Search

Museum Directory Jonathon Bourne Historical Center Website: https://www.bournehistoricalsociety.org/historic-center Address: 30 Keene Street, Bourne, Massachusetts 02532 Phone: 508-759-8167 Email: bournehistoricalsociety@comcast.net The Jonathan Bourne Historical Center was built in 1897 by Emily Howland Bourne as a town library and as a memorial to her father, Jonathan Bourne for whom the town was named. She chose this location as his birthplace could be seen on the northeast side of the Manomet River; the house was destroyed during the digging of the canal in 1913. Jonathan was one of 10 children and at the age of 17 left home for New Bedford. He prospered and became the town’s most successful owner of whaling ships. In 1884 he was a state legislator, and when the western half of Sandwich petitioned the Commonwealth for separation as a town, he was helpful on their behalf. The leaders showed their appreciation by naming the new town in his honor. Thus in 1884 the newest town on Cape Cod came from the oldest town, Sandwich. Jonathan’s ancestor was the Rev. Richard Bourne, the first preacher to the Indians. The Jonathan Bourne Historical Center is a notable example of the skill of the Boston architect Henry Vaughn. The 1897 structure originally served as the Bourne Town Library and overlooks the Cape Cod Canal. It is a fine example of American Colonial English Renaissance) style featuring yellow tapestry brick and red slate roof construction along with large Palladian windows. A handsome stained glass window depicting “St. Michael and the Dragon” by Clayton & Bell of London, England graces the reading room. The Bourne Historical Society and two town committees, the Bourne Historical Commission and the Bourne Archives are housed in the Jonathan Bourne Historical Center. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 30 Keene Street, Bourne, MA, USA

Museum Directory Whydah Pirate Museum Website: https://www.discoverpirates.com/ Address: 674 Route 28, West Yarmouth, Massachusetts 02673 Phone: 508-534-9571 Email: boxoffice@discoverpirates.com Experience Cape Cod’s interactive science museum featuring real pirates and real treasures! A must-see attraction for all ages where you will touch, see and interact with the worlds only authenticated pirate treasure, discovered in 1984 off the coast of Wellfleet. The Whydah was a fully rigged galley ship built by the British to travel between Africa, the Caribbean and Great Britain. During one of its voyages in 1717, it was captured by the famed pirate Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy. Over the following year, the Whydah and its crew pirated 53 vessels, collecting their riches and treasures. During an infamous storm off the coast of Wellfleet the Whydah ship sunk in 1717; there were only 2 survivors. The Whydah’s legend was passed down among generations throughout the cape as its treasure laid just 500 feet off the shore for over 250 years. After dedicating years to its discover, the Whydah’s real pirate treasure was unearthed by Provincetown resident, Barry Clifford and for the first time ever is on display for Cape residents and tourists to see! Now the only museum in the world that features authenticated pirate ship treasure, the Whydah Pirate Museum provides an interactive and fun learning experience for children and adults. Click here to learn more. Last entry to the museum is at 4:00PM Adult (Ages 16-64) $17.00 Senior (Ages 65+) $15.00 Youth (Ages 5-15) $13.00 Children (4 & Under) FREE There is ample parking at Whydah Pirate Museum. Parking lots are available in front of the museum for no fee. Hours: M on. 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM Tue. 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM Wed. 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM Thu. 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM Fri. 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM Sat. 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM Sun. 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM 674 Massachusetts 28, West Yarmouth, MA, USA

Events Conservation in Chatham and Harwich, A Conversation with Lauren Arcomano and Michael Lach Conservation in Chatham and Harwich, A Conversation with Lauren Arcomano and Michael Lach Speaker: Lauren Arcomano, Director of Chatam Conservation Foundation and Michael Lach, Director of Harwich Conservation Trust Where: At the Chatham Community Center When: Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 – 5:00 PM Join the Atwood Museum as they welcome the Executive Directors of the Chatham Conservation Foundation and the Harwich Conservation Trust. Lauren Arcomano (CCF) and Michael Lach (HCT) will talk about the latest news in land conservation in our area, including recently completed work at the Cold Brook Preserve and Hicnckley’s Pond and an on-going project at Frost Fish Creek. The two organizational leaders will also talk about the shared boundaries of our towns including Muddy Creek and the Red River, where HCT will be creating a new space on recently acquired lands. This lecture will take place on site at the Chatham Community Center. Reservations are available by clicking HERE. Admission: $10, Members are Free Date and Time: Feb 10, 5 PM Cost: $0-$10 Place: Atwood House and Museum 347 Stage Harbor Road, Chatham, MA, USA Website

