Things to do in Cape Cod

Forty miles of protected Atlantic beaches, dunes, and lighthouses, the wild, unspoiled heart of the Cape.

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

Cruise from MacMillan Pier to Stellwagen Bank, one of the best whale-watching grounds on the planet.

100 acres of famed rhododendron gardens, a vintage carousel, and a stunning classic car collection.

Photographs and films capture JFK's Cape Cod summers, steps from the Kennedy compound's hometown.

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

Real treasure from the only authenticated pirate shipwreck ever recovered, cannons, coins, and all.

Ride vintage rail cars past cranberry bogs, salt marshes, and the Cape Cod Canal from Hyannis.

Bounce through Provincetown's protected dunes by 4x4 to historic dune shacks and ocean overlooks.

A gloriously retro 1957 drive-in showing first-run double features under the Outer Cape stars.

The Cape's postcard village: a working 1808 lighthouse, seal-dotted shores, and a classic Main Street.

Legendary roadside clam shack: overstuffed lobster rolls, fried clams, a raw bar, and mini golf.

A beloved beach bar in an 1897 lifesaving station, perched on the dunes above Cahoon Hollow Beach.

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

Climb Cape Cod's oldest lighthouse, a 1797 station on Truro's sea cliffs, moved 450 feet back from the eroding edge in 1996.

Hourly glassblowing demos and glittering galleries in the Cape's oldest town, where Boston & Sandwich Glass ruled the 1800s.

America's oldest professional summer theatre, Broadway-caliber shows since 1927 in a converted meetinghouse where Bette Davis once ushered.

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

The macabre-whimsy master's real home on the Yarmouth Port common, with annual exhibits and a Gashlycrumb Tinies scavenger hunt.

The neon lobster over Commercial Street marks Provincetown's most famous seafood house, serving chowder, kale soup, and lobster every way since 1943.

25 flat, paved miles of old railbed from Yarmouth to Wellfleet, cranberry bogs, kettle ponds, and the Cape's favorite family bike ride.

Cape Cod's classic pirate-themed mini golf on Route 28, 36 holes of caves, footbridges, and waterfalls in South Yarmouth.

Cape Cod charter fishing for bluefin tuna, striped bass, and even great white shark adventures, sailing from Dennis and Yarmouth harbors.

An 18th-century Cape Cod house turned art museum, once home to folk artists Ralph and Martha Cahoon.

Passenger ferry whisking travelers from Falmouth to Martha's Vineyard in 35 minutes.

Living history museum recreating 17th-century Plymouth and Wampanoag life.

Cape Cod water park with slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river.

Ferry service to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket from Cape Cod.

Six-passenger charter boat running striper, tuna, and bottom-fishing trips out of Dennis.

Historic tall-ship schooners Alabama and Shenandoah sail Vineyard Haven Harbor and Nantucket Sound.

Family-run Wellfleet Harbor seafood spot since 1964, stocked wall-to-wall with used and rare books.

Captained sailing and powerboat excursions on Buzzards Bay, with day trips to Cuttyhunk and the Cape.

Gateway towns of Bourne, Sandwich, and Wareham anchored by the historic Cape Cod Canal.

The classic New England peninsula of beach towns, lighthouses, and salt-marsh villages.

A 1950 tented theater-in-the-round in Hyannis hosting summer concerts on a rotating stage.

A Dennis museum spotlighting Cape Cod's own painters, sculptors, and photographers.

An 18-hole nautical-themed mini golf course in Orleans with a lighthouse, koi pond, and waterfall.

Plymouth-based whale-watching fleet running trips to Stellwagen Bank since 1946.

A three-generation Provincetown party boat running half-day fishing trips off MacMillan Wharf.

Coast Guard history housed in an 1855 Customs House in Barnstable Village, with a blacksmith shop and old jail.

A summer stock company of young performers staging operettas and musicals at Falmouth's Highfield Theatre.

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

The Northeast's largest charter fishing fleet, running half-day trips from Hyannis since 1993.

High-speed ferries and scenic cruises linking Hyannis to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

Cape Cod's liveliest downtown strip, with 40+ restaurants, shops, and the Walkway to the Sea.

Outer Cape kayak, paddleboard, and canoe rentals on Route 6 in Wellfleet.

A 77-foot three-masted schooner sailing Falmouth Harbor and Vineyard Sound.

Lunch, dinner, and sunset cruises on Cape Cod Bay aboard the M/V Lobster Roll.

A ferry-only island retreat of gingerbread cottages, clay cliffs, and harbor towns.

The Nantucket Historical Association's flagship museum on the island's 19th-century whaling era.

A Cape Cod Canal-area beach village known for its bandstand, beach, and free summer events.

Free summer-league baseball at the Cape Cod League's oldest ballpark.

Falmouth Harbor open-boat fishing charters and private cruises, family-run for 40 years.

Hyannis Harbor sportfishing charters for tuna, shark, and striped bass.

The oldest town on Cape Cod, with historic mills, museums, and quiet beaches.

Kayak and paddleboard rentals on Cape Cod's Bass River, with gear and instruction included.

A family owned Christmas gift shop in South Chatham with nautical and holiday themed collectibles.

Narrated whale-watching cruises departing Barnstable Harbor on Cape Cod.

Marine research nonprofit with a free discovery center featuring a real humpback whale skeleton.

A 24-hour casino and hotel in Tiverton with 1,000 slots, table games and a sportsbook near Newport.

A Cape Cod family fun center with mini golf, bumper boats, batting cages, an arcade and an ice cream shop.

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

Self-guided tours of a Martha's Vineyard alpaca farm with a store selling farm-raised yarn and goods.