Cape Cod Attractions
 | Arts Dune Tours 4 Standish Street Provincetown, MA • 508-487-1950 This family-run business started in 1946 with a Ford Woody, since then thousands of people have taken an adventure across the sand dunes of the Province Lands, part of the Cape Cod National Seashore (today in seven to nine passenger air-conditioned Suburbans). The best tour to take is the clambake tour at dinnertime when you can watch the sunset and nosh on a New England Style Clambake served along the Atlantic Coastline. Daily tours are $25 per adult and $17 for children age 6 to 11; Clambake Tours are $75 per adult and $55 per child (more if you want sushi). Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Cape Cod Baseball League Cape Cod, MA Spend an evening cheering for today's college baseball stars, many of which will be tomorrow’s major leaguers. One in seven MLB players played in the Cape Cod Baseball League at some point in their career, making it one of the best amateur summer leagues in the country (alumni include Mike Yowell, Jason Varitek, Tod Helton and Carlos Pena). Best part: Admission is free at the 10 beautiful town ballparks. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Cape Cod Central Railroad 252 Main Street Hyannis, MA • 508-771-3800 Pass cranberry bogs, lush marshes and hidden parts of the Cape aboard the two-hour "Scenic Fun Train" (tickets sold the day of the ride only). Departures from Hyannis, Sandwich and West Barnstable available. Prices from Hyannis are $21 per adult, $17 per child age 3 to 11. Children under 3 ride free. Or take the Family Supper Train, a favorite of young kids because Choo Choo Charley and friends put on a magic show before boarding then amuse with balloon twisting and face painting once onboard. Kids get to dine on fun food, while parents dine on more upscale fare like Pan Seared Salmon and Chicken Francaise (offered June through August and by reservation only, adults $42.95 per person, children under 12 $29.95 per person, under age one is free). Trains run Memorial Day Weekend thru October plus other holiday runs during the Halloween and Christmas seasons. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Cape Cod National Seashore Cape Cod, MA • 508-349-3785 The best way to experience this national treasure is to stop by one of the two visitor’s centers first. Salt Pond Visitor Center is located on Route 6 in Eastham and Province Lands Visitors Center is located on race Point Road in Provincetown. Both have staff to assist you with trail planning, and stores featuring books, puzzles, games and regularly scheduled films. Salt Pond also has a small museum and Province Lands a spectacular observation deck with 360-degree views. Be sure to pick up a recent copy of the National Seashore News. In it you'll find a guide to the seashore’s historic buildings (lighthouses, bog house, and the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station), plus a college catalog’s worth of fantastic and free (or reasonably priced) programs lead by biologists, naturalists and rangers. Examples include photography workshops, historical reenactments of shipwreck rescues, games and folklore by the campfire, an author talk on why an area off the Cape is known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” and much more. Kids (ages 5 to 12) love participating in the Junior Ranger Program. Pick up a program booklet from either visitor’s center. Each booklet has activities, checklists, and assignments, one of which needs to be attendance at one of the many kid-friendly programs. Kids show their completed booklets to a ranger and receive an embroidered Junior Range Badge. As for the beaches, walk or bike (from Salt Pond Visitor Center) to Coast Guard Beach in Eastham. The beach is regularly named one of the country’s best beaches -- one stroll along its soft sand and you’ll see why. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Cape Cod Rail Trail Dennis, MA • 508-896-3491 The Cape Cod Rail Trail is one of the most popular and ideal for families. This paved bikeway runs a fairly flat 22 miles from South Dennis to Wellfleet, and offers a variety of scenery. Bike rentals are available in towns all over the Cape. Be sure to pick up a complimentary “Cape Cod Bike Trails” map at your hotel or the shop. This map details ice cream, snacks, lunch stops and bike shops along the trail. The Little Capistrano Bike Shop is located right near the Salt Pond Visitor's Center providing easy access to both the Cape Cod Rail Trail and the Cape Cod National Seashore Bike trail. In addition to your standard bikes, families will find new-looking joggers, baby seats, bikes with training wheels as well as trail-a-bikes. Rental rates vary by shop and length of time (from two hours to a week). Little Capistrano is open from early spring through mid-November and the remainder of the year by appointment only. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Cape Escape Adventure Golf Orleans Rotary Orleans, MA • 508-240-1791 This is mini-golf at a nautical-themed course complete with waterfalls, flashing lighthouse, bridges and a koi pond stocked with orange, white and black fish. Turn in your clubs after the game and ask for some fish food. Our kids enjoyed having the fish feed right from their hands as much as the golf. The course is open from early April through Columbus Day weekend. Admission is $8 for ages 12 and under; $8.50 for ages 13 and older. