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  • Centers for Culture and History in Orleans | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Centers for Culture and History in Orleans Website: http://www.chocenters.org/ Address: P.O. Box 353, 3 River Rd, Orleans, Massachusetts 02653 Phone: 508-240-1329 Email: admin@orleanshs.org Orleans is the only place in the United States to have been attacked twice by foreign powers in different wars. During the War of 1812 the local militia repelled a British force at Rock Harbor and, in WWI, a German submarine attacked a tugboat and barges off Nauset Beach and fired upon the local U.S. Lifesaving Service facility there. More information about these events is included in revolving exhibits and on the CHO website. Founded in 1958 as the Orleans Historical Society, the CHO’s 1834 Meetinghouse (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) houses the Museum and is used for exhibits and cultural programs. This building, along with the adjacent 1939 Hurd Chapel, has been recently updated and is available for civic and private functions. The CHO has a collection of more than 6,000 items covering genealogical information, diaries, deeds, 19th and 20th century photos, artwork by local artists, special collections focusing on Orleans families and individuals, ships' logs, Native American artifacts, and other items relating to the history of Orleans and its citizens. One of its exhibits is of the lifesaving tradition on the Outer Cape. This legacy dates back almost 170 years before Orleans was incorporated as a separate municipality. During the winter of 1626-1627, the Sparrowhawk was wrecked off the shores of what became Orleans, and the first documented rescue mission was headed by none other than Governor William Bradford of Plymouth Colony. On February 18, 1952, during a raging nor’easter snowstorm, four Coast Guardsmen set out at night on this 36-foot boat to rescue crewmen on the tanker Pendleton that had broken apart. Despite all odds, the men managed to cross a notoriously dangerous shoal, find the Pendleton without a compass, and return with 32 survivors. For their bravery, the CG36500’s crew each received the Gold Life-Saving Medal in what is still called “the greatest small-boat rescue in Coast Guard history.” The story is retold in the best-selling book, The Finest Hours, and in a major motion picture by the same name. The boat is docked at Rock Harbor, Orleans, during the summer months for public viewing, with guided tours on weekends. Museum Winter Hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: Closed Thursday: Closed Friday: Closed Saturday: Closed Sunday: 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM Summer Hours: Saturday: 01:00 PM – 3:00 PM Sunday: 01:00 PM – 3:00 PM Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM 3 River Road, Orleans, MA, USA

  • Highland House Museum | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Highland House Museum Website: https://trurohistoricalsociety.org/ Address: 6 Highland Light Road North, Truro, Massachusetts 02652 Phone: 508-487-3397 Email: director@trurohistoricalsociety.org The Highland House Museum occupies one of Truro’s best known landmarks, the old Highland House, a hotel built on the Highlands in 1907. Located near the Highland Light in North Truro, it is a classic example of a turn-of-the-century summer resort hotel. A visit to the museum provides fascinating insight into the lives of the people of Truro dating back to early European settlers and the Native Americans that preceded them The Highland House is owned by the Truro Historical Society is to acquire, protect, display and maintain artifacts of interest to the general public, with special emphasis on the Truro community. Displays will rotate, new items acquired, educational and entertainment programs presented, all in order to expand interest in and better understanding of our historical heritage. Hours: Mon. 10:00 AM - 04:30 PM Tue. 10:00 AM - 02:00 PM Wed. 10:00 AM - 04:30 PM Thu. 10:00 AM - 04:30 PM Fri. 10:00 AM - 04:30 PM Sat. 10:00 AM - 01:00 PM Sun. Closed 6 Highland Light Road, Truro, MA, USA

  • Sat, Nov 14, 2026, 11 AM-12 PM | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Events A Conversation with Julia Cumes and Lipe Borges Join exhibiting artists Julia Cumes and Lipe Borges for an in-depth exploration of their project Invisible Threads: Portraits and Stories of Our Global Neighbors. In this engaging presentation, they will share additional images and stories beyond those featured in the current exhibition, offering deeper insight into the individuals and communities at the heart of the work. Julia and Lipe will also discuss the inspiration behind the project, as well as the challenges, discoveries, and meaningful moments they encountered along the way. $20 per person/free for members Date and Time: Sat, Nov 14, 2026, 11 AM-12 PM Cost: $20 Place: Cahoon Museum of American Art 4676 Falmouth Road, Cotuit, MA, USA Website