Museum Directory Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary Website: https://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/wellfleet-bay Address: 291 State Highway, Route 6, Wellfleet, Massachusetts 02663 Phone: 508-349-2615 Email: wellfleet@massaudubon.org Wellfleet Bay provides peace and unmatched beauty on the hillsides and shoreline overlooking Wellfleet Harbor. Extensive trails bring you to a panoramic salt marsh, sandy barrier beach, and pine woodlands, each attracting a wide array of wildlife. The sanctuary features a universally accessible trail and an award-winning “green” nature center with numerous exhibits and aquariums. Trails Open: Daily, 8am-dusk Members: Free Non-members: $5 Adults, $3 Children (2-12), $3 Seniors (65+) Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM Wed. 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM Thu. 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM Fri. 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM Sat. 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM Sun. 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM 291 State Hwy Rte 6, Wellfleet, MA, USA

Museum Directory Eastham Historical Society Website: https://www.easthamhistoricalsociety.org/ Address: 25 Schoolhouse Road, Eastham, Massachusetts 02642 Phone: (508) 255-0788 Email: easthamhistorical@verizon.net The Eastham Historical Society maintains museums at the 1741 Swift-Daley complex located at 2375 State Highway in Eastham and at the 1869 Schoolhouse Museum, located at 25 Schoolhouse Road. In addition, they operate the Ranlett Tool Museum, Dill Beach Camp and The Olde Gift Shop. In 1859, the Swift-Daley house was occupied by Nathaniel Swift, who with his brother Gustavus of North Eastham, soon moved to Chicago and founded the Swift meat packing empire. The 1869 Schoolhouse Museum is located at 25 Schoolhouse Road at the intersection with Nauset Road across from the National Seashore Visitor Center. It is housed in a one-room schoolhouse built in 1869. The original and remaining one of the three schoolhouses consolidated on that site in 1906, it served the town until 1936 when the last pupils moved to a newer building. The old building stood abandoned until 1963 when the newly-formed Eastham Historical Society looked about for a place to house the town’s historical treasures. The school building, then well on its way to decrepitude, was purchased, restored, and became a museum. In 2008 a new museum addition was opened. The museum displays objects from the various facets of the town’s history including farming, shipwrecks, the Life Saving Service, Native American artifacts, the school and daily life in town. The schoolroom, now a children’s “hands on” museum complete with its original schoolmaster’s desk, is furnished to replicate how it looked in earlier days. Children of all ages are encouraged to sit at the desks, look at the books and “play school.” 1869 School House & Museum ( 25 Schoolhouse Rd ) Open by appointment. Contact 1869schoolhousemuseum@gmail.com All Museums within Swift-Daley Complex ( 2375 State Highway / Route 6 ) Closed for the season. ( Note: The Eastham Historical Society Archives, located at 25 Schoolhouse Rd, are available year-round on Tuesdays 1-4pm, and by appointment. Email easthamarchives@gmail.com ) Tool Time Tuesdays: Open by appointment. Contact 1869schoolhousemuseum@gmail.com 25 School House Road, Eastham, MA, USA