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | ECOtourz LLC 18 Jarves Street Sandwich, MA • 508-888-1627 With guided or self-guided adventures, families can kayak through the Upper Cape marshes and check out the amazing wildlife that inhabits the area. Spot blue herons, osprey, terns and a number of other fish feeding bird-life. Families can also enjoy a bike ride through Historical Sandwich, where you can check out the Sandwich Boardwalk, museums, shops and boutique stores in the village. Catering to all ages and skill levels, bring the whole family and enjoy a truly memorable experience. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Explore Cape Cod Kayak Adventures South Orleans, MA • 508-240-1211 Since 1998, Dick Hilmer along with a handful of other ACA-certified kayak instructors, have introduced thousands of people to kayaking in a safe and fun environment. Discover first hand how tides work, learn about how glaciers impacted the formation of Cape Cod, and about what is being done on the Cape to help repopulate the piping plover bird. Explore Cape Cod offers half-day kayak adventures in both the morning and afternoon, as well as two-hour sunrise kayak adventures. A full schedule is available May through September, plus off-season sailings by appointment. Many adventures depart from either Pleasant Bay or Nauset Marsh. $39 per person for a sea-touring tandem kayak, $49 per person for a solo (each matched up to passenger sizes). Price includes use of equipment, instruction and guide service. Bring bug repellant, sunscreen, water and a snack, all of which can be kept in the watertight bags provided. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | OceanQuest Waterfront Park Woods Hole, MA • 508-385-7656 Examine specimens captured with a plankton net, take water temperatures, and learn why the water looks blue or green on this 90-minute discovery cruise, led by a non-profit marine education group. Families aboard all areas of this research vessel have a chance to engage in oceanography studies from the passengers in the stern pulling lobster traps and looking at microorganisms through a discovery scope to the cabin crew exploring the basic chemistry of seawater. Advance reservations are recommended. Season for the general public runs from late June through Labor Day with four cruises offered Monday-Friday as well as two Saturday sailings. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Thornton W. Burgess Museum 4 Water Street Sandwich, MA • 508-888-6870 Visitors can browse a variety of books, toys and games that feature some of author and naturalist Thornton W. Burgess' most famous characters including Peter Rabbit, Reddy Fox and Jimmy Skunk. In addition to the Water Street museum, The Thornton W. Burgess Society operates the Green Briar Nature Center, and the Jam Kitchen at 6 Discovery Hill Road (off Rte. 6A) in East Sandwich and the East Sandwich Game Farm. Check the website and plan your visit around one of their many fun activities, from Monday bird walks to story-times, critter capers, jam workshops and astronomy nights for families. The museum is open May through October; Jam kitchen and Nature Center year-round. Admission to all is by donation. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Whale Watch Dolphin Fleet of Provincetown Chamber Building Lopes Square Provincetown, MA • 800-826-9300 Provincetown is the closest port to access the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, a federally protected marine habitat, and a perennial feeding ground for many whale species. Each trip is guided by a trained naturalist who points out and identifies the different types of whales that you’ll see breaching and rolling around in the ocean’s waves. Inside the ship kid's can listen to whale vocalizations, track the vessel’s movement on a chart plotter, or have a hot dog from the full-service galley. You’re more than likely to see a few of these gentle giants breaching. In fact, they’re so confident that if there are no whale sightings on a regular trip, all paying passengers receive a free ticket for a future trip. Kids receive a great brochure that details the different types of whales and has a checklist for them to check off what they see, from the various whales to marine birds, seals and fish. Bring sunblock for these three- to four-hour tours, sunglasses and a jacket. Arrive early in Provincetown to assure a parking spot and make sure you leave enough time to catch the boat. Sailings do sell out. Get in the boarding line at least 15 to 20 minutes prior to sailing for a better selection of onboard seats during the height of summer season. Book in advance online for discounted tickets. $39 per adult, $31 for children age 5 to 12, and under 5 sail free with family (AAA discounts and online coupons available). Sailings run from April through late October. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | ZooQuarium 674 Route 28 West Yarmouth, MA • 508-775-8883 Learn about the birds, animals and fish that call the region home. Here you can pet goats, sheep and llamas in the petting zoo, and touch crabs, sea stars and urchins in the tidal touch pool. Cool animals you can’t touch include owls and turkey vultures. Every hour brings a different live animal presentation at the Zoorific Theater (think hedgehogs and skunks). Younger kids love making lunch for one of the animals at the “What's For Lunch?” exhibit. Open daily mid-April through mid-September and during school breaks; weekends and some holidays throughout the rest of the year. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
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