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  • French Cable Station Museum | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory French Cable Station Museum Website: http://www.frenchcablestationmuseum.org/ Address: 41 South Orleans Rd, Orleans, Massachusetts 02653 Phone: 508- 240-1735 Email: FrenchCableStationMuseum@gmail.com The French Cable Station is a historic station on the southeast corner of Cove Rd. and MA 28 in Orleans, Massachusetts. It was built in 1891 by the French Cable Company, which was installing numerous cables in Cape Cod throughout the late-19th century. By 1898 the station was the terminus of a 3,200-mile long trans-Atlantic telegraph cable called "Le Direct." When France surrendered to Nazi Germany in 1940, it was taken over by the federal government for security reasons, but wasn't returned to the company until 1952. The company resumed operations until 1959. After being purchased by 10 prominent Orleans citizens in 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places the same year. In 1927, the message that Charles Lindbergh had landed in Paris came through this station from Paris. It was then sent to the rest of the United States. The museum features four rooms. The superintendent’s office is essentially as it was through the years. Look around and you will see the walls are covered with a few photos and news articles of major events in the history of the station. Some of these were given to the museum by the Smithsonian Institute. By the superintendents desk is an early copy machine (non photographic). Every letter written was copied before being sent. The testing room contains equipment that was used to determine the location of a fault or break in the cable. Some of the equipment is still operational and can be demonstrated. Also in this room is one of the most unique instruments in the world. It is the Heurtley Magnifier used to amplify the weak signal coming from France. It was developed before there were vacuum tubes. There are only three in existence in the world today. The repair room held the equipment used to repair the cable and equipment. In this room are found samples of the early submarine telegraph cable and cables that have been under the sea for decades. On the walls are photos of a repair operation at sea. In a sealed glass cabinet in the hall are many interesting items including an original Tiffany and Co. Wooden box containing a sample of the 1858 cable. Cyrus Field had sold the cable to Tiffany immediately after the success of the first transatlantic cable in 1858. The operations room was the heart of the cable station. This was where the messages from France were received, recorded, and re-transmitted to rest of the country. Most of the equipment still functions and can be demonstrated. Each tour is about an hour with the last tour starting at 3:30 pm. Please email the museum if you would like to set up a private tour outside of our normal hours. Tours are free to all visitors. Donations are welcome to help defray the cost of running the museum. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 41 South Orleans Road, Orleans, MA, USA

  • John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum Website: https://jfkhyannismuseum.org/ Address: 397 Main St, Hyannis, Massachusetts 02601 Phone: 508-790-3077 Email: jennifer@jfkhyannismuseum.org The Cape Cod National Seashore legislation was introduced by Kennedy when he was a U.S. Senator. He signed it into law when he was President. The John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum preserves and promotes the legacy of President Kennedy, his family, and their deep connection to Cape Cod. It features multimedia exhibits designed to open a window on the days JFK spent on Cape Cod; days relaxing with family, days as President of the United Sates when the Cape provided a time to relax and be reinvigorated and days spent sailing on the ocean to which he was so constantly drawn. Admissions - Tickets need to be purchased online. Members: Free Active Military with ID: Free Seniors (65+): $12 Retired Military: $12 Adults (18-64): $14 Youths (6-17): $8 Children 5 and Under: Free Students with ID: $8 Card to Culture: Free NARM Member: Free with NARM ID Last ticket sold 45 minutes before Museum closing. The Museum changes it hours seasonally. We do not have control over the accuracy of other publications and websites that choose to display our hours. Hours: Mon. 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. Closed 397 Main Street, Hyannis, MA, USA

