Skip to content
visitorfun
BusinessesGrow
MuseumsFreeLocal GemFamily Favorite

Center for Coastal Studies

5 Holway Avenue · Provincetown, MA

Why you should go…

The Center for Coastal Studies is a Provincetown nonprofit founded in 1976 that studies humpback and North Atlantic right whales and leads whale disentanglement efforts in the Gulf of Maine. Its Hiebert Marine Laboratory displays Spinnaker, the only large whale skeleton on Cape Cod, and the SEA Space Marine Discovery Center on Commercial Street offers hands-on marine science exhibits. Both facilities are open to the public seasonally.

  • #whales
  • #marine
  • #museum
  • #free
  • #science

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Center for Coastal Studies, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum

    Under $25

    Climb the tallest all-granite tower in the U.S. for jaw-dropping views over Provincetown and the sea.

    0.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Provincetown Chamber of Commerce

    Free

    Provincetown's official visitor information center for Cape Cod's arts, beaches and whale watching.

    0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Shopping
    Iconic

    Commercial Street, Provincetown

    Free

    Three miles of galleries, boutiques, saltwater taffy, and world-class people-watching at land's end.

    0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Museums
    Local Gem

    Fine Arts Work Center

    Free

    A Provincetown artist colony offering free public readings, talks, and gallery shows year-round.

    0.5 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Local Gem

    Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM)

    Under $25

    The flagship museum of America's oldest art colony, Hawthorne to Hofmann to today's Provincetown painters, free on Friday nights in season.

    0.7 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

    Under $25

    Hands-on nature exhibits plus boardwalk trails across salt marsh to a secluded bay beach.

    21 mi awayMore like this