  • Atlantic White Shark Conservancy- Provincetown | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Atlantic White Shark Conservancy- Provincetown Website: Atlantic White Shark Conservancy Provincetown Shark Center Address: 16 MacMillan Pier, Provincetown, Massachusetts 02657 Phone: 508-348-5901 Email: info@atlanticwhiteshark.org Awareness inspires conservation: AWSC's second outreach facility, Shark Center Provincetown, is the perfect place to be inspired by great white sharks. With a focus on research, education, and public safety, visitors of all ages can explore hands-on, interactive exhibits and dive into the world of our local apex predators. The Shark Center caters to all shark-enthusiasts - making a visit the perfect activity for kids - rainy days included! Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM Fri. 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM Sat. 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM Sun. 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM 16 MacMillan Pier, Provincetown, MA, USA

  • Woods Hole Ocean Science Exhibit Center | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Woods Hole Ocean Science Exhibit Center Website: https://www.whoi.edu/who-we-are/visit-whoi/ocean-science-exhibit-center/ Address: 15 School Street, MS#45, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 Phone: 508-289-2663 Email: mharrigan@whoi.edu Part of the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the Ocean Science Exhibit welcomes visitors who will learn about the Institution's ocean science research and the vessels and tools developed by WHOI engineers and scientists for use in that research. Short videos provide an introduction to WHOI, show a day in the life of the deep submersible Alvin, and highlight the 1985-1986 discovery and exploration of the wreck of the Titanic. Visitors can step inside a full-size model of the inner sphere of Alvin and imagine life at the ocean floor while watching vivid footage taken at deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites. Other exhibits and videos feature the life forms and natural processes of the deep sea. Group Visits The WHOI Ocean Science Exhibit Center provides a window into the research conducted at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. We will help groups of 10 or more arrange a visit to the Center and provide information packets and maps in advance of your visit. Science Made Public Lecture Series During July and August, the Exhibit Center and Information Office sponsors a series of public talks by WHOI scientists and engineers. Designed for a lay audience, this series is a great opportunity to learn more about WHOI science. Everyone is welcome to attend. All talks are held in the Exhibit Center Auditorium. For more information or if you are interested in giving a talk, contact Kathy Patterson, (508) 289-2700. Visitors will also find WHOI merchandise in the Gift Shop located in the Ocean Science Exhibit Center. The Center does not have a formal fee but rather a suggested donation of $3 per person for those 10 years of age and older. We also ask that groups of 10 or more people call for a reservation at (508) 289-2663. Hours: Mon. 11:00 AM - 04:00 PM Tue. 11:00 AM - 04:00 PM Wed. 11:00 AM - 04:00 PM Thu. 11:00 AM - 04:00 PM Fri. 11:00 AM - 04:00 PM Sat. 11:00 AM - 04:00 PM Sun. Closed 15 School Street, Woods Hole, Falmouth, MA, USA

  • Ongoing Sundays, 10:30 AM-11:30 AM | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Events Weekly Craft Lab at the Art Barn Note: the Art Barn will be closed from Dec 22-Jan 5. LENGTH: 1 hour LEVEL: ages 4-10 WHAT TO EXPECT: A special craft EVERY SUNDAY celebrating the week's theme! UPCOMING: Nov 2 Re-Cycled, Re-Crafted Nov 9 Story Craft Hour: Leaf Man Nov 16 Lazer Light Thanksgiving Ornaments Nov 23 Great Art Barn Mystery Scavenger Hunt Nov 30 Lazer Light Holiday Ornaments EXTRAS: This fun craft is free with admission to the Art Barn. Free stickers for everyone! Make cool stuff! See our Glowforge in action! DON'T FORGET: The Art Barn is on our downtown Hyannis campus at 250 South Street. Ample FREE parking in the town lot next door. SAVE: Purchase a yearly membership at the $100 level and come to the Art Barn for free all year! AND get discounts on classes and events year-round at the Center. INSTRUCTOR: Maeve McEnroe Date and Time: Ongoing Sundays, 10:30 AM-11:30 AM Cost: Free w/admission Place: Cultural Center of Cape Cod 307 Old Main Street, South Yarmouth, MA, USA Website