  • Historical Society of Santuit & Cotuit | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Historical Society of Santuit & Cotuit Website: https://www.cotuithistoricalsociety.org/ Address: 1148 Main Street, Cotuit, Massachusetts 02635 Phone: 508-428-0461 Email: Info@CotuitHistoricalSociety.org Santuit/Cotuit ice was harvested from Eagle, Lewis and No Bottom Ponds and sold to townspeople to preserve their food. During the months of January and February it was a common sight to see ice blocks 10-12 inches thick harvested and stored in large and small ice houses. Our grounds hold the Dottridge Homestead, the Cotuit Museum and attached Fire Museum, The Cotuit Archives. the Rothwell Ice House. Cotuit Museum Shop and Historical Kitchen Gardens. The buildings are open weekends from Memorial Day through Christmas. The archives are available for research, and the Homestead and museums are available for private tours by appointment. Back in the 1950s, Mrs. Nita Crawford inherited the Samuel Dottridge Homestead and used it as the laundry for her historic hotel, The Pines. After there was no longer a need for the house, she embarked on an ambitious project to reconstruct the Samuel Dottridge Homestead on the corner of Main Street and Shell Lane to its original condition and make it the headquarters for HSSC. She asked her neighbors, friends, and local residents to search their attics, cellars, barns, and storerooms for anything that was used between 1800-1850. Dinner and dessert parties with formal invitations were among the many ways Mrs. Crawford raised enough funds to fully reconstruct the Homestead to an authentic dwelling of that time period. On June 13, 1964, 10 years after the Historical Society of Santuit & Cotuit was established, the doors to the Homestead were open to the public for the first time. Sixty years later, the Homestead has remained the headquarters of HSSC, growing to include a museum featuring Cotuit and Cape Cod history, the Cotuit Fire Museum, and a reproduction of a 19th century ice house. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM Sat. 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM Sun. 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM 1148 Main Street, Cotuit, MA, USA

  • 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

  • Nantucket Shipwreck Lifesaving Museum - Egan Institute | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Nantucket Shipwreck Lifesaving Museum - Egan Institute Website: https://eganmaritime.org/shipwreck-lifesaving-museum Address: 158 Polpis Bike Path, Nantucket, MA, 02554 Phone: 508-228-1885 The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum, an affiliate of Egan Maritime Institute, is dedicated to honoring Nantucket's history of shipwrecks, lifesaving, and rescuers. In the 19th Century, hundreds of ships passed by Nantucket Island each day, all navigating without the benefit of modern nautical technology. As a result, unpredictable storms, dense fog, and strong currents often caught even the most experienced sailors off guard. In addition, treacherous shoals and inclement weather led to over 750 shipwrecks in the island's waters. As a result, the area was often called "a graveyard of the Atlantic." Founded in 1968 as the first museum in America devoted to honoring volunteer and professional lifesavers, The Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum preserves the memory of Islanders. They risked their lives to save mariners from the perils of the sea. Their inspiring stories come from men and women of the Massachusetts Humane Society, US Life-Saving Service, and the United States Coast Guard. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 158 Polpis Bike Path, Nantucket, 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

  • Cape Cod Cape Verdean Museum and Cultural Center | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    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

  • National Marine Life Center | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory National Marine Life Center Website: http://nmlc.org/ Address: 120 Main Street, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts 02532 Phone: 508-743-9888 Email: nmlc@nmlc.org Cape Cod is a stranding hot spot. Each year, up to 56 live seals, 98 live dolphins, and 144 live sea turtles strand on our beaches, sick, injured, and in need of medical care. In 1995, a group of visionaries gathered to address the significant environmental need of a hospital to care for these stranded animals, many of whom are endangered and all of whom are federally-protected species. And thus, the National Marine Life Center was born. It is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) marine animal hospital and science and education center. Our mission is to rehabilitate and release stranded marine mammals and sea turtles in order to advance science and education in marine wildlife health and conservation. Mission Statement : The National Marine Life Center rehabilitates and releases stranded marine mammals and sea turtles in order to advance science and education in marine wildlife health and conservation. Vision Statement: The vision of the National Marine Life Center is to be a world leader in marine wildlife rehabilitation, conservation science, and STEM education. Values Statement : The Trustees, Staff, and Volunteers of the National Marine Life Center believe in humane care for stranded marine animals, thoughtful science that improves our understanding of wildlife health, and quality education programs that promote a conservation ethic. We carry out our work with respect for each other, our supporters, our partner organizations, our community, and the environment. The National Marine Life Center’s Marine Animal Discovery Center and Gift Shop is open from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, 10-5 daily, then weekends through Columbus Day. We’re also open select days throughout the fall, winter, and spring (Open Houses, February and April School Vacation Weeks). An educational experience about helping sea life on Cape Cod, the Marine Animal Discovery Center features educational displays, specimens, and information about marine animals, strandings, rehabilitation, marine science, and ocean conservation. NMLC’s Gift Shop features a unique selection of local art, jewelry, educational toys & games, eco-friendly, and fair trade items with a marine theme. Shop for a good cause! All proceeds benefit NMLC’s marine animal rehabilitation, science, and education programs. The Discovery Center will be open Sunday – Friday every week from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm then 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm; there is a $3 admission fee for those 2 years and older. These days and hours are subject to change, based on staffing availability and season. The Discovery Center features specimens and exhibits featuring information about the species we rehabilitate, the science our work contributes to and conservation efforts for these species. They also have interactive exhibits for kids of all ages! This educational area will give you a look at the work we do to care for stranded marine animals and their natural history. Please be aware, that this is not a tour of the animal hospital. For more information, click here . Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 120 Main Street, Buzzards Bay, MA, USA

