From the widow's walks on top of sea captain homes to the boats leaving harbors all over Cape Cod, nautical history is everywhere. Part of this history are lighthouses, the beacons that once guided ships away from the rough shoals surrounding the Cape where many a ship met their doom.
Five of the historic lighthouses on Cape Cod are open to the public during the summer and during the quiet season, tours can be arranged.
Nobska Point Lighthouse is situated on a bluff in the village of Woods Hole in Falmouth. Due to site constraits, tours are limited. Visitors can even spot Martha's Vineyard in the distance, To make a reservation for a group tour (15 person minimum), email the lightkeeper here.
The Nobska Point Lighthouse is located off of Church Street in Falmouth and can also be reached from the Shining Sea Bikeway by turning off at Church Street.
Chatham Lighthouse is located at 37 Main Street and overlooks Lighthouse Beach in Chatham. The phone number for this popular attraction is 508-430-0628. Since Chatham Light is still an active Coast Guard Station, tours are held during open houses in the summer months and during special occasions such as First Night Chatham at New Year's.
Naust Lighthouse is located at Nauset Light Beach in Eastham. Click here for a full list of upcoming tour dates in 2015. The tower was moved in 1996 due to erosion and has been fully restored.
Also nearby are the Three Sisters Lighthouses on Cable Road, right near Nauset Regional High School. The Three Sisters have been moved due to erosion.
Highland Lighthouse is located at 27 Highland Light Road in Truro and the phone number is 508-487-1121. From May to October, the lighthouse is open daily for tours from 10am to 5:30pm. The first lighthouse on Cape Cod, Highland is also known as Cape Cod Lighthouse.
Race Point Lighthouse is located at Race Point Beach at the tip of Cape Cod in Provincetown. Race Point Lighthouse was the third lighthouse built on the Cape and featured one of the earliest rotating beacons, distinguishing it from the other two lighthouses (Highland and Chatham) on Cape Cod.
Other lighthouses that can be viewed distantly from the beaches (or closer by boat), include Sandy Neck Light in Barnstable (best view is from a boat, but there are no tours), Stage Harbor Lighthouse in Chatham (privately-owned and not open for tours, but visible by boat and from Hardings Beach in Chatham), Wood End Lighthouse in Provincetown (currently an active station operated by the Coast Guard and not open for tours to the public, but can be reached after a strenuous walk across the breakwater from Provincetown's West End), Wings Neck Lighthouse in Pocasset (grounds and lighthouse not open to the public, best seen by boat; available to rent as a vacation home), Point Gammon Lighthouse in Yarmouth (land is privately-owned, the best views are by boat), Monomoy Point Light in Chatham (best seen from boat tours of Monomoy Island), Long Point Lighthouse in Provincetown at the end of Provincetown Harbor and can be accessed by foot (grounds open to the public, but the lighthouse interior is not), and Hyannis Harbor Lighthouse (privately-owned, but can be seen by boat or from Keyes Beach).
BLOG | 03/02/2015 - 4:00PM | BY MATILDA BROWN
Highland Lighthouse in Truro offers stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Outer Cape. Photo by Maggie Kulbokas.
Massachusetts: Boston
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