Aquariums and Animal Farms   Museums and Nature Centers

Made on Cape Cod           Minigolf and Amusements

Entertainment 

Aquariums and Animal Farms

Marine Biological Laboratory
Water Street, Woods Hole• (508) 548-3705, Ext. 7623 
www.mbl.edu

A visit here requires advance planning but is well worth it. Geared for children 10 and up, an hour-long tour includes a slide show followed by a guided side trip to say hello to squid, sponges, crabs, and coral. The facility gives tours at 1, 2, and 3 PM Monday through Friday from mid-June through the third week of September. Reservations one week in advance are recommended, as tours are limited to 15 people. For safety reasons, children under 5 are not permitted in the Marine Resources Center, although they may view the slide presentation. The tour is free.

Woods Hole Science Aquarium 
166 Water Street, Woods Hole • (508) 495-2267
www.aquarium.nefsc.noaa.gov

Please touch the specimens! That's the rule stressed here at the public aquarium of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Children can feel around three touch-tanks and pick up such deep-sea wonders as sea cucumbers, lobsters, and starfish. They can also look at creatures close up under a magnifier and come eye-to-eye with marine life through the glass of 16 display tanks. They can see seals too: Feedings are held at 11 AM and 4 PM. The natural blue lobster is also a not-to-be-missed attraction; the odds of such coloring are 20 million-to-one! Student volunteers are on hand to answer kids' queries in summer. The aquarium is open daily from 10 AM to 4 PM from late June through mid-September, and Monday through Friday the rest of the year. Admission is free.

Coonamessett Farm 
277  Hatchville Road, East Falmouth • (508) 563-2560 
www.coonamessettfarm.com

Coonamessett Farm is a local organic farm with gardens full of herbs and vegetables waiting to be picked and decorative plants for sale as well.

The farm’s alpaca, sheep, donkeys, goats and chickens are fun for the kids to see and the General Store sells produce fresh from the farm and gourmet food supplies. Be sure and wander upstairs into the loft for handcrafted items including farm themed toys and games.

Cape Cod Museum of Natural History 
867 Mass. Rt. 6A, Brewster • (508) 896-3867 • (800) 479-3867
www.ccmnh.org

Cape Cod's Nature Place, the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History is situated on 400 acres including historic Wing Island overlooking Cape Cod Bay. 
A nature center and Museum offering family programs, classes, lectures, films, walks & interactive exhibits.   Be sure to visit our aquarium and newest summer attraction, the Butterfly House! Take the little ones downstairs to a room full of hands-on exhibits, fish tanks, and demonstrations that will entertain them for hours. They can observe the world of nature close up through whale displays, a working beehive, and window birdfeeder.  The museum is open daily year-round (except for major holidays and the last week of January). Hours are 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, except on Sundays from October through May 15 when the Sunday hours are 11 AM to 4:30 PM. Admission is $5 for those age 13 and up, $2 for children 5 to 12, and free for hose age 4 and under.  The museum holds free-admission days the first Monday of the month from October to May.

Ocean Science Discovery Center
15 School St, Woods Hole, MA • (508) 289-2700
www.whoi.edu/main/ocean-science-exhibit-center 

Visitors to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute's Ocean Science Discovery Center 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. 

Ocean Quest - Nature Cruises
Waterfront Park, 100 Water St., Woods Hole • 
(508) 385-7656 (800) 376-2326
http://www.oceanquest.org

Oceanquest is a non-profit marine education organization. Passengers travel off the coast in their 60’ research vessel to participate in hands-on marine experiments. Kids haul traps, operate instrumentation, explore touch-tanks and learn about our native waters—the ecosystem and basic oceanography. The trips are exhilarating, educational and unforgettable. 

Sandwich Fish Hatchery
Mass. Rt. 6A, Sandwich• (508) 888-0008

Fishing around to do something really different? Adults and kids alike will enjoy the Sandwich Fish Hatchery, where more than 80,000 trout are raised to stock state's various ponds. Kids will be able to track the stages of fish development and feed the critters (bring quarters!). Admission is free. It's open year-round, 9 AM to 3 PM daily.

Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary 
291 State Highway, U.S. Rt. 6, South Wellfleet • (508) 349-2615 
www.wellfleetbay.org

This Outer Cape treasure offers many fascinating programs that let you sample the Cape's different habitats, from coastal heathlands to meadows, from fresh and saltwater inlets to barrier beaches and, of course, to observe the wildlife that inhabit these areas. Both on-site programs at the Sanctuary and off-site programs that include nearby Nauset Marsh and Monomoy Island are offered. Learn about Monarch butterfly migration, participate in sea turtle treks, or cruise Nauset Marsh for a while, then get off the boat and explore tidal flats for crabs and snails or dig for clams and sea worms. Programs include interactive field trips, guided walks, cruises, and informative lectures by Audubon naturalists. You can sign up for an organized program or just come to walk the beautiful trails or the tidal flats at low tide (bring a pail, hike up your pants—or wear shorts—and start exploring). The Sanctuary trails are open 365 days a year from 8 AM to dusk. The nature center is open daily, 8:30 AM to 5 PM through Columbus Day, and closed Mondays after Columbus Day. Admission is free for Massachusetts Audubon members. The fee for non-members is $3 for an adult, $2 for a child 12 and under, and $2 for senior citizens.

