Attractions & Things to do in Cape Cod

 

Falmouth is a quaint, historic village on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Main Street is filled with wonderful, eclectic shops, galleries, and fine restaurants.  Whether you want to spend the day at a spa or hike for miles, your favorite vacation activity is just minutes away from our unique location. One hundred and thirty-nine of the Cape's finest beaches are in this little seaside village of Falmouth.  There is much to do and see here. Historic home tours are offered in the Village Green at 65 Palmer Avenue, just down the road from Frederick William House. Highfield Hall, on our nation’s top 100 most historic homes, is a nice place to visit and tour.  It is located right next to Bebe Woods, a spectacular conservation land that gives the Cape Cod visitor a unique hiking experience.  Guided walking tours can be had here throughout all the seasons of the year. Woodneck beach is a half mile behind the house, and the pond in Goodwill park is great for children young and old.  There is a playground in the park as well, just steps from our front door, across the street. 

 

Katherine Lee Bates wrote our beloved America the Beautiful right here in Falmouth, her hometown. A statue pays homage to her in the center of town in front of our library. She was born in 1859 and died in 1929. Her home is located on the Village Green. There is a little history museum on the Green as well which can fill you in on much of the local history and sites. Nobska lighthouse is located in Woods Hole. It is one of our nation’s oldest operational lighthouses. The acting coast guard Chief lives there with his family. Otis Airforce base is located on the Cape, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, many nice shops, and some very savvy, scrumptious restaurants. Crabapples Resturant is literally across the street from the house. They have the best breakfasts. Irish Eggs Benedict is one of their specialties and some twists with Texas Toast filled with cranberries and walnuts. The Glass Onion is a mile down the road, very fine dining there. 

 

Frederick William House is walking distance to the Steamship Authority, which is where you would catch the shuttle to the ferry to visit Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. Do not pay to park. Just walk the bike path to the shuttle from Frederick William House. We are very centrally located in this beautiful historic American treasure. Outdoor activities range from golfing, hiking, kayaking, biking, fishing, sightseeing, antiquing, and high-end gift shopping.  For foodies, there are many restaurants to choose from.

 

Sandwich is lovely day trip about 40-minutes drive from Frederick William House. Quaint antique shops fill downtown, boutique shops, restaurants, the Heritage Museum, the Glass Museum, Thorton Burgess Museum, House, and Jam Kitchen. Grist Mill is in the center of town. Sandwich also has many tea houses. Hoxie House (ca. 1675) in Sandwich, Massachusetts is one of the oldest houses on Cape Cod and one the oldest surviving houses in Massachusetts. The saltbox house was built in the mid-seventeenth century and occupied around 1675 by Rev. John Smith, his wife Susanna and their 13 children. Smith served as pastor of the Separatist First Church of Sandwich church from 1673 until 1689. He also served as a representative to the legislature and recommended tolerance of the Quakers, a religious minority in the area. In the mid-nineteenth century, Abraham Hoxie, a whaling captain, purchased the property. The town of Sandwich acquired the home in the 1950s and restored the building. Traveling on Route 6, further up Cape is the town of Barnstable where you can go through some of the oldest graveyards and visit the oldest existing public library in the United States that is still in operation. Sturgis Library was established in 1644.

 

Salem is away from the Cape, north past Boston, but a very fun visit because of the Salem Witch trial history there. I would suggest visiting the House of Seven Gables and the Witch House circa 1642, also called the Jonathan Corwin House, this was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin and is the only structure still standing in Salem, Massachusetts with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The house is now a museum operated by the City of Salem, and is open seasonally.

 

Boston has many points of interest. Boston is a full day trip from Frederick William House. Some of the free things to do are to walk the Freedom Trail. It is a self-guided tour that takes you to the Paul Revere House, the Old Burial Ground, Boston Common, The Old North Church, Bunker Hill Monument, the USS Constitution, Copps Hill Burying Ground, the Site of the Boston Massacre, Kings Chapel, Granary Burying Ground, Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church and more.  The walk can literally take the entire day. So wear your most comfortable walking shoes.  There are hundreds of places to eat in Boston, and many places to shop, and museums to visit.

 

Plymouth is a town that is approximately a 45-minute drive from Frederick William House. There you can visit the Mayflower and Plymouth Rock, tour Plymouth Plantation (a living history museum). This is a VERY TOURISTY part of Massachusetts. So there will be many tour buses and trinket shops.

 

The New Bedford Whaling Museum is a fantastic family day trip.  New Bedford is approximately a 40-minute drive from Falmouth. The museum there is really amazing. The historic part of New Bedford has cobblestone streets and ancient buildings.  Fantastic smells line the streets. The wharf is visible from the rooftop veranda at the museum. Great Seafood restaurants can be found here, a brick pizza oven, Celtic pubs, galleries and artists’ lofts. New Bedford is a fun family visit, and it is also close to a historic fort in the town of Fairhaven.