  • Wed, Nov 11, 10 AM | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Events Veterans Day Ceremony Nov 11, 2026, 10:00 AM 1869 Schoolhouse Museum, 25 Schoolhouse Rd, Eastham, MA 02642, USA (Museum Open 10:30am - 12:00pm) Join us for a special Veteran's Day ceremony on the 1869 Schoolhouse Grounds at 10AM. The museum will be open afterward between 10:30-12:00. Date and Time: Wed, Nov 11, 10 AM Cost: Place: Eastham Historical Society 25 School House Road, Eastham, MA, USA Website

  • Nobska Point Lighthouse | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Nobska Point Lighthouse Website: https://friendsofnobska.org/ Address : 233 Nobska Rd, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 02543 Phone: 774-763-6453 Email: info@friendsofnobska.org In the 19th Century, construction of lighthouses along the Atlantic coast was critical for the safety of merchant mariners transporting goods and materials by sea. In 1828, the U.S. government purchased four acres on Nobska (Nobsque) Point for $160 and the first lighthouse on the site, a wooden structure that incorporated keeper’s quarters, was constructed at a cost of $2, 249.In 1841, the first Fresnel lens (pronounced “frennel”) was installed. Named for French physicist Augustin Fresnel, these massive glass lenses are cleverly designed to gather light from a source, concentrate it and emit a beam with a range of many nautical miles. Peter Dagget, the light keeper in 1845, reported using ten oil lamps which consumed 339 gallons annually, carried by hand up to the light room. The wooden light structure operated for 38 years and was replaced in 1876 by the present, 40-foot tall cast iron lighthouse, which was manufactured in Chelsea, Massachusetts. A separate house for the lightkeeper was also built that year. The Fresnel lens was upgraded to a larger, 4th order lens in 1888; this lens is still in place today and may be viewed during a lighthouse tour. Improvements were periodically added to the facility, including construction of a brick oil house, a paint locker and, in 1875, a fog bell tower. In 1905 a second keeper’s dwelling was added; a 1 ½ story, wood frame structure built at a cost of $6,000. By 1919, electricity had come to Cape Cod and the light was electrified with a 150-watt bulb, making oil obsolete. The Nobska Point Lighthouse was operated by the U.S. Lighthouse Service for 111 years, from 1828 until 1939, when the Service was merged with the U.S. Coast Guard. By 1949, the Woods Hole Coast Guard also had responsibility for 23 other manned lighthouses as well as for eight lightships; Nantucket, Handkerchief, Pollack Rip, Stone Horse, Cross Rip, Vineyard, Hens and Chickens and Bretton Reef. In 2014, the Coast Guard advertised for bidders to assume responsibility for the lighthouse, tower, and land surrounding the structures. The Town of Falmouth was the successful bidder, becoming the licensee with the understanding that the property would continue to belong to the federal government and as public property, must be open to the public for free. The Town, in turn, in March 2016, gave responsibility for restoration, maintenance and operation as a museum to the Friends of Nobska Light. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 233 Nobska Road, Woods Hole, Falmouth, MA, USA

  • Atlantic White Shark Conservancy- Chatham | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Atlantic White Shark Conservancy-Chatham Website: https://www.atlanticwhiteshark.org Address: 235 Orleans Road, Chatham, Massachusetts 02650 Phone: (508) 348-5901 Email: info@atlanticwhiteshark.org The AWSC Shark Center offers an in-depth look at one of the ocean's most magnificent and misunderstood species: the Great White Shark! Through interactive exhibits, videos, and displays, our family-oriented center offers an insiders view into to the groundbreaking research and one of Cape Cod's most captivating summer residents. Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) supports scientific research, educates the community, and improves public safety. Make sure to check their website for the most up-t0-date information regarding hours they are open, scheduling a visit (must do to visit), their COVID guidelines and their gift store. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM Fri. 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM Sat. 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM Sun. 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM 235 Orleans Road, North Chatham, MA, USA