  • Falmouth Art Center | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Falmouth Art Center Website: https://falmouthart.org/ Address: 137 Gifford Street, Falmouth, Massachusetts 02541 Phone: 508-540-3304 Email: info@falmouthart.org The Falmouth Artists Guild is dedicated to the visual arts, providing educational and exhibition opportunities on a year-round basis. We welcome students of all ages and abilities and all those who enjoy and appreciate art. We offer a full roster of classes and workshops. Come see the beautiful artwork in our two galleries which are open to the public. The Falmouth Artists Guild began almost 50 years ago when a small group of Falmouth painters got together and began informal art classes. They soon realized that working in a group improved their love of art and their artistic skills. Today, the Guild is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization with over 500 members and a full roster of classes, workshops, exhibits, and art sales offered on a year-round basis. The Guild also collaborates with other community groups on joint artistic events. The Guild's main purpose is to provide a place to create art and improve artistic skills. Artists of all ages, levels and media are welcome. The Guild also provides another important opportunity-fellowship. Says a longtime member: "The Guild changed my life. It has developed me artistically very much, and I've made countless new friends. I wouldn't give it up for anything." The Falmouth Artists Guild is now housed in the Falmouth Art Center and Gallery at the corner of Gifford Street and Dillingham Avenue on land donated by Chris Wise of Chatham. Construction began in September 2008 and was completed in May 2009, on time and on budget. The architect was Giampetro and Architects, LLP, and the general contractor was V & V Construction Co., Inc. Landscaping was made possible by individuals and businesses donating their time and materials. Funding for the building was primarily from private individuals and foundations, and with a $240,000 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund. No debt was incurred in completing the building. The Art Center is designed to accommodate future expansion. The building was officially dedicated in June 2009 and will be celebrating its 5th birthday in June, 2014. Since its opening the Art Center has seen amazing growth in the number of classes offered, students participating, artwork submitted for exhibitions, and number of members enrolled. Hours: Mon. 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM 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. 10:00 AM - 02:00 PM Sun. 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM 137 Gifford Street, Falmouth, MA, USA

  • Cape Cod Canal Visitors Center | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Cape Cod Canal Visitors Center Website: https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/missions/recreation/cape-cod-canal/ Address: 60 Ed Moffitt Drive, Sandwich, Massachusetts 02563 Phone: 508-833-9678 Email: samantha.a.gray@usace.army.mil Currently closed for the season until May 1, 2026 Before the Cape Cod Canal, two rivers flowed though this valley. To the southwest flowing into Buzzards Bay was the Manomet River, later called the Monument River. To the northeast, flowing into Cape Cod Bay, was the Scusset River. As the bird flies, little more than a mile of land no more than 33 feet above sea level separated these rivers. Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Cape Cod Canal Visitor Center offers excellent insight into the rich history, fascinating features, and vigilant operation of the Cape Cod Canal. Inside you will discover a museum that is fun, fascinating, family friendly and free. Interactive exhibits offer something for visitors of all ages. Come on by and… Board a retired 40-foot US Army Corps of Engineers patrol boat. Scan live radar and camera images to locate vessels in the waterway. Captain a virtual boat ride through the canal. Investigate what’s inside many of the ships that transit the canal Discover wildlife that live in or around the canal View films about canal history, wildflowers and wildlife Participate in various free interpretive programs Or… just relax and soak in the waterfront views from the rocking chairs on our front deck. Army Corps staff and volunteers staff the Center, and provide information about the canal and its recreational opportunities. A small bookstore is also offered. Hours: Open 10am-5pm May 1-June 20: Open Tuesdays-Saturdays; Closed Sundays and Mondays June 21-Oct 25: Open Tuesdays-Sundays; Closed Mondays 60 Ed Moffitt Drive, Sandwich, MA, USA