 

Museums and Nature Centers 

Green Briar Nature Center and Jam Kitchen
6 Discovery Hill Rd., Sandwich • (508) 888-6870
 
www.thortonburgess.org

 You're still in Burgess country here: Remember the Old Briar Patch? That fictitious locale comes to life at this nature center, which abuts 57 acres of conservation land. Kids can visit frogs and turtles at the Smiling Pool and wander on the nature trails to look for signs of other critters. The Jam Center, established in 1903, is a kitchen nestled back in the woods where jams and jellies are still made the right way—by hand. Take a tour of the kitchen and see them being made, then buy some to take home. You can also take one of the Center's regularly offered jam-making classes—available for both children and adults—and take home the fruits of your own labor. Green Briar is open daily from April through October, closed for most of November, and in December is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Hours are 10 AM to 4 PM Monday through Saturday, and 1 PM to 4 PM Sunday. The center is closed January through March. Admission is by donation.

Heritage Museum & Gardens 
Grove and Pine Sts., Sandwich • (508) 888-3300• www.heritageplantation.org

This is a perfect outing for parents and the kids-in-the-stroller set. You'll get to see everything—lush gardens and some magnificent collections including 37 antique cars and folk art—while giving the little ones a good workout. The old-fashioned, hand-carved 1912 indoor carousel gives free rides with paid admission. The plantation is open early May to late October. Admission is $9 for adults ($8 for those over 60), $4.50 for ages 6 through 18, and free for children 5 and younger. Admission is free for members of Heritage Plantation. It's open 10 AM to 5 PM daily from mid-May through mid-October.

Zip Lining Adventure Park at Heritage Museum & Gardens
67 Grove Street, Sandwich MA • (508-866-0199)
www.heritageadventurepark.org

The Adventure Park is an all-natural, interactive outdoor educational experience, set within four acres of forest, and designed to bring the public closer to nature through recreation and learning. The park contains two aspects from which the public can choose to participate. The first is the Aerial Trails which encompasses 5 courses of elevated platforms in the trees at different heights with zip lines and challenge elements to cross. The climbers also benefit from educational signs explaining scientific principles behind their treetop experience. The second aspect is the Forest Walk Interpretive Path which is a ground level path that winds its way through the forest beneath the climbing activities and bears interpretive signs explaining the area flora and fauna.   

Sandwich Glass Museum
129 Main Street, Sandwich •
(508) 888-0251
www.sandwichglassmuseum.org/

The Sandwich Glass Museum has exhibits of glass made in Sandwich from 1825 to 1888; Glassblowing demonstrations, and a multi-media theater presentation, "The First Two Hundred Years in Sandwich".

Watch molten glass, drawn from the furnace, blown and pressed into exquisite shapes. Learn why the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company led the world in the manufacture of glass during the early 19th century. The glassblower selects someone from each audience to press an actual piece of glass. The 20 minute demonstration takes place every half hour with plenty of time for questions afterward.

Even if you have seen glassblowing before this up close, hands on demonstration is truly enthralling for adults and mesmerizing for children.

Coonamessett Farm
277 Hatchville Road, East Falmouth • (508) 563-2560
www.coonamessettfarm.com

Coonamessett Farm is a local organic farm with gardens full of herbs and vegetables waiting to be picked and decorative plants for sale as well.

The farm’s alpaca, sheep, donkeys, goats and chickens are fun for the kids to see and the General Store sells produce fresh from the farm and gourmet food supplies. Be sure and wander upstairs into the loft for handcrafted items including farm themed toys and games.

Nickerson State Park 
Route 6A, Brewster • (508) 896-3491

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/southeast/nick.htm 

Entrance on Rte 6A near the Orleans border. Open to the public, free of charge for day-use. Considered the "jewel" of the state parks system, the park offers much to the family traveller. The park is also open for overnight camping (420 campsites). There are five ponds within the park, four of which are open for fishing (fishing licenses required for kids over 14). The favorite fishing hole of the locals is Cliff Pond, which hosts not only trout, but land-locked salmon. If it's bike riding you're interested in, the Cape Cod Rail Trail cuts right through the park and is a safe way to see the sights by bicycle. Older kids can easily make it all the way to Eastham and back in an afternoon. (Don't forget Massachusetts State law requires helmets on cyclists 12 and under on all public land.) The park's freshwater ponds provide warm, calm waters for swimming (lifeguards, potties, etc.). Toddlers and their watchers appreciate the lack of tidal motion on their unsteady little legs. Rent a boat on Flax Pond in the Park. Pedal boats, kayaks, aqua bikes, sea cycles and sailboats. Some of the best picnic spots in Brewster are located within the park, so pack a lunch and make a day of it.

