Historical Museums
Falmouth Museums on the Green
65 Palmer Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Just two doors from our inn, this is a favorite destination among our guests who have just arrived and are looking for an easily accessible destination! The museum features two 18th-century houses with period furnishings, an early 1800’s doctor’s office, exhibits on whaling and maritime history and exceptional grounds with a rose garden and voluminous hydrangeas. The museum has an active schedule of educational and entertaining events.
Katharine Lee Bates’ Birthplace
16 Main Street, Falmouth Village Green
Homestead of the author of “America The Beautiful”. While not open to the public, this historic site is just one block from Palmer House Inn.
Heritage Museums & Gardens
67 Grove St, Sandwich
With over 100 acres of gorgeous landscaped grounds, an antique car collection, art exhibits and an unending series of special exhibits and learning seminars, Heritage Museums & Gardens is an entertaining must-see destination.
Plimoth Plantation
137 Warren Avenue, Plymouth
Modeled on the original 1624 Pilgrim Fathers settlement, Plimoth Plantation is a living history museum that takes the visitor back to the earliest days of European immigration to North America. Immerse yourself in the culture of the period, and learn while you’re having fun!
Woods Hole Historical Museum
579 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole
Describing itself as a “lively small museum”, it features two galleries with exhibits that generally change each year and a third gallery that contains a permanent scale model of Woods Hole, circa 1895. In addition to its galleries, the museum hosts events such as its annual late August Oyster Talk and Tasting……. Mmmmmmm!
John F. Kennedy Museum
397 Main Street, Hyannis
Not only a monument to JFK and his towering legacy, but also a behind-the-scenes window into the life of the private family man, who always felt most at home on Cape Cod. Highly praised by visitors, and worth the one-hour drive to Hyannis.
Nature Museums
Aquarium of the National Marine Fisheries
66 Water Street, Woods Hole, Falmouth
The oldest research aquarium in the country (created by Congress in 1871!) A great place to introduce your kids to marine wildlife. 140 species of aquatic life are on exhibit. Get close and personal with starfish, crabs and lobsters in the Aquarium’s touch tanks, literally a petting zoo for aquatic creatures! A ten minute drive from Palmer House Inn.
National Marine Life Center
120 Main Street, Bourne
A marine animal hospital for the rehabilitation and release of stranded whales, dolphins, seals and sea turtles. Meet some of the patients, and “adopt” an animal. This nonprofit center is a great way to learn about how injured or sick sea animals heal and how their human caretakers facilitate that process.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
266 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole
THE independent, not-for-profit go-to place to learn about ocean exploration, discovery and understanding. Numerous lectures, walking tours, science chats, splash lab (for kids) and (Fridays at noon) The Peanut Butter Club, with movies and talks on a topical subject. Ever wonder how jellyfish mate or how dolphins talk to each other? Come here and find out!