Museum Directory Brewster Historical Society Museum Website: http://www.brewsterhistoricalsociety.org/ Address: 739 Lower Road, Brewster, Massachusetts 02631 Phone: (508) 896-9521 Email: brewsterhistoricalsociety@comcast.net The Brewster Historical Society, established in 1964, collects and preserves the artifacts and history of Brewster to ensure their future accessibility. Its Cobb House Museum, an historic sea captain’s home, houses four permanent galleries, a special exhibition gallery and an extensive documents research area accessible by appointment. The Society also operates the Windmill Village complex adjacent to the grounds of Drummer Boy Park. Windmill Village includes the 1795 Higgins Farm Windmill, 1867 Blacksmith Shop and the 1795 Harris-Black House, an original “small house.” The Cobb house is open seasonally 1-4 and the Windmill Village 12-3, through Columbus Day. Check the Brewster Historical Society website for locations and further details. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 739 Lower Road, Brewster, MA, USA

Museum Directory Mashpee One Room Schoolhouse Address: 13 Great Neck Road North, Mashpee, Massachusetts 02649 Phone: 508-314-2605 Email: Richard.desorgher@gmail.com Where is Cape Cod’s Smallest Historic One-Room Schoolhouse? It is in Mashpee! This historical gem sits in the heart of Mashpee Center across from Town Hall at the intersection of Route 130 and Great Neck Road North and is open to the public, free of charge, every Monday from 11:00am – 2:00pm from Memorial Day until Indigenous People Day in October. It is the 1831 One-Room Schoolhouse. Come take a tour, learn about Mashpee history, see some of the early educational artifacts, take part in an 1850 classroom and write with your quill and ink pen and on your slate board. Originally located in South Mashpee, the historic dwelling served as a schoolhouse until 1901, as a chapel (Ockway Chapel), library and the location of important pieces of Wampanoag history with the preaching of Blind Joe Amos and William Apess. It was also the site where the Mashpee Wampanoags signed what amounted to a Declaration of Independence. They wrote “all men are born free and equal” and declared that they would act against further encroachment by white settlers; 102 Wampanoag women and men, signed that Declaration of Independence in the school- house, which later led to some basic rights for the Wampanoags to govern themselves. The schoolmaster or schoolmarm will welcome you each Monday throughout the summer to tour through this important piece of Mashpee history. So, come and visit and go back to school in early Mashpee; don’t be late, however, as for every five minutes you are late, you have to stay after school one hour. Those unable to make the Monday openings can also schedule a tour on another day by contacting schoolmaster DeSorgher at Richard.desorgher@gmail.com or by calling 508-314-2605 to work out a time for a tour. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 13 Great Neck Road North, Mashpee, MA, USA

Museum Directory Cape Cod Cape Verdean Museum & Cultural Center Website: http://www.capecodcvmuseum.org/ Phone: 774-763-2916 Email: capecodcapeverdean@gmail.com The Cape Cod Cape Verdean Museum & Cultural Center promotes the history, culture and contemporary life of Cape Verdean migrants as well as other Portuguese-speaking communities and their families in the region. The center is a resource for research and knowledge to educate and share our history, culture and language. Here, we celebrate and explore community civic life, agricultural and labor practices, and the challenges of historic and contemporary Cape Verdean and Lusophone communities. It is a lively space of encounter for migrant community life and for all local residents who are dedicated to an open dialogue to create equitable solutions to shared challenges and issues of social and racial justice. Hours: Mo n. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. 10:00 AM - 02:00 PM Fri. 10:00 AM - 02:00 PM Sat. 10:00 AM - 02:00 PM Sun. Closed 67 Davisville Rd, East Falmouth, MA, USA

Events Inflatable Humpback Whale Cape Cod Museum of Natural History Wednesday, February 18, 2026 10:45am 11:15am 11:45am 12:45pm 1:15 pm 1:45pm Please arrive 15 minutes before show time to sign in at the whale desk. Taking up almost the entire space of our auditorium, the 44-foot inflatable humpback whale is making a triumphant return to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. CCMNH Naturalist Mike Harnett will take visitors on a twenty-minute journey inside one of the world’s largest animals, where explorers can learn all about the species’ lives and habits. Included w/ Admission Reservations Required Note Due to the educational level and content, this exhibit is restricted to ages 5 and up. Space is limited to 20 per time slot. Call To Register: 508.896.3867 x133 Date and Time: Feb 18, 10:45 AM-1:45 PM Cost: Free w/admission Place: Cape Cod Museum of Natural History 869 Main Street, Brewster, MA, USA Website

