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Ashumet Holly Reservation & Wildlife Sanctuary (Massachusetts Audubon Society) Off Route 151, East Falmouth. A 45-acre preserve and bird sanctuary whose Wampanoag appellation means “water near a spring.” Includes 27 acres of mixed woodland, ten agricultural acres and an eight-acre kettle pond abloom summers with Oriental lotus flowers and more than 1,000 holly trees (eight species and 65 varieties) of holly. Also present is the unusual fall-flowering Franklinia tree (named after Benjamin Franklin), a large swallow barn colony. Self-guided walks along eight nature trails through stands of wildflowers and heather. Lectures, guided walks, seal cruises and special island tours are offered throughout the year. Open year round.

Beebe Woods, off Depot Road near Falmouth Center. This 650-acre estate, with 387 acres of conservation woodland, was donated to Falmouth by Josiah K. Lilly III and features great hiking and several incredible stone fences. There are marked trails for walking, cross country skiing, bird watching and mountain biking (access from Ter Huen or Highfield Drives).

Bradley House Museum of Woods Hole, Woods Hole Road. Model of Woods Hole Village circa 1895, historic collections and walking tours. Open summers.

Candle House, 1836; Water Street, Woods Hole (Marine Biological Laboratory Administration Building). Built as a spermaceti candle factory.

Cape Cod Children’s Museum, (temporary location: Great Neck Road South, Mashpee) Features interactive displays for children; medieval castle for toddlers, 30-foot pirate ship, puppet stage, wooden rain and planetarium.

Cape Cod Winery, 681 Sandwich Road, Falmouth. Tours and tastings Thursday—Sunday in July & August. Features ten acres of gently-sloping vineyard and cultivates five varieties of grapes which are processed and bottled on the premises. Open May-Oct.

Bates House Museum, 16 West Main Street. This two-story house was the birthplace of Katherine Lee Bates, author of America the Beautiful. Whaling, period furniture, paintings and china exhibits.

Cornelia Carey Sanctuary (aka “the Knob”), Off Route 28, right onto Quissett Harbor Road to the dead end. The road winds around Quisset Harbor to the dead end, where a sign announces “Private Road,” there is a turnstile in front of a large house. Go through the turnstile, over a stone-fortified causeway to a small wooded area of red cedar and oak opens to a bare, grassy promontory high up, offering views of Buzzards Bay, the Elizabeth Islands and spectacular seaside sunsets are free for your enjoyment. The Knob, at Quissett Harbor is located at the end of Quissett Road. Hiking trails wind through 13 acres of this protected bird sanctuary with magnificent views of Buzzards Bay. Limited parking.

Falmouth Historical Society Julia Wood House, 1790; open summers.

Frances Crane Wildlife Management, Off Route 151. These 1,600 acres of open space and woodland is ideal for walking, mountain biking, hunting, bird watching and horseback riding.

Friends Meeting House, 1775; Main Street (Route 28A): Quaker meeting site, still active.

Grews Pond: At Goodwill Park (off Gifford Street). Free public recreation area with volleyball courts, playground equipment, a swimming area, rest rooms and barbecue and picnic facilities.

Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Candle House, Water Street, Woods Hole. MBL is a non-profit institution dedicated to research and education in basic biology. Free tours of the Marine Resource Center (summer weekdays by reservation). Retired scientists lead tours which begin with a 20-minute slide program. Visitors are then guided through impressive mazes of fiberglass tanks, pipelines and hoses to view species used in research. Open weekdays 10am to 4pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm

Learn more about Woods Hole’s Marine Biological Laboratory at Pierce Visitors Center at 100 Water Street. Dedicated in 1998, it evokes the memory of Robert W. Pierce, former Laboratory trustee. Observe living marine organisms at play and learn why they are important in biomedical research. What do toadfish tell scientist about how our balance system works? What do clams have to do with cancer? What does your vision have in common with that of a horseshoe crab? Explore Pierce Visitors Center and learn more about the natural world around you. A 1½-hour tour includes a slide show followed by a guided side trip to view undersea wonders. Free tours are held at 1 PM Monday through Friday from mid-June through the end of August. Call to make reservations. 548-3705, ext. 423

Moraine-Mock Hiking Trail, Park at tennis courts on Blacksmith Shop Road (off Route 28A) in West Falmouth. Featuring a walk time of 30 to 80 minutes, varying by choice of 13.8 acres of trails, this locale is geographically diverse. Rich in geological and human history, the moraine tract derives its name from characteristic ridges, boulders and kettle holes left as the margin of the Laurentide glacier melted.

