top of page

Search

158 results found with an empty search

  • Historical Society of Old Yarmouth | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Historical Society of Old Yarmouth Website: http://www.hsoy.org/ Address: 229 Old King's Highway (Route 6A), Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts 02675 Phone: 508-362-3021 Email: info@hsoy.org "TO PRESERVE, PROMOTE, AND PRESENT THE HISTORY OF YARMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS." The Historical Society of Old Yarmouth was founded in 1953 with the mission of preserving and developing community interest in the history of Yarmouth. Led by Caroline Siebens and Ann Maxtone-Graham the Society soon grew to more than 500 members who work to collect the objects and documents that convey Yarmouth’s past and promote the preservation of historical sites in the town. In 1958, Guido Perera, a descendant of early Yarmouth settler Anthony Thacher, gave the Society an historic family house on Yarmouth Port’s Common, as well as 50 acres of adjoining woodlands. This generous gift is now the Captain Bangs Hallet House Museum and the Nature Trails. The Museum, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is today the only furnished sea captain's home on Cape Cod regularly open to the public. WHERE WE ARE NOW: The Historical Society of Old Yarmouth continues to actively carry out the mission by collecting Yarmouth’s past and sharing that past with the local community as well as with visitors from around the world. The Society, led by a Board of Trustees, has two part-time staff members and a number of active and enthusiastic volunteers. Our operations include the Captain Bangs Hallet House Museum and 18th century kitchen, the Nature Trails, Kelley Chapel, the Turtle Wetu (a replica Wampanoag dwelling), and our administrative headquarters at the relocated and reconstructed Gorham Cobbler Shop (behind the Post Office on 6A). Our Archival Collections are now located there in a climate controlled archival storage facility. Each year we sponsor lectures, school programs, exhibitions, walking tours, concerts, holiday events, and other social and educational opportunities for the community. We also have an active publishing program designed to encourage historical scholarship about Yarmouth and make it available to all. WHERE WE'RE HEADED: Future plans for the Society include developing new space for permanent and changing exhibits and expanding our presence in the villages of South and West Yarmouth, both rich in historical importance. The Society is also working to better present and expand The Captains' Mile, the Captain Bangs Hallet House Museum and its surrounding historic sites, as well as the beautiful grounds and Nature Trails that contain so many outstanding botanical specimens. DIRECTIONS: To the Historical Society’s Administrative Office & Archives: Located in the old B.T. Gorham Cobbler’s Shop at 229 Old King's Highway (Route 6A) in Yarmouth Port, on the lane adjacent to and slightly behind the Yarmouth Port Post Office. Please park next to our building, not in the post office lot. The Administrative Office is open Tuesdays from 11 AM – 4:30 PM and Thursdays from 10 AM – 3:30 PM or by appointment. To the Captain Bangs Hallet House Museum: Located on Strawberry Lane Common, just off Route 6A in Yarmouth Port. From Route 6 take Exit 72 (Old Exit 7). Right on Willow Street to Route 6A. Right on 6A about a mile, just past the Yarmouth Port Post Office. Turn right onto Strawberry Lane (the Common). The Captain Bangs Hallet House Museum is the second house on the right, #11. Parking is along the Common fence. The Captain Bangs Hallet House Museums is open 1-4 PM on Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays from June 16 – October 8, 2023. Guided tours offered at 1:00, 2:00, & 3:00 PM. Last entry at 3:00 PM. Tickets may be purchased online or at the door. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. 11:00 AM - 04:30 PM Wed. Closed Thu. 10:00 AM - 03:30 PM Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 229 Old King's Highway, Yarmouth Port, MA, USA

