Eastham Attractions
Featured Eastham, Cape Cod Attractions and Points of Interest.
Why not make it a day? Enjoy a delicious dinner with an expertly prepared meal at Stuart’s Seafood Restaurant & Tavern and take in a few of these historic Eastham attractions and fun places to visit. Speaking of fun places did you know that only about 3 miles from Stewart’s Seafood Restaurant is Coast Guard Beach in the National Seashore is ranked as one of the Top Ten Best Beaches in the USA by Dr. Beach. “One of the World’ Foremost Beach Experts”
A tablet on the knoll at the north end of First Encounter Beach marks the location of the first encounter between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. While the Mayflower remained in Provincetown, Captain Myles Standish and his party explored along Cape Cod Bay. While camped here they were surprised by a group of Nausets; arrows flew and shots were fired, but no harm resulted.
Cape Cod National Seashore was created on August 7, 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. The National Park encompasses over 68 square miles and includes ponds, woods and includes nearly 40 miles of beachfront along the Atlantic shore of Cape Cod.
Salt Pond Visitor Canter is Cape Cod National Seashore’s year-round visitor orientation facility. Located in Eastham, the visitor center has a theater, store, museum, and restrooms.
Nauset Light is the most well-known and photographed lighthouse on Cape Cod and is an important to Eastham’s cultural and maritime history. The nonprofit Nauset Light Preservation Society is a volunteer organization created to rescue the lighthouse from falling into the sea. Nauset Lighthouse was moved approximately 300 feet back from the edge of a sixty-foot high eroding cliff in 1996.
The Three Sisters of Lighthouses
The Three Sisters Lighthouses in Nauset are a trio of historic lighthouses located Cable Road in Eastham. The original lighthouses fell into the sea due to erosion in 1890 and were replaced with wooden towers on brick foundations in 1892.
The Fort Hill Rural Historic District includes two farmsteads and over 200 years of history in Eastham, Massachusetts. The district is 100-acres of forest, fields, and salt marshes that was owned by the Knowles and Penninman families for 200 until 1941. It became part of Cape Cod National Seashore in 1961. It has a mile-long walking trail and overlook which is “Fort Hill” that provides extensive views of the area and has its own rich history.
Captain Edward Penniman House is a historic landmark located on Fort Hill, which is currently protected by the Cape Cod National Seashore and home to Indian Rock. The house was built in 1868 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The Eastham Windmill is the oldest windmill on Cape Cod. It was constructed by Eastham resident Thomas Paine in Plymouth in 1680. It was first moved to nearby Truro in 1770, then finally to Eastham in 1793. The Windmill is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
A legacy forest in Wiley Park, Eastham’s 1651 Arboretum is hidden in the woods on the east side of Great Pond, in Eastham. The 1651 Arboretum is intended as a living monument to the arrival of the Pilgrims to Eastham’s shores.
Eastham 1869 School House Museum
Eastham’s 1869 School House Museum is located at 25 Schoolhouse Road. The EHS Archives are located at the School House Museum and gathers genealogical and historical information through donations, cataloging and preserves these materials in a safe climate-controlled environment.
The Historical Swift Daley House has pine floors. The widely sought-after pine was expensive and needed to be imported from Nova Scotia in the 1700s. Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Daley, bought the home in 1939 and restored it, eventually deeding it to the Eastham Historical Society in 1974.
The Chester Ranlett Tool Museum is located behind the Swift-Daley House and has been newly restored. The museum has hundreds of unusual and unique tools on display. There is a forge on the premises and if lucky blacksmith may be working with while you are there.
The Doane Loop Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore is a paved, handicap accessible trail that begins at Doane Memorial near the corner of Doane Road and Pinecrest Drive. It has two parking lots, one convenient to visitors wanting to see Doane Rock. The other is for visitors wishing to use the Doane Rock Picnic Area. The trail head is closest to the picnic area parking lot.
Nauset Marsh and Buttonbush Trail is a 1.2 mile is a loop trail located near Eastham that offers the chance to see wildlife and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for walking and nature trips and is accessible year-round.
Red Maple Swamp and Fort Hill Loop is a 1.8 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Eastham, Massachusetts that features beautiful wildflowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers several activity options and is best used from March until October.
A directory of old cemeteries located around the towns on Cape Cod.
