Provincetown, MA: Museums, Galleries and Lighthouses

1. Race Point Beach & Lighthouse

Race Point Beach is a large beach and part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. It gets its name from the fast rip tides that come in to the point of the cape. The undertow is strong, but good swimmers can still swim here. People also visit for the sun and to watch for whales and passing ships.

Just a short walk from the beach is the Race Point Beach Lighthouse. Built in 1816, it is a historic lighthouse that was restored by the American Lighthouse Foundation and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It was one of the first lighthouses on Cape Cod to use a rotating beacon.

2. Commercial Street, Provincetown

Commercial Street is a popular shopping street in Provincetown. In addition to its many shops and restaurants, there are beautiful gardens and houses, some of which are guest houses, so strolling on Commercial Street is an entertaining and enjoyable thing to do.

There is quite a large variety of shops on Commercial Street, including books, souvenirs and sundries.

Souvenir shops sell items like T-shirts, art, glassware, furniture, and other home-related items that will remind you of your time spent in Provincetown and on Cape Cod. Popular themes of some of the items found in souvenir shops include lighthouses, lobsters, seashells, and starfish. If you are wondering what to do in Provincetown today, this is a great place to start exploring.

3. Herring Cove Beach, Provincetown

Located on Province Lands Road, Herring Cove Beach is the most popular beach in Provincetown. One of the reasons that this beach is so popular is its location: it lies on the bay and so the water is calm and perfect for swimming even for children. Unlike Race Point Beach, there is no undertow and the water is warmer at Herring Cove Beach.

Managed by the Cape Cod National Seashore, the beach has several facilities such as a concession stand, lifeguards, showers, and restrooms. People also enjoy coming to this beach to see the seals relaxing in the sun and the whales breaching out at sea. The sunsets are particularly beautiful here.

4. Province Lands Bike Trail

Province Lands Bike Trail is a 5.25 mile long bicycle and walking trail that begins at the Province Lands Visitor Center on Race Point Road. It is a hilly loop and connects to several other trails such as Bennett Pond, Herring Cove Beach, and Race Point Beach.

By visiting these trails you can add another two miles to the total distance of your trip. This 4,000 acre area is mostly covered in dunes, but there is tree cover at Beech Forest as well as saltwater kettle ponds, marshlands, and cranberry bogs. The Visitor Center provides information about the ecosystem and the history of the area.

5. Long Point Lighthouse

Long Point Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse located on Cape National Seashore. Built in 1875, it is maintained by the American Lighthouse Foundation which is also the caretaker for Cape’s Wood End Lighthouse and Race Point Lighthouse. Standing at a height of 38 feet, the Long Point Lighthouse is a square structure rather than the usual cylindrical shape of a typical lighthouse. Automated in 1952, it emits a green light every four seconds; it also has a foghorn that emits a blast every 15 seconds. Although the lighthouse is not open to the public, the grounds are a part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, so visitors are permitted to walk around the area.

6. Beech Forest

Beech Forest is located on Race Point Road in Provincetown. There is a parking area and trail that leads visitors to this shady area of trees, a landscape that is quite a contrast from the vast dune system of the surrounding area. Before European settlement, beech tree forests were common; but today this is one of the few remaining beech forests in the area.

In addition to the beech trees, there are other plants such as mayflower, red maple, spotted wintergreen, starflower, and many more. There are also animals that can be seen in Beech Forest. These include 250 bird species like chickadee, nuthatch, and tufted titmouse, as well as foxes and turtles.

7. MacMillan Pier, Provincetown

The MacMillan Pier is the pier for the city of Provincetown. Named after the arctic explorer Donald B. MacMillan who was born in Provincetown, the pier is the city’s main marine transportation hub bringing in tourists from Boston and Plymouth by ferry and speedboats. It also serves as the starting point for a variety of sea excursions to explore the Cape Cod National Seashore, the Stellwagen National Marine Sanctuary, and the Harbor of Provincetown.

On MacMillan Pier there are art shacks, a museum, the harbormaster’s office, and other facilities. From the harbor you can see all of Provincetown and the three lighthouses on the Cape Cod National Seashore.

8. Provincetown Art Association and Museum

Located on Commercial Street, the Provincetown Art Association and Museum is the most popular museum on Cape Cod. The museum has a permanent collection of over 2,500 objects and presents about 40 exhibits each year, making the museum an important cultural and educational institution in Provincetown and the surrounding Cape Cod area.

Established in 1914, the museum originally focused on works by local artists but has expanded its collection over the years to include works by non-local artists.

Educational outreach programs include classes, demonstrations, lectures, and workshops for adults as well as for children. The museum also hosts events including dance, music, and spoken word performances.

Provincetown Art Association and Museum, 460 Commercial Street, Provincetown, Massachusetts, Phone: 508-487-1750

9. Art's Dune Tours

Even the Kennedys went on Art's Dune Tours. Visiting Cape Cod Dunes, a part of the Cape Cod Seashore National Park, when you are in Provincetown is an important part of the Cape Cod experience, and nobody does it like Art’s. Art has remained a legendary figure in town, even after his death.

He started the dune tours in 1946, driving tourists in his old station wagon and regaling them with the local history and lore. His son continues to take guests on one hour tours of the timeless expanse of sand dunes around Provincetown, showing them magnificent nature scenes along miles of sand - dry beach grasses, pine trees and dark red plums growing in dune hollows, silhouetted against the enormous expanse of blue sky.

You will also see the “dune shacks” where Eugene O’Neill and other artists looked for inspiration for their art, and you will pass by the wrecks of the Peaked Hill Life Saving Station, from which brave souls attempted to save thousands of shipwrecked mariners. The tour is conducted in comfortable air-conditioned trucks, in full comfort, and no walking is necessary.

Art's Dune Tours, 4 Standish St., Provincetown, Massachusetts, Phone: 508-487-1950

10. Provincetown Theater

Located on Bradford Street, the Provincetown Theater is a year-round theater originally known as the Provincetown Theatre Workshop. Founded in 1963, its first production took place in the Parish House of St. Mary’s of the Harbor in Provincetown.

After changing locations several times, the company moved into its current facility in 2004. The theater presents plays, dance performances, and staged readings and is known for championing new plays written by great American writers. The theater hosts several festivals such as the Playwrights’ Festival, the 24 Hour Theater Festival, and the Four Squared Festival. It also hosts writing workshops for children and for adults.

Provincetown Theater, 238 Bradford Street, Provincetown, Massachusetts, Phone: 508-487-7487