  • Museum Store Shopping | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museums foster ongoing appreciation and knowledge of art, nature, culture, science, and history. When you, the patron, purchase a gift from the museum store, you help to sustain the museum’s service to the public. Holiday shoppers will not only find quality gifts filled with inspiration and educational value, but through their purchases, will also directly support their favorite museums. Museum Store Shopping Museums foster ongoing appreciation and knowledge of art, nature , culture , science , and history . When you, the patron, purchase a gift from the museum store, you help to sustain the museum’s service to the public. Holiday shoppers will not only find quality gifts filled with inspiration and educational value, but through their purchases, will also directly support their favorite museums. Proceeds from purchases at museum stores directly support the educational missions and programs of the parent institution. Cape Cod museums have one-of-a-kind Cape Cod gifts that are there for your choosing. Below you will find direct links to museum stores and able to see what they have to offer – in person shopping, curbside pick up, and shipping. Do not miss this opportunity to support your favorite local Cape Cod museum as well as supporting shopping local, supporting Cape Cod artists and helping the local community. Museums with Stores Atlantic White Shark Conservancy Atwood House Museum Cahoon Museum of American Art Cape Cod Art Center Cape Cod Maritime Museum Cape Cod Museum of Art Cape Cod Museum of Natural History Centerville Historical Museum Chatham Marconi -RCA Wireless Museum Cultural Center of Cape Cod Dennis Historical Society Edward Gorey House Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen Harwich Historical Society Historical Society of Old Yarmouth Historical Society of Santuit & Cotuit John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum Nantucket Historical Association National Marine Life Center Osterville Historical Museum Provincetown Art Association and Museum Sandwich Glass Museum The Centers for Culture and History in Orleans Truro Historical Society Wellfleet Historical Society Whydah Pirate Museum Woods Hole Historical Museum

  • Woods Hole Historical Museum | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Woods Hole Historical Museum Website: https://woodsholemuseum.org/ Address: 579 Woods Hole Rd, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 Phone: 508-548-7270 Email: whhmdirector@gmail.com On the museum campus are the Bradley House, where the museum galleries, archives, shop and offices are located; the Small Boat Museum; the Yale Workshop, and the Small Boat Restoration workshop. Bradley House was built around 1804. Two galleries show exhibits that change each year. The third gallery contains a permanent scale model of Woods Hole, circa 1895. The Small Boat Museum in the Swift Barn, which was built in 1877 by E. E. Swift, has displays that include an 1890s Woods Hole Spritsail boat, a Herreshoff 12 1/2, a Cape Cod Knockabout, a Mirror dinghy, a 1922 Old Town canoe, a Woods Hole Chamberlain dory and many boat models and maritime artifacts. There is a children’s inter-active exhibit where children can climb aboard the Cape Cod Knockabout Penguin. The Yale Workshop, circa 1892, recreates the domain of a 19th century Renaissance man who summered in Quissett. The shop contains a display of artifacts, many original, as well as some acquired as representative of the era, including books, maps, 19th century tools, equipment, etchings and artifacts appropriate to Dr. Yale’s interests. Behind the Small Boat Museum are the workshops that house the boat restoration program. Every Saturday morning students of all ages get together to learn the art and skills of building wooden boats. The Walsh Memorial Garden is dedicated to the memory of Michael Walsh, a gardener from North Wales, who came to work in 1877 on the Joseph Story Fay estate in Woods Hole. It was here that Walsh hybridized many world famous Rambler roses. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 579 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA, USA

  • Zion Union Heritage Museum | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Zion Union Heritage Museum Website: http://www.zuhmi.org/ Address: 276 North Street, Hyannis, Massachusetts 02601 Phone: 508-790-9466 Email: zuhmi@comcast.net The Zion Union Heritage Museum actively collects artifacts that relate to the arts, sciences, religions, local history, politics, sports and history of African-Americans and Cape Verdeans on Cape Cod. The Cape and Islands enjoy a rich history created by people of color from the region. Many journeyed from across the ocean, and once here, continued journeys of another kind. We see the extraordinary roles and contributions of people of color spanning the eras of the slave trade, abolitionism, and more recently, the civil rights movement. People of color have been the backbone of the whaling and cranberry industries over the centuries. African-Americans, Cape Verdeans, and other people of color helped shape the Cape Cod of today. Hours: Mon. 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM Tue. 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM Wed. 09:00 AM - 05:00 AM Thu. Closed Fri. 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM Sat. 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM Sun. Closed 276 North Street, Hyannis, MA, USA

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