  • About Us | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Cape Cod Museum Trail (“CCMT”) is a 501(c)3, public non-profit organization that is both a physical journey, and digital initiative that provides a history-related prism into Cape Cod Life and Culture. Who We Are Cape Cod Museum Trail ( “CCMT” ) is a 501(c)3 , public non-profit organization that is both a physical journey, and digital initiative that provides a history-related prism into Cape Cod Life and Culture. Our mission is to support and promote the image, wellbeing and financial health of Cape Cod Museums, Cultural Centers and Art Exhibitions by creating opportunities for networking, collaboration and educational programs. In support of these, we seeks to enrich the community by providing opportunities for discovery and learning to residents and visitors. We began in October 2015 and what started modestly as a series of meetings with a few museums has evolved into a consortium of over 75+ Cape-wide institutions whose directors and staff members meet regularly and communicate digitally to develop comprehensive monthly calendars of events, story ideas and more. The vision of the Cape Cod Museum Trail seeks to strengthen and promote the important role that museums play. To educate and visibly market to residents, visitors and tourists alike, that museums are a valuable part of the wider cultural and heritage sector. They are key to both the visitor market and the cultural provision for local communities across Massachusetts providing stimulation, education and fun.

  • 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

  • Captain Edward Penniman House | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Captain Edward Penniman House Website: https://www.nps.gov/caco/learn/historyculture/penniman.htm Address: 70 Fort Hill Road, Eastham, Massachusetts 02642 Phone: 508-255-3421 Email: sue_moynihan@nps.gov Captain Penniman became one of the most successful whaling captains in New England. After his fourth voyage, he returned home to Eastham to build a home for his family on 12 acres purchased from his father. Sitting atop Fort Hill in Eastham is the Second Empire style home of Captain Edward Penniman. Built in 1868 the two-and-one-half story house features a central hall plan with two rooms on each side. Rising from the center of the roof is an octagonal cupola with arched windows on all sides. The house holds the Penniman family's written records and artifact collection, both of which provide a glimpse of the places visited on the family's whaling voyages. It has recently been repainted so that it now depicts the residence’s authentic, original colors. It’s all part of a Centennial Challenge Fund commemorating the National Park Services’ 100th anniversary in 2016. The park service awarded $85,000 to match $100,000 pledged by the Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore (Friends), the seashore's nonprofit partner, and $15,000 of funds that were donated by Eastern National, the seashore's cooperating association. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 70 Fort Hill Road, Eastham, MA, USA

  • Caleb Nickerson Homestead in Chatham | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Caleb Nickerson Homestead in Chatham Website: http://cnh.nickersonassoc.com/ Address: 1107 Orleans Rd, Chatham, Massachusetts 02633 Phone: (508) 945-6086 Email: wmnick1107@gmail.com William Nickerson was the founder of Chatham, then called Monomoit, Monomoy and other various spellings, on Cape Cod. The 1827 Caleb Nickerson House Museum is owned by the Nickerson Family Association, inc., founded in 1897 in Chatham by William Emery Nickerson. The Caleb House was built in the Stage Harbor area of Chatham and was moved in 2003 to the Nickerson Family Association property in Chathamport that also includes the homestead site of the first English settlers of Chatham, William & Anne (Busby) Nickerson. The Caleb Nickerson House Museum is a "working" museum of life on Cape Cod in the early 19th century. Experience Colonial life in an antique full cape, featuring a beehive oven, period woodwork and a Colonial kitchen vegetable and herb garden. Stop by and check the progress on the construction of our post and beam outhouse and see what is growing and ready to pick in Caleb’s kitchen garden. Hours The museum, adjacent to the Nickerson Family Association Genealogy Center, is open on Wednesday mornings during the late spring to early fall and by appointment. Grounds Please enjoy a walking tour of our campus during daylight hours. You can take selfies outside the picturesque Caleb Nickerson Homestead, a circa-1829 antique Cape with three hearths and a working beehive oven. Peep into the reproduction post-and-beam outhouse built by our period carpenter. See what is growing and ready to harvest in the heirloom dooryard and kitchen gardens managed by our master gardener. Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. Closed Fri. Closed Sat. Closed Sun. Closed 1107 Orleans Rd, Chatham, 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