Cape Cod National Seashore, 
Salt Pond Visitor Center, Rte 6, Eastham • (508) 255-3421

In 1961, after years of work by local "Cape Codders," President John Fitzgerald Kennedy signed the bill which created the Cape's National Seashore. This tract of land, spreading from Chatham to the tip of Provincetown, is overseen and preserved by the federal government. There are two visitor centers: The Salt Pond Visitor Center, Rte 6, Eastham and Province Lands Visitor Center, Race Point Rd. off Rte 6, Provincetown.  They both offer a wide variety of activities for families including daily ranger-led activities and many other programs.

Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
291 State Highway, Route 6, South Wellfleet, MA • (508) 349-2615
www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/wellfleet-bay/ 

Really beautiful! 1,100 acres of salt marsh, sandy beach, forests, freshwater ponds attract a wide array of wildlife. Besides walking through the scenic trails you can also take a cruise, kayak or canoe trips.

Spohr Gardens
45 Fells Road, Falmouth, MA • (508) 548-0623
https://www.facebook.com/Spohr-Gardens-152173574818753/

Six-acre woodland garden with springtime flowers by a pond with winding paths & nautical artifacts. No matter what time of year Spohr Gardens will give you beauty and tranquility. Open 8am-8pm daily and free.

Plimoth Plantation
137 Warren Avenue, Plymouth • (508) 746-1622
http://www.plimoth.org 

Located about 25 minutes off-Cape. Take Rte 3 north to Exit 5 and follow signs. Open daily through late November, Plimoth Plantation is a kid-friendly and hands-on, living history museum dedicated to Plimoth Colony in the 17th century. Sites include: the 1627 Pilgrim Village, a Wampanoag Homesite, Mayflower II, the Nye Barn Rare Breeds Exhibit and the Crafts Center. In the Pilgrim Village, each day is different and exciting, as it corresponds to a day in the year 1627. Colonists spend their hours talking to visitors in 17th-century dialects, while guests learn how homes are kept, cows and goats are milked, or get their hands dirty as wattle and daub is applied to a house under construction. Each colonist is someone whose conversation will intrigue and entertain. The Mayflower II, docked on the Plymouth waterfront, is a replica of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to New England in 1620 and features “Provisioning a Ship,” another exhibit that chronicles the advance planning necessary to take some of the discomfort out of a generally unpleasant, sometimes miserable and dangerous, transatlantic adventure. Visitors will see the great cabin and interact with costumed interpreters representing sailors or Mayflower passengers, as well as third person interpreters who explain the Mayflower’s voyage so many years ago. Throughout the 2007 season Plimoth Plantation will celebrate the Golden Anniversary of Mayflower II with special exhibits and events including an anniversary party on the state pier and an immigration booth staffed by indigenous Wampanoag people.  

Pilgrim Monument & Museum 
1 High Pole Hill Rd, Provincetown • (508) 487-1310
www.pilgrim-monument.org

The Pilgrims originally landed in Provincetown, and after a brief stay of about a month's time, they moved on to settle in Plymouth. This monument commemorates their stay. It measures 252 feet high; you can see as far as Boston on a clear day from atop the tower — the whole family can enjoy climbing the monument to reach one of the best views on Cape Cod before or after viewing the museum exhibits. Picnic tables are available.

Cape Cod Children's Museum
577 Great Neck Rd South, Mashpee • (508) 539-8788
www.capecodchildrensmuseum.pair.com

Learning is especially fun here. Attractions include a portable Starlab Planetarium, a submarine, a dress-up toddlers castle (kids can use their imaginations to be anyone from Pocahontas to Frank Perdue), and an area where kids can be " morphed" —that is, have their facial features superimposed on someone else's via a two-way mirror. But the biggest draw here is the 30-foot pirate ship on which you'll always find scores of Bluebeard wannabes scurrying up and down the three levels. The museum also has two indoor sandboxes with a specially designed implement that allows kids to write with sand. Monthly thematic programs with activities three times daily are held year-round. The museum is open 10 AM to 5 PM daily and noon to 5 PM on Sunday. Admission is $3.50 for those age 5 and older and $2.50 for children ages 1 through 4 and for those older than 60.

Cape Cod Discovery Museum
444 Mass. Rt. 28, Dennisport • (508) 398-1600
www.capecoddiscoverymuseum.org

Here, kids can pretend they are waiters or chefs in a diner; play a see-through piano; have their silhouettes ''frozen'' in the shadow room; play with games, puzzles, brainteasers, and building blocks; create masterpieces in the recycled-art center; or climb into a sailboat and pretend to be captain. Children can discover their musical talents in the music room and learn about magnets in the science area. There's something for all ages here. You may have a hard time, however, luring your little ones away from the gift shop. Launched in 1993 by an award-winning teacher, Discovery Museum is now a nonprofit center. The museum is open year-round on Tuesday through Saturday from 9 AM to 4:30 PM, Sunday from 12 noon to 4:30 PM, and is closed on Mondays. Admission is $2.50 for adults, $2 for seniors, and $4.50 for young people older than age 1 and up to 16 years of age. Memberships, which include unlimited free admission, are available, as are group rates. The museum also does children's birthday parties.

Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
867 Mass. Rt. 6A, Brewster • (508) 896-3867 • (800) 479-3867
www.ccmnh.org

Cape Cod's Nature Place, the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History is situated on 400 acres including historic Wing Island overlooking Cape Cod Bay. 
A nature center and Museum offering family programs, classes, lectures, films, walks & interactive exhibits.   Be sure to visit our aquarium and newest summer attraction, the Butterfly House! Take the little ones downstairs to a room full of hands-on exhibits, fish tanks, and demonstrations that will entertain them for hours. They can observe the world of nature close up through whale displays, a working beehive, and window birdfeeder.  The museum is open daily year-round (except for major holidays and the last week of January). Hours are 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, except on Sundays from October through May 15 when the Sunday hours are 11 AM to 4:30 PM. Admission is $5 for those age 13 and up, $2 for children 5 to 12, and free for hose age 4 and under.  The museum holds free-admission days the first Monday of the month from October to May.

John F. Kennedy Museum
397 Main Street, Hyannis • (508) 790-3077
http://www.jfkhyannismuseum.org

This museum boasts a multi-media exhibit highlighting the at-ease times former President John F. Kennedy spent with family and friends on Cape Cod.

Cape Cod Canal Museum & Visitor Center
60 Ed Moffitt Drive, Sandwich, MA • (508) 833-9678
www.capecodmuseumtrail.com

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.

Railroad Museum
153 Depot Rd., Chatham • no phone

Take the kids here for a look at old cars and cabooses, models, relics, and photos. (The Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places.) The constantly playing soundtrack of wheels and whistles adds to the railway atmosphere and appeals to kids who love those noises! Donations are accepted. It's open weekdays from 10 AM to 4 PM, June through September.

Toad Hall Classic Sports Car Museum at the Simmons Homestead Inn
288 Scudder Avenue, Hyannis Port MA • (508)-778-4934
www.toadhallcars.com 

A really great collection of over 50 Classic Sports Cars, mostly English with some Japanese and European ones thrown in. There are a dozen Lotuses, half a dozen MGs, Triumphs and Jaguars, and a bunch of Austin Healeys, TVRs, Datsuns, and Ferrari, Mazda, Morgan, AC, Sunbeam, Mini, and a few more. Toad Hall Sports Car Museum is a great place to spend some time and really enjoy these classic red little critters.

The Sturgis Library
3090 Main St, Barnstable, MA • (508) 362-6636
The Sturgis Library in Barnstable, Massachusetts is the oldest building that houses a public library in America.  The original library building was built in 1644 as the house of Rev. John Lothrop and is the oldest building housing a public library in the United States.  The front room is now called "The Lothrop Room" and contains a beamed ceiling and pumpkin-colored wide-board floors that exemplify the quintessential early character of authentic Cape Cod houses. The library was organized in 1863 and has continuously operated since that date.
 
Newport, RI 

Newport, R.I. is a little over an hour away. (6 West to 25 West to I-195W. Then follow the signs).  Here you’ll find the Touro Synagogue, one of the oldest synagogues in North America, and a stop on the Underground Railroad. Newport is home to the Newport Cup Race. Finally, Newport was, and is, the summer home of the incredibly wealthy. The gardens are fantastic; the homes stupendous. Many of these mansions have been opened to the public and operate tours year round. The Breakers, home to the Vanderbilts, is absolutely overwhelming. Rosecliff too. You can buy a multi pass and save $
 

Made on Cape Cod

If you want to really take home a piece of Cape Cod, seek out products that are made here. Besides being a vacation paradise, the Cape is home to many creative and enterprising people whose products have achieved success locally and regionally, and in some cases, nationally. Although this is by no means a complete list, here is a sampling of some of our favorite Cape-made products:

Cape Cod Potato Chip Company
Breeds Hill Rd, Hyannis, MA • (508) 775-3358
www.capecodchips.com

Made in Hyannis, these goodies are probably the best-known Cape product. Founded by Chatham's Steve Bernard in 1980, the company was later bought by Eagle Snacks, then a division of Anheuser-Busch. When that firm decided to downsize in 1996, Bernard bought his old company back and became a local hero, since his action saved the plant from closing. It's more than just a great name; these are really good chips. For a fun field trip, take the kids on a free tour of the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory on Breed's Hill Road between 9 AM and 5 PM daily, Monday through Friday. You may also call them at (508) 775-3358 or look them up on the web at www.capecodchips.com .

Cape Cod Beer Company
1336 Phinney's Lane, Hyannis, MA • (508) 790-4200
www.capecodbeer.com 

Founded in 2004, Cape Cod Beer is Cape Cod’s original craft beer and is proudly dedicated to fresh, delicious, local beer. Cape Cod Beer is self-distributed and is available on draft and in cans in a radius of about 50 miles from the brewery. 
The brewery is open 5 days a week year-round for tastings, tours and events. A tour is held once daily at 11am, Monday-Friday. The brewery store features a large selection of products made on Cape Cod. 
 

