Vacationing on Cape Cod can be costly. Give your wallet a break, and check out our list of the Top 12 Free Activities on Cape Cod this summer!
Lighthouse Tours (throughout Cape Cod)
Chatham, Nauset, Highland, and Race Point Lighthouses offer free tours where visitors can climb the lighthouses and get a brief history of each landmark. The tours run from mid-May to mid-October. Allow yourself about a half an hour for the tour, and make sure you wear comfortable gripping shoes (there are a lot of stairs!). This is a great activity on Cape Cod for adults and older children. For Lighthouse tour dates and times, click here.
Cape Cod Beer (Hyannis)
Find out all about your favorite locally brewed beer, Cape Cod Beer. The Cape Cod Brewery hosts a complimentary tour of their facility Monday thru Saturday at 11 am. The tour lasts about 45 minutes. If you stop by on a Friday, check out their farmer’s market which runs from 3 pm – 6 pm. To find out more about that farmer’s market and others in the area, check out our Farmer’s Market Blog.
Woods Hole Science Museum (Woods Hole, MA)
The Woods Hole Science Museum is home to 140 different species of sea life, and it is absolutely free! The aquarium features touch tanks, exhibit cases (with bones, teeth, etc), a seal exhibit and a number of various aquatic animal life with information about these animals. It is something that should not be missed on the list of free activities on Cape Cod, especially because this impressive exhibit is free to the public (donations welcome).
Cape Cod Baseball League (throughout Cape Cod)
On just about any night during the summer months, you can find a baseball game playing at a park near where you’re staying. There are a total of 10 teams in the Cape Cod Baseball League representing towns from Wareham to Orleans. Most baseball parks have a concession stand and port-a-potties. To find a game near you, check the Cape Cod Baseball League webpage or take a look at the 2016 schedule of the Brewster Whitecaps that we at Leighton Realty are a proud sponsor of.
Cape Cod Lavender Farm (Harwich)
Cape Cod Lavender Farm is a local family business that contains over 14,000 lavendar plants.There are walking trails throughout, and a little gift shop featuring products made with their lavender. The lavender farm covers about 12 acres and is surrounded by 60 acres of protected conservation land, making it a truly peaceful retreat. Once you arrive at the farm, you will likely be greeted by the family dogs Sumo and Gingko. The lavender harvest is in June/July, so the early summer months are the best time to visit the farm and really take in the beauty and fragrance of the fields.
Band Concerts (throughout Cape Cod)
There is nothing like a band concert at the end of a fun filled summer day for the family to enjoy. There is a band concert almost every night of the week during the summer months for you and your family to enjoy!
Sunday:
- (Brewster) Drummer Boy Park at 6pm
Monday:
- (Dennis) Dennis Village Green Bandstand, Rte. 6A, Dennis 6pm
- (Orleans) Nauset Beach, Beach Road, 7pm
- (Eastham) Eastham Windmill Green, Samoset Road at Rte 6, 7pm
- (Yarmouth) Mattacheese Middle School, Higgins Crowell Road 7:30pm
Tuesday:
- (Harwich) Band shell at Brooks Park, Oak Street 7pm
- (Dennis) Dennisport Village Green 7pm
Wednesday:
- (Hyannis) Hyannis Village Green, Main Street 7:30pm
Thursday:
- (Sandwich) Gazebo behind Henry T. Wing School or indoors if raining. Water Street 7:30pm
Friday:
- (Chatham) Kate Gould Park, Main Street 8pm
Take a Hike!
Take in Cape Cod and all of its natural beauty with a scenic hike with beautiful views of the National Seashore, swamps and dunes. Here are a couple of our favorites on the Outer Cape:
- Pilgrim Spring (Truro): Take a step back in history and discover where it is believed that pilgrims first discovered fresh water. There are two trails to choose from, one is 0.3 miles and the other is 0.7 miles so it is a quick and easy way to explore this part of the Cape.
- White Cedar Swamp (Wellfleet): Enjoy of 1.25 miles of walking trails through the white cedar swamp in Wellfleet. Some of the trail is made up of wooden boardwalk, which makes it easy for all ages to walk but make sure you bring your bug spray!
- Fort Hill (Eastham): This trail has one of the best views of the National Seashore. It is located close to the Orleans rotary, so it is not as far away as the other trails in Wellfleet and Truro.
Truro Vineyard Tour (Truro)
Truro Vineyard offers free vineyard tours for visitors from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day weekend. The tours are from 1 pm to 3 pm. The tour typically lasts about 30 minutes.
Scargo Tower (Dennis)
The current Scargo Tower is the third that was built on that same site. The first two were made of wood and unfortunately burned down. The tower that is in place now is made of cobblestone. This tourist observatory is located on the highest hill on the mid Cape. On a clear day on top of the tower, you should be able to see from Plymouth to Provincetown.
Provincetown
Provincetown is a great place to stroll during the summer months. There is such an eclectic group of people, the dynamic ocean views from Commercial Street and the variety of shops makes it a fun place to leisurely spend your day and people watch. Street entertainers line the street, making this a definite place on your list of free activities on Cape Cod.
Chatham Fish Pier (Chatham)
Watch local fishermen bring in their catch at the Chatham Fish Pier on Shore Road, Chatham. Fishing boats line up below a deck where visitors can watch as the crew unloads their catch into crates that are dumped onto a shoot.
Beach
While it is true that you need to pay for parking at most beaches, some are free. You just need to know where to look and where to go. Chatham has a number of town landings, ocean side beaches and fresh water ponds where you do not need a beach sticker to park. To find out where the free beaches are located in your town, call or visit the website for the town’s chamber of commerce. They will have the names and location of those beaches for you.
Free Activities on Cape Cod
Give your wallet a break this summer, and check out some of our favorite free activities on Cape Cod! There’s something for everyone enjoy.