  • 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

  • March 13, 4 PM-5 PM | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Events Richard Neal: "The Big Lie" At the Intersection of Art and Politics Friday, March 13, 2026, from 4:00 – 5:00 pm, followed by Q/A with Director of Art Benton Jones Richard Neal will discuss the relationship between art and politics in his own art, as well as through examples in art history. Richard Neal was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in Maryland. He earned a Master's degree at the Cranbrook Academy of Art and works at Chalkboard Studio in Barnstable Village. In 2024, his work was the subject of a one-person exhibit at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, and this summer his work will fill the Great Hall at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod in a multi-media installation entitled Grand Curio Charade . The writer, André van der Wende has observed that “Neal is a master at creating distressed surfaces full of invention and the unexpected, tough and confrontational in their manufacture and effect.” Date and Time: March 13, 4 PM-5 PM Cost: $18-$24 Place: Cape Cod Museum of Art 60 Hope Lane, Dennis, MA, USA Website

  • Barnstable Historical Society Museum | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Museum Directory Barnstable Historical Society Museum Website: Barnstable Historical Society Address: 3087 Main Street, Barnstable, Massachusetts 02630 Phone: (508) 362-2982 Email : barnstablehistoricalsociety@gmail.com Did you know the oldest wooden jail still standing is in Barnstable? Built c.1690 This season we’re proud of 2 new exhibits: Early Industries of Cape Cod and our Tool room (so new the signage is almost complete!) From its inception, the Society took a leading role in documenting the 7 villages of Barnstable’s local history. We took charge of moving the Old Jail to the grounds of the Custom House and now we oversee that as well as the Blacksmith Shop (both are available for tours by calling 508-280-3864 The Barnstable Historical Society, across the street from the Sturgis Library, houses a virtual treasure chest of history providing research assistance to schools, authors and the public. Founded in 1939, on the 300th anniversary of the Town of Barnstable, our collection dates from the 17th century to the 20th century and consists of maritime paintings, portraits of sea captains and their wives, ships’ logs, ships’ models, vintage photographs, trade artifacts from around the world, Sandwich glass, a quilt collection, silver artifacts, antique furniture, correspondence, diaries, and much more. Our grounds are open to the public and boast gardens, paths and benches for a place to relax and reflect. Admission and times Open mid-June to mid-October Thursday - Saturday, 1pm-4pm Or email for an appointment Individual Membership $25 Family Membership – $50 Hours: Mon. Closed Tue. Closed Wed. Closed Thu. 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM Fri. 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM Sat. 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM Sun. Closed 3087 Main Street, Barnstable, MA, USA

  • March 15, 4 PM-5 PM | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Events Salt Marsh Quartet The Salt Marsh Quartet plays an eclectic mix of jazz standards from swing and bossa nova tunes to ballads and jazzy blues numbers. The group also adds a smattering of original compositions. The Salt Marsh Quartet is an evolving group of local Cape Cod musicians. The band grew out of the Bert Jackson Quartet that had been a jazz mainstay on the outer Cape for a number of years. When guitarist, Bert Jackson, moved to Hawaii two years ago leadership duties fell to Roe Osborn, the bassist. The band added Gary Locke, a guitarist with local R&B favorites, the Rip It Ups. When the group’s horn player retired last year, trumpet player and vocalist, Kami Lyle, joined the group. Dave Dillon, who plays with numerous Cape Cod bands, rounds out the quartet on drums. Salt Marsh Quartet features solo vocals by Roe and Kami, as well sweet duets between the two. The group boasts almost two centuries of musical experience bringing fun and engaging music to Cape audiences. Date and Time: March 15, 4 PM-5 PM Cost: $160-$195 Place: Cape Cod Museum of Art 60 Hope Lane, Dennis, MA, USA Website

  • March 1- March 21, 10 AM-4 PM | Cape Cod Museum Trail

    Events The Cahoon Maker Space The Cahoon Makers Space is a creative drop-in studio where visitors of all ages can enjoy hands-on art making inspired by the museum’s current exhibitions. With materials provided, you’re invited to experiment, explore new techniques, and bring fresh ideas to life. Included with museum admission Date and Time: March 1- March 21, 10 AM-4 PM Cost: Included with Admission Place: Cahoon Museum of American Art 4676 Falmouth Road, Cotuit, MA, USA Website

  • 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

bottom of page