Barnstable Bat Company
40 Pleasant Pines Ave, Centerville, MA • (508) 362-8046 
www.barnstablebat.com

Baseball fans will cheer for these bats, which are used by the Cape Cod Baseball League as well as some Major League teams. They make great gifts for non-pros, too, especially since you can have them engraved. Made of white northern ash, the bats bear the Cape Cod logo and start at around $40 for an adult bat ($5 more will get it personalized with your own name) and $30 for a youth bat. The company, launched in 1992, is located at 40 Pleasant Pines Avenue in Centerville, where the showroom is open Monday through Friday and some weekends in summer. Call them at (508) 362-8046 to check hours or request a brochure. They do a lot of mail-order business, and you can also order off their site at www.barnstablebat.com


Minigolf and Amusements

Bass River Sports World 
934 Route 28, South Yarmouth • (508) 398-6070  
http://www.bassriversportsworld.com

Bass River Sports World is a wonderful complex for family activities: Skull Island Adventure Golf Course, Cape Cod's newest and finest course; an arcade of every imaginable game; batting cages and soccer cages; a driving range, and the newest addition...Go Karts and a skate park catering to BMX and skateboarding.  Bass River Sports World is an ideal setting for group outings for all age brackets. It’s not just for kids!  Everyone tells us the same thing: unlike regulation golf outings that tend to exclude non-golfers, everyone in their organization enjoys Bass River Sports World – and the camaraderie and the laughs are great for company morale!  To schedule an activity, or to get information, call 774-212-4533.

Sandwich Minigolf
157 Rt. 6A, Sandwich • (508) 833-1905

This 27-hole course is built on a former cranberry bog, and the architectural trademarks of the Cape, such as covered bridges, windmills, whales, and sea horses, are incorporated in its designs. Best of all: The course features the world's only floating green! It's open daily mid-May through mid-September. The cost for 18 holes is $5 for those 13 and older and $4.50 for children younger than 12; to play 28 holes it's$6.50 for older players and $6 for children younger than 12.

Balls to the Wall and Cape Cod Lazer Runner
96 Airport Road, Hyannis • (508) 778-0100
http://balls2thewall.com

At Balls to the Wall, we offer a unique paintball experience for a diverse paintball community. With a reputation for being one of the cleanest and friendliest fields around, we are working hard to make sure that whatever your skill level, you have the experience you are expecting when you walk in the door.

Lazer Runner is here!  Come see us, as we've been working hard to build the ultimate Laser Tag experience for you.  In development over the last 4 months, you'll find one of the best Lazer Tag courses in New England here in our facility.  A great alternative to paintball for those who aren't experienced, or perhaps too young, it's a family fun event that won't soon be forgotten!

Cartwheels 
11 South Gages Way, South Dennis, MA• (508) 394-6755 
http://www.capecodcartwheels.com

CartWheels family fun center is home to the largest Go Cart track on Cape Cod, offering a six minute ride on brand new state of the art Carts. The Fun Center also features Batting Cages and Arcade.

Water Wizz Water Park
3031 Cranberry Hwy, Buzzards Bay • (508) 295-3255
www.waterwizz.com

Considered by Yankee Magazine to be the best water park in New England, Water Wizz is a short drive from the Bourne Bridge. There are water slides and pools geared to all ages and abilities - including a fantastic wave pool and a new “Capt. Kid’s Island” attraction. Lockers are available for your gear and there is plenty of parking! The park is impeccably clean and meticulously run. Open daily all summer, beginning in June. Water Wizz. Rts 6 & 28, Wareham (near Buzzards Bay), just 5 minutes off Rts. 25 & I-95. 

Cape Cod Inflatable Park
518 Main Street Route 28, West Yarmouth, MA • (508) 771-6060

www.capecodinflatablepark.com

The Cape Cod Inflatable Park is a one of a kind attraction on Cape Cod offering a huge selection of both wet and dry inflatable rides for kids and adults alike. Our inflatable park and family resort is centrally located on Cape Cod and is packed with large themed inflatable slides, bounce houses, games, a gift shop, 9 hole mini golf course, arcade and more.  

Zip Lining Adventure Park at Heritage Museum & Gardens
67 Grove Street, Sandwich MA • (508-866-0199)
www.heritageadventurepark.org

The Adventure Park is an all-natural, interactive outdoor educational experience, set within four acres of forest, and designed to bring the public closer to nature through recreation and learning. The park contains two aspects from which the public can choose to participate. The first is the Aerial Trails which encompasses 5 courses of elevated platforms in the trees at different heights with zip lines and challenge elements to cross. The climbers also benefit from educational signs explaining scientific principles behind their treetop experience. The second aspect is the Forest Walk Interpretive Pathwhich is a ground level path that winds its way through the forest beneath the climbing activities and bears interpretive signs explaining the area flora and fauna.

