaint village green has an air of history about it – it's where members of the Colonial militia practiced in the 1700s and 19th-century sea…

  • French Cable Station Museum

    Cape Cod

    The first cable connection between Europe and the US was established in 1879 by the French Telegraph Company on a windswept bluff in Eastham. When…

  • Chatham Marconi Maritime Center

    Cape Cod

    Communication in all its guises is the focus at this museum dedicated to the history of WCC, a short-wave radio station that operated for many years in…