Museum Directory Highland Lighthouse Website: https://www.highlandlighthouse.org/ Address: 27 Highland Light Road, North Truro, Massachusetts 02652 Phone: 508.487.1121 Email: info@highlandlighthouse.org Highland Light Station, also known as Cape Cod Light, is located on Outer Cape Cod within Cape Cod National Seashore in North Truro. Commissioned by George Washington and established in 1797 as the 20th light station in the United States, the original 45-foot tall wooden tower and keeper's dwelling were built more than 500 feet from the edge of a 125-foot-tall clay cliff. A new brick lighthouse was erected near the original tower in 1831. The present 66-foot-tall brick light tower, keeper's house, and generator shed replaced the previous structures in 1857. An enclosed walkway connects the tower and the one-and-one-half-story, L-shaped, Queen-Anne-style keeper's dwelling. Erosion of the steep cliff throughout the years brought the present light station around 100 feet from the cliff's edge by the early 1990s. Using funds raised by the Truro Historical Society combined with state and Federal grants, Highland Light Station was successfully moved 450 feet back to safer ground. After the 18-day move, the light was relit on November 3, 1996, and is an active aid to navigation. Today, the keeper's house features a gift shop and museum exhibits and a dedicated staff provide tours of the tower. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 27 Highland Light Road, Provincetown, MA, USA

Museum Directory Heritage Museums & Gardens Website: https://heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/ Address: 67 Grove Street, Sandwich, Massachusetts 02563 Phone: 508- 888-3300 Email: info@heritagemuseums.org Located on 100 acres of gardens and nature trails, Heritage is Cape Cod’s premier cultural attraction for people of all ages. Heritage holds a significant collection of specialty gardens and water features. Hidden Hollow™, an interactive family-friendly area, allows for play and exploration of the natural world. Heritage also has three gallery buildings housing automobiles, American folk art, historical artifacts, a vintage carousel, and special exhibitions. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 67 Grove Street, Sandwich, MA, USA

Museum Directory Chatham Railroad Museum Website: https://www.chathamrailroadmuseum.com/ Address: 153 Depot Rd, Chatham, Massachusetts 02633 Phone: (508) 945-5780 The Chatham Railroad Museum was founded in 1960, following the donation of the vacant depot building and land to the Town of Chatham by Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Cox of Cleveland, Ohio and Chatham, MA. At the suggestion of the Chatham Chamber of Commerce, a railroad museum was created in the building under the leadership of Mr. Frank Love, a retired New York Central Railroad executive. Mr Love, who became the museum’s first director, canvassed sixty-two American railroad presidents requesting items of interest for the museum. Over its fifty year existence the museum has continued to collect thousands of railroad artifacts including original and operating Western Union telegraph equipment, lanterns, badges, signs, tools, timetables, menus and passes, promotional literature, original paintings and prints, calendars, a six hundred volume library and a restored 1910 wood sided caboose. The New York Central locomotive outside the museum was actually used at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The Chatham Railroad Museum is located in the beautifully restored 1887 railroad depot that served Chatham residents and visitors for nearly fifty years. Featuring an architectural style called Railroad Gothic, the building contains hundreds of exhibits and the New York Central model locomotives used at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The museum is child friendly and includes a 1910 restored wood caboose available for children and adults to explore. Popular with children and railroad enthusiasts, the wood sided red caboose is located on the track side of the Chatham Railroad Museum. Constructed during 1910, in the New York Central shops, the caboose traveled over 1 million miles at the end of freight trains running between New York City and Chicago, ILL. The caboose has been fully restored with the lockers, conductor’s desk and cupola intact. An audio system provides the realistic sounds of a train rolling along the track with a whistle blowing and brakes squealing at stops. Donations only; no fixed fee The museum is open from mid-June to mid-September Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 153 Depot Road, Chatham, MA, USA