National Marine Fisheries Aquarium, Albatross & Water Streets, Woods Hole. The oldest aquarium in the US features exhibits of marine life from Cape Cod to Georges Bank with hands-on exhibits; harbor seals (summers). Open year round.

Nobska Light, 1828; Church Street and Nobska Road. This lighthouse’s stationary blinking light appears red if mariner is in dangerous waters. The vistas are compelling. Limited Parking. Grounds open all year.

OceanQuest, Water Street, Woods Hole. A 1½-hour hands-on seafaring excursion perfect for families. Real marine research is conducted with passengers as de facto data collectors. The group is divided in two: bow passengers are trained about how to read water temperature, assessing turbidity and taking key measurements; stern passengers examine specimens hauled up by a dredger. Then the teams switch stations. Daily at 10am, 12 noon, 2pm and 4pm from mid-June to early September.

The Mary Garden, Millfield Street (opposite St. Joseph’s Church). This quiet garden—in which every plant and flower is named after a saint—sits on the banks of Eel Pond and provides a lovely view of St. Joseph’s bell tower. Open year round.

Sea Farms Conservation & Trail Area, Gayle Avenue, East Falmouth. Embracing 67 acres of woodland, field and marsh with frontage on Bourne’s Pond and Israel’s Cove, walk time for the Trail is 25 minutes (distance of 1.1 miles). A wide variety of flora and fauna lives in this relatively small area.

Shining Sea Bikepath, A small parking area is located across the street from the beginning of the trail on Locust Street & Woods Hole Road. Offering beautiful vistas along an old railed route, the Bikepath passes sandy beaches, ocean harbors, salt water marshes, kettle hole ponds and quiet woodlands en route to the quaint, bustling village of Woods Hole. The 3.3-mile (5.25-km Bikepath is flat and paved, making it a popular byway for walking, jogging and rollerblading in addition to biking.

Spohr’s Garden, On Oyster Pond. Off Woods Hole Road at Oyster Pond Road then look left—it’s a sharp backward left onto Fells Road. A wonderful private garden (left to the town in trust when the owner died) where beautiful daffodils in bloom are a “must see” in spring. In addition to daffodils, there are also rhododendrons, day lilies and fuschia which are later bloomers. There is a wide variety of wildlife and birds which also seem to enjoy this bucolic garden. In addition to the wonderful flowers, there are also millstones and anchors collected by the creators of Spohr’s Gardens, Margaret & Charles Spohr. Guided by their passion for gardening, the two created these fabulous gardens around their home on a six-acre parcel of land off Fells Road. Since 1951, visitors have wandered all through the grounds here taking great delight in the serene beauty. The garden borders Oyster Pond with marine artifacts along a beautiful sea wall. The Garden is free to the public. Parking lot can even accommodate a motor coach.

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Off Route 28, Waquoit. The reserve contains more than 2,500 acres of open waters, barrier beach, fragile estuary, marshlands and uplands including Washburn Island and South Cape Beach State Park. Call Reserve headquarters (Route 28, Waquoit, 508-457-0495) for details on walking tours and 11 campsites on Washburn Island. Open daily during daylight hours except during spring and fall hunting seasons.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Exhibit Center, 15 School Street, Woods Hole. Private, non-profit research and education organization established in 1930. It is the largest independent oceanographic laboratory in the world. Its WHOI Exhibit Center features informative displays on hydrothermal vents, marine geology, plankton, oceanographic research instruments and WHOI’s research vessels. Open daily year round M-F 8am-5pm.

Woods Hole Historical Museum. This museum is actually a complex of three buildings, the main one being the William Bradley House, the third-oldest house in the village of Woods Hole. It was owned by 19th-century ship captain William Bradley, who was lost at sea. The structure houses the Woods Hole Historical Collection of paintings, portraits, photographs and records. Since the exhibits change annually, it's an interesting visit even if you have been by before. The two other buildings, moved to the grounds in 1996, are a boat barn and an 1890s workshop that at one time belonged to a doctor who puttered with various hobbies including etching and fly-tying. During July and August, the houses are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM; in June and September you should call for hours. Admission is free (donations are accepted). 573 Woods Hole Road (508) 548-7270

Beaches: There are ten public beaches in Falmouth: Bristol Beach (in the Maravista section of town near Falmouth Heights); Falmouth Heights Beach in Falmouth Heights; Chapoquoit, Megansett and ‡†Old Silver Beach in North Falmouth; Grew's Pond, a fresh water pond in Goodwill Park; †Menauhant Beach in East Falmouth; Stoney Beach in Woods Hole; ‡†Surf Drive Beach in Falmouth; Wood Neck Beach in West Falmouth.

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Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce
Routes 6 & 132, PO Box 790
Hyannis, MA  02601
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