Exhibits

Learn about the rich maritime history of Cape Cod by visiting one of our exhibits.

These silent sentinels are the most iconic images of Cape Cod. They’re on our license plates, potato chip bags, and on the sign welcoming visitors to the Cape. Gift shops are loaded with lighthouse-themed trinkets, and artists have used them as inspiration. But for many, the history of these lighthouses, the bureaucracy that managed them, and the brave men and women who worked around the clock to maintain these vital aids to navigation remain a mystery.

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Lighthouses of Cape Cod

Sailing Against the Tide spotlights the stories of groundbreaking women who helped shape the unique maritime history and culture of the Cape and Islands. These pioneering scientists, artists, businesswomen, community leaders, philanthropists, military women, and more not only influenced the history of our community, but broadly impacted their professions and causes.

This exhibit is made possible by a grant from Mass Humanities, which provided funding through the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC).

Sailing Against the Tide: Women of Cape Cod & the Islands

Prior to the Railroad Wharf in Hyannis Port, the nearest port for ships traveling to and from Nantucket was New Bedford, 80 nautical miles away. With the arrival of the Old Colony Railroad in the village of Hyannis, it made sense to extend the tracks a mile or so south and build a large wharf to shorten the trip to just 25 miles. After construction, the wharf became a major port of call for passengers and freight between Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, connected to Boston and other cities by train.

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Hyannis Port Railroad Wharf: 1854-1937

The Cape Cod Canal has a long and winding history full of surveys, failed attempts, glacial boulders, dredges, bridges, tolls, and trains. Come and see how one man's hope of saving lives, and the US Army Corp of Engineers hard work helped turn an ancient passage through the isthmus of Cape Cod into the Canal we know of today!

Thinking up and Dredging Down: The Story of the Cape Cod Canal

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The waters off Cape Cod have been a danger to mariners for centuries. Come and find out what sorts of ships and cargoes have travelled past, the most dangerous areas, and about the ways we’ve tried to mitigate those same dangers—either by rescuing sailors from wrecks, or through charts and tide tables.

The Menace of Cape Cod: Hazard to Navigation

Catboats are well-known up and down the Cape as easy to manage, trusty, and enjoyable. We're proud to have our very own Catboat, SARAH, and continue the great tradition of Catboat sailing. Come and learn what makes a Catboat a Catboat, and why they are so well-loved around here.

Catboats: The Boat With Nine Lives

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Our working wood boat shop hosts a variety of wood boat workshops throughout the year.

Visitors can see small boats being built and restored as well as learn about the various wood working and boat building techniques.

Cook Boat Shop

This scrimshaw exhibit is the largest private collection of scrimshaw displayed on Cape Cod. Collected by Elizabeth and William Graham over ten years of marriage, this extensive collection includes carved ivory, whale teeth, bone, baleen, and other material used by sailors as a way to pass the long months at sea.

Elizabeth and William Graham Scrimshaw Collection

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Have you visited our Historic Boat Barn? We have every Cape Cod wood boat represented — some boats over 100 years old.

A must-see if you love Cape Cod and maritime history!

Historic Watercraft of Cape Cod

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Exhibits

Learn about the rich maritime history of Cape Cod by visiting one of our exhibits.

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