Dennis Parasail and Jet Ski
377 Setucket Rd, Dennis • (508) 385-8359 
8 MacMillan Wharf, Provincetown • (508) 487-8359
www.capecodparasail.com

Let the professionals at Dennis Parasail take you higher than ever before!  Your adventure begins with an exhilarating speed boat ride in Cape Cod Bay out to our flight area offshore.  They will outfit you in a harness and life jacket and clip you into the parachute and you’ll begin your gentle, dry ascent to a maximum hight of up to 300 feet over the Bay and Dennis coastline!

Gold Coast Parasailing
1 South Shore Dr, S. Yarmouth • (
508) 398-7245
http://www.goldcoastparasail.com

Gold Coast Parasailing and Jet Ski has been offering top of the line watersports on Cape Cod in Massachusetts for over 15 years. They offer watersports such as parasailing, wave runner rentals, banana boat rides, segway rentals, kayaks, and more! Open from Memorial Day through Labor Day.  Reservations are highly recommended.

Pirate's Adventures
Ocean St. Dock, Hyannis • (508) 394-9100
http://www.pirateadventurescapecod.com

Pirate Adventures is pure fantasy - an old-fashioned, swash buckling adventure your children will remember for years to come. With costumed pirate actors, painted faces and sailor sashes, the little mates aboard the pirate ship "Sea Gypsy" cast off on a pirate adventure. There's underwater treasure to find and a secret map that leads you there. But before the crew gets to pull up the booty, the crew may have to fire the water cannons in order to save the ship and capture the treasure. There is lots of fun to be had, as the crew sings sea chanteys, takes the time-honored oath of loyal sailors, participates in storytelling and a gang effort to find the treasure. This popular adventure runs frequent trips from the Ocean Street Docks in Hyannis and Town Cove, next to the Goose Hummock, in Orleans beginning late June and running through Labor Day.

Ryan Family Amusement Center
441 Main St, Hyannis • (508) 775-3411‎ 
Cape Cod Mall, 769 Iyannough Road, Rte. 132, Hyannis • (508) 771-2100

1067 Mass. Rt. 28, South Yarmouth • (508) 394-5644
200 Main St., Buzzards Bay • (508) 759-9892

Each of Ryan Family Amusement’s family entertainment center, features bowling, candlepin and/or ten pin, a large game room filled with all kinds of arcade games, pinball, Skee-ball and video games along with children's games such as ride-on horses, air hockey, and basketball.  The Cape Cod Mall location also features Laser Tag.

Kennedy Memorial Ice Skating Rink
Hyannis Youth and Community Center
141 Basset Lane, Hyannis • (508) 790-6345

Founded in Hyannis, MA, Kennedy Memorial Skating Rink is an indoor rink and open year round.  Public skating sessions are one of the main attractions at Kennedy Memorial Skating Rink. Skating provides great exercise and an opportunity to get out of the house - plus, it's not like exercising at the gym... skating is fun! Lace-em up and come join the others. Get on the ice and get ready for a great experience.  

Color Me Mine 
28 North Way, Mashpee • (508) 539-8500

www.colormemine.com

Paint something patriotic! Platters, pitchers, Cookie Jars... there are lots of great options. Start your red, white and blue collection of ceramic keepsakes today!  It's a great time to breathe a little ceramic creativity into your garden. Paint colorful planters, fountains, tile tables and more to freshen up your outdoor area. 

Scenic Train Rides
252 Main Street, Hyannis • (508) 771-3800
www.capetrain.com

The Cape Cod Central Railroad offers two hour scenic excursions, from Hyannis & Sandwich to the picturesque Cape Cod Canal. Passengers enjoy spectacular views as the train rolls along past salt marshes, cranberry bogs, kettle ponds and local farmland. Kids love the trip!

Cape Cod Duckmobiles 
Main Street, Hyannis • (888) 225-3825 or (508) 790-2111
http://duckmobile.com

Kids get a big thrill when the Duckmobiles “splash down” into the harbor as they tour from land to sea. Ride the renovated U.S. military amphibious vehicles and enjoy an informative, narrated tour. Departs frequently from downtown Hyannis Main St. during the summer. 

Cape Cod Harbor & Canal Cruises
138 Ocean Street, Hyannis • (508) 778-2600 (800) 492-8082
www.hylinecruises.com

Join us for the Hyannis Harbor Cruises, a relaxing one-hour cruise that is a great way to learn about local history and area landmarks, all on the way to view the historic Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport. Deep-Sea Fishing trips are also available in Hyannis, offering options of Bottom Fishing or Captain’s Choice, whether you’re a hearty fisherman or a family looking for some excitement and fun during your day. 

Also just 10 minutes from the Bourne Bridge, join us on Cape Cod Canal Cruises. We operate the only sightseeing cruise of this majestic waterway, a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. We also offer a Canal Sunset Cocktail Cruise. 

Outermost Adventure
 
83 Seagull Road,  Chatham • (508) 945-5858
http://www.outermostharbor.com

You haven’t truly experienced the beauty of Cape Cod until you have seen it from the water, and the Chatham waterways are among the Cape’s most scenic. The captains at Outermost Adventures (at Outermost Harbor Marine) offer a nice selection of tours and shuttles. They’ll take you to the limited access areas of highly acclaimed South Beach and Monomoy Island for shorebird and seal watching or on a scenic Stage Harbor Cruise to see Chatham at its most picturesque. Free parking and easy “dry dock” boarding.