  • Crosby Mansion | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Crosby Mansion Website: https://www.crosbymansion.com/ Address: 163 Crosby Lane, Brewster, Massachusetts 02631 Phone: 508- 896-1744 Email: info@crosbymansion.com The Crosby mansion in Brewster is a monument to an earlier time, a time of opulence, grandeur and painstaking craftsmanship. Standing tall on a rise of land with sweeping views of Cape Cod bay, the three-story mansion is also a monument to romance. It is the legacy of a man who went west to make his fortune and returned to the cape with a bride 20 years his junior, for whom he built the mansion called Tawasentha. Albert Crosby was born in 1823 and raised in a modest cape house in Brewster that still stands where the mansion is, as he had the mansion, in effect, wrap around his old family homestead. Albert moved to Chicago and made his fortune producing distilled alcohol. He sold this to the army during the Civil War, and sales of this non-taxed medicinal alcohol made him a wealthy man. Albert spared no expense for the three story, 35 room home overlooking the Bay. Completed in 1888, the home was named “Tawasentha”, probably after Longfellow’s poem, “Song of Hiawatha”. It was built in the grand style of Chicago’s Gold Coast Mansions and featured a 60 foot viewing tower, 15 fireplaces with imported tile, hand carved mahogany and oak walls, a parlor fashioned after one at the Palace of Versailles, an entrance duplicating one at Buckingham Palace, a two-story billiard room, marble sinks and floors in the baths, and gas lighting and heating throughout. Because of its heightened construction, the Old Colony Railroad laid a side track to the site. The mansion was designed for the lavish entertaining his young wife, Matilda, loved. Legend has it that when her soirees became too much for him, Albert would slip away to the old homestead and sit peacefully in his favorite rocking chair. The mansion’s crowning glory was a two-story 75x50 foot art gallery filled with valuable paintings and statuary, including works by Childe Hassan, El Greco, Albert Bierstadt and other famous artists. After Albert’s death in 1906 at the age of 83, Matilda opened the art gallery to the public one day a week in summer, apparently in return for the town’s not raising her taxes. The gallery was legendary, and a number of famous people were said to have visited, including the Duke of Wales, Helen Keller and Samuel Clemens. We ask for a $5.00 donation, kids under 12 are free. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 163 Crosby Lane, Brewster, MA, USA

  • Stony Brook Grist Mill & Museum | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Stony Brook Grist Mill & Museum Website: https://www.brewster-ma.gov/stony-brook-grist-mill-museum Address: 830 Stony Brook Road, Brewster, Massachusetts 02631 Phone: 508-896-3701 Email: brewster@brewster-ma.gov The Stony Brook Grist Mill and Museum is a favorite stopping place for locals and visitors. The beautiful spot, featuring a sparkling brook and picturesque mill, is both scenic and historical. The Grist Mill is the only remaining structure from Brewster’s Factory Village, a bustling 19th Century industrial area. The restored mill is open every Saturday in the summer. Visitors can see the water wheel in motion and purchase fresh ground corn meal. The upstairs museum features artifacts of 19th Century Cape Cod life, weaving demonstrations and much more. Visitors strolling the footpaths might happen upon basking turtles, spot a heron flying overhead, see dragonflies hovering over the mill pond, or see a variety of fish in the brook. The mill site is a Brewster treasure. In the spring, the annual alewife migration up the fish ladders of Stony Brook is awe-inspiring, and was the subject of The Run, a nature classic written by John Hay. Footpaths along the edges of the brook are a wonderful vantage point to view the fish, which journey from Cape Cod Bay to the freshwater ponds of West Brewster in order to spawn. The herring run starts in mid-March (depending on air and water temperatures) and continues through early May. Mill and Museum Hours: The Grist Mill and Museum are open every Saturday in July and August from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Admission is free. Fresh cornmeal is available for purchase. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 830 Stony Brook Road, Brewster, MA, USA

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