Seal Cruises with Monomoy Island Ferry
80 Bridge St, Chatham, MA • (508) 237-0420 (774) 722-1336
www.monomoyislandferry.com

Do you enjoy wildlife, seal tours, birdwatching or fishing? Join Captain Keith Lincoln aboard the Rip Ryder for some of the best ocean fun and adventure available on Cape Cod. We invite you to come along for a day of exploration off the coast of Chatham, Cape Cod and beyond. Marvel at the natural beauty of the Monomoy Islands.  Watch the seals frolic and bask in the sun while the many protected native bird species fly above. Top it off with some of the best Striper fishing available, and you are sure to find something here for everyone on your Cape Cod vacation getaway. We can offer you the closest launching point and fastest trip to the seals, North Monomoy Island or South Beach.

Call today to book your next ocean adventure with Capt. Keith Lincoln aboard the Rip Ryder. Daily Trips from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. departing from Stage Harbor Marine, Chatham.

Beachcomber Seal Sighting Tours
174 Crowell Road, Chatham, MA • (508) 945-5265
www.sealwatch.com

Enjoy Chatham's seals, sandy beaches and picturesque harbors aboard one of the bright yellow BEACHCOMBER boats. We offer exciting seal tours in Pleasant Bay, along the beautiful Chatham Harbor waterways between North Beach, Chatham Light and the break. We also offer a round trip beach shuttle, boat rides and flats fishing service from the Fish Pier on Shore Rd. Customize your cruise for great Family get-togethers. Wedding events or Group Charters by appointment.

Blue Claw Boat Tours
235 Main Street Orleans, MA • (508) 240-5783
www.blueclawboattours.com

Our Seal Watch Cruise takes you on a sightseeing adventure as you travel from Orleans to Chatham Harbor to view the seal colony. Cruising along, you encounter islands, salt marshes, birds, and the dunes of the Cape Cod National Seashore. Hear stories of pilgrims and pirates, seals, sharks, and shipwrecks. We also offer a special SEALS at SUNSET cruise.  Our narrated Seal Watch Adventure Cruises are filled with humor and historical facts including stories of Pirates, Seals, Sharks, Shipwrecks and Buried Treasure.

Chatham Boat Tours
(617) 899-9538
www.chathamboattours.com

Whether your interest is "shark alley", seals, birding, sand bars, swimming, photography or searching for that perfect conch or scallop shell, or relaxing and enjoying the incredible panoramic views, this gorgeous area has lots to offer.  The warm waters of Nantucket Sound and Monomoy Islands and the secluded Chatham barrier beaches and sand bars have something for everyone.

Buzzards Bay Scuba Dive Center
2 East Blvd, Onset, MA • (508)743-5310

www.buzzardsbaydivecenter.com

Scuba diving is a great way to view the amazing world under the ocean.  With the help of scuba shops, diving schools, and instructors, even a beginner can enjoy the thrill of diving.  Buzzards Bay Scuba Dive Center has a group of dedicated professionals who aim to provide the diving and snorkeling public with the best training, equipment information, and adventure. Come meet us and see for yourself...

Cartland
3044 Cranberry Hwy, East Wareham • (508) 295-8360
www.cartlandofcapecod.com

Cartland has much to offer for family fun. The batting cages are very popular. Mini golf is always a hit, and this one is very child-friendly. The bumper boats and cart track are a blast! Cartland accommodates a range of ages — even toddlers can have fun on the kiddie rides.

The Whydah Pirate Museum
674 Route 28, West Yarmouth, MA • (508) 534-9571
www.discoverpirates.com

Experience Cape Cod's newest interactive science museum featuring real pirates and real treasures! A must-see attraction for all ages where you will touch, see and interact with the worlds only authenticated pirate treasure, discovered in 1984 offdiscovered in 1984 off the coast of Wellfleet.
Open: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Suggested duration: 1-2 hours

Pirate's Cove
723 Main St., South Yarmouth • (508) 394-6200
http://www.piratescove.net

Befitting the Cape's history, this 36-hole course even has a pirate ship in a fake pond surrounded by waterfalls and cliffs. Kids can win fun prizes in keeping with the theme, such as pirate eye patches, tattoos, and flags. Pirate's Cove is open daily from mid-April through late October. Admission is $6.50 ($5.50 for ages 12 and younger). In the summer, Pirate's Cove is open from 9 AM to 10 PM; in the fall, it's usually open 10 AM to 4 PM.

Bud's Go-Karts 
9 Sisson Rd., Harwich • (508) 432-4964
https://www.facebook.com/hallkarts/

Unique to the Lower Cape, this long-established go-cart center, easy to find on the corner of Mass. Rt. 28 and Sisson Road, rings all summer with the delighted shrieks and shouts of children going FAST! and loving it. You can get on the course for $5. In the summer, it's open daily from 9 AM to 10:30 PM.

Grand Slam Entertainment  
322 Route 28, Harwich • (508) 430-1155
www.capecodbumperboats.com 

Batting cages—including one with fastballs as fast as 90 miles per hour!--are ready and waiting for your little sluggers. There are also bumper boats and arcade games. A good time to ride the boats is on a hot day, when the lines will be short because everyone else will be at the beach, and the bumper rides will splash (and cool) you. Activities are priced by tokens—one token, for example, buys you 10 pitches in the batting cage. Tokens purchased singly cost $1.50, but in multiples they cost less: $1.25 when you buy five, $1 if you buy 10, and 90 cents if you purchase 22. Grand Slam is open 9 AM to 10 PM daily, April through mid-October.

Trampoline Center
296 Route 28, Harwich • (508) 432-8717
www.facebook.com/TheOriginalTrampolineCenter/

Boiiiinnnng! Up they go! Kids will have a great time jumping to their hearts' content. A dozen large trampolines in a fenced-in outdoor area are set at ground level, so even the smallest of small fry can fly high. Remember to follow the two rules: no shoes and no flips. The center is open 9 AM to 10 PM (or 11 PM if lots of people are bouncing) daily from mid-June through Labor Day. The cost is $5 for 5 minutes.

BMX Races Cape Cod 
100 BMX Alley, Bourne • (508) 326-2472
www.usabmx.com/tracks/1640

ABA BMX Tracks are the best in the country. Come out to one today and check out the awesome sport of Bicycle Motocross Racing!  Bicycle Motorcross races for kids of ALL ages take place weekly throughout the summer on Otis Airforce Base, in Bourne. These events are great fun, and open for all kids to race. The races run on closed courses that are irregular, with turns, jumps, rollers, and other obstacles to challenge riders’ skills. Riders are organized by ability, and age, starting with age 5. Safety is emphasized with mouth guards, pads, helmets and other measures.  Directions: From NW and South 195 or 495 to 25 (Cape Cod), cross the Bourne Bridge. Take Rt 28 towards Falmouth. At Rotary take third exit to Mass Military Resv.  After gate, track is 1/2 mile on left at BMX alley.

Cape Escape
14 Canal Rd., Orleans • (508) 240-1791
http://www.capeescapeadventures.com

Right near the Orleans Rotary, this fun little minigolf center features 18 holes set in nautical surroundings, complete with waterfalls, ponds, boats, and a water wheel. Cape Escape Mini-Golf is open daily from 9 AM to 10:30 PM, April through Columbus Day. The cost is $6.50 for adults and $5.50 for children 11 and under.

Gift Barn Mini Golf
U.S. Rt. 6, Eastham • (508) 255-7000

Just 1 mile north of the National Seashore Visitor Center, this family-run complex offers an 18-hole minigolf course. It has an arcade with pinball, video games, and redemption games—kids love them, because they get to pick out their own prizes. It's open daily June through September, but there's also a great gift shop with lots of stuff for kids that's open springtime until Christmas Eve. And The Red Barn Pizza is right next door if you want to mix gift shopping with minigolf and a meal. The minigolf is open 9 AM to 10 PM and costs $3 per person; replays are $1.50.

 

Entertainment

Cape Cod Melody Tent
21 West Main Street, Hyannis • (508) 775-5630
www.melodytent.org

For over 60 years, the South Shore Music Circus and its sister venue, the Cape Cod Melody Tent, have been presenting world-class entertainment in the scenic Massachusetts coastal communities of Cohasset and Hyannis. The only two continuously-operated tent theatres in the round in the United States, the Music Circus and Melody Tent are owned and operated by the South Shore Playhouse Associates, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and supporting the arts, cultural and educational organizations throughout the communities of the South Shore and Cape Cod. 

Cape Cod Playhouse
820 Route 6A, Dennis, MA • (508) 385-3911
www.capeplayhouse.com

Experience the magic of live theatre in the country’s oldest professional summer theatre on beautiful Cape Cod! The Playhouse is continuously running since 1927, in the same place where Humphrey Bogart once performed. The Cape Playhouse in Dennis brings the Best of Broadway to Cape Cod each summer, featuring critically acclaimed actors of Broadway, television, and film.

The Cape Playhouse also offers entertaining and educational Theater for Children. Tickets are available at the Box Office and online. 

Monomoy Theatre
776 Main Street Chatham, MA • (508) 945-1589
www.monomoytheatre.org

The Monomoy Theatre has been entertaining residents and visitors to Chatham and Cape Cod with first rate summer theatre for over five decades. Each summer, the theatre offers a season of musicals, comedy and drama both classic and contemporary, providing an invaluable training ground for young artists and a rich theatrical experience for audiences.

Wellfleet Drive-In Theatre
51 State Highway Route 6, Wellfleet, MA • (508) 349-7176
www.wellfleetcinemas.com
 

Enjoy a movie under the stars at our classic Drive-In theatre from 1957! It’s the last of its kind on Cape Cod, and one of about 300 left in the country. Come delight in this one-of-a-kind movie experience!