Location: Provincetown
Top Things to do in Provincetown
Top 10 Sights & Landmarks in Provincetown, Massachusetts (MA)
Visit Provincetown and have a blast enjoying some of Cape Cod’s best beaches (Race Point Beach and Herring Cove Beach are favorites of TripAdvisor travelers). Plenty of cool boutiques, restaurants and art galleries give this town a fun and funky vibe. It’s an exceptionally LGBT-friendly destination as well. One tip: if it’s high season, take the ferry or a quick flight from Boston (unless you enjoy spending hours sitting in traffic).
Restaurants in Provincetown
1. Provincetown Welding Works
2. Race Point Lighthouse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 106 reviews
The Race Point Lighthouse, Keeper's House, Whistle House and Oil House are maintained by the Cape Cod Chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization of volunteer members whose mission is the restoration and preservation of these and other properties including Wood End and Long Point Lighthouses. In 1995, the Keeper's house and Whistle House were renovated and the opened for overnight stays to guests from around the world. Google Maps directs drivers to a road that is not accessible unless a permit is obtained from the NPS during the season and vehicle has 4 wheel drive. It is a 2 mile walk from the Race Point Beach, or an easier and shorter walk from the Hatches Harbor parking lot off the Province Lands Rd between Race Point and Herring Cove Beaches. The lighthouse tower is open for tours on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays during the season. Closed if the piping plovers close access to the beach.
Reviewed By 641zipw - Boston, United States
We visited the place last weekend in October. Nice experience. The view is great. Light house is facing East. Sunrise photo is great with sun light shines on the object. The seascape view is not that great because of view angle, kind of awkward angle on both side, East or West. From reviews, most people talk about the positive aspect of the visit. One thing I would like to point out that the hike is not an easy one for everyone. Before we went, we did not do enough homework, thought we could easily drive there. When we get there, we realize that vehicles are required to have beach permit. Even four wheel drive vehicles have special requirements for permit. We then think we can walk, but with all my photo equipment that is not prepare for hiking, the hike is a tough one. The sand is deep and you are limited on walking only on the vehicle track. You need flash light to walk before sunrise. One step high, next step low - tough. It took us almost two hours to get there. Four hrs of walking on sand back and forth may be a challenge for many. Beware.
3. Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,469 reviews
This monument commemorates the Pilgrim's first landing in Provincetown (not Plymouth), where they conceived, wrote and committed to the Mayflower Compact - the foundational document for the democracy America enjoys today. The Monument is the tallest all-granite structure in the U.S. rising 353 feet above sea level, and at the top, visitors are provided the most spectacular view of Cape Cod.In addition to the MOnument, the Provincetown Museum presents the unique cultural heritage of this historic town with special exhibitions and permanent displays.The Monument and Museum has ample parking, is open daily from APril 1st through November 30, and NEW this year - a food concession call the "Shallop Cafe" where visitors can enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking Provincetown and the Bay.
Reviewed By sls8806 - Sugar Land, United States
Taking the route of the Pilgrims landing all starts here. The museum is well set up and sets the story with artifacts, and timeline and explanation of the first landing. Step outside and walk to the monument. If you are in better physical health to climb the steps to the very top, you will get a breathtaking 360 degree view and a sticker at the end of the adventure! The day we went there were gale force wind warnings and rain. It really brought home what those early settlers went through and how brave they truly were!
4. Provincetown Town Hall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 204 reviews
Provincetown's municipal center also contains 30 pieces of art donated by local artists.
Reviewed By KeithLampmanPerlman - Provincetown, United States
Grand old building, still an operating town hall, with offices on the lower floor. The community space and concert hall, complete with wraparound balcony (best acoustics for musical events), are old-world, wooden living history.
5. Commercial Street
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,266 reviews
Reviewed By PelleasPhiladelphia - Philadelphia, United States
Some of the best small town shopping stop I’ve ever experienced. Almost car-less and packed with pedestrians, there’s a shop for everyone: from lovely art, to great t-shirt stores (truly), to home furnishings, book stores, game stores, etc etc. it’s the heart of p-town and doesn’t disappoint!
6. MacMillan Wharf
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 302 reviews
Reviewed By CATTSAR - Provincetown, United States
I had biked into town to run some errands and decided it was a perfect day to walk the pier. The views of the harbor, the town and the outer Cape are striking . This time of year the the water in the harbor shimmers and the backdrop of the sapphire blue sky provides an optimal background for the Pilgrim Monument and the buildings in town center. As you head down the pier, the right side is lined with shops full of local art. Further down are the kiosks that serve as the offices for the whale watch, fishing charters and other attractions. Near the end of the pier is the Whydah Museum which tells a bit of local history and is complete with a gift shop. At the end of the pier are the ferry launches to Boston. This is a nice way to kill time while waiting for a table at the Lobster Pot.
7. Old Harbor Lifesaving Station
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 69 reviews
Early Coast Guard sea rescue station and museum of rescue techniques, artifacts and history.
Reviewed By BethlehemPaUSA - Bethlehem, United States
Neat old. Building with a huge history behind it. You can drive to a parking lot then take a boardwalk to the building.
8. Wood End Lighthouse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 49 reviews
Reviewed By billcarp
YOU'LL WANT TO TAKE THIS IN, WHEN YOU'RE IN P-TOWN. But you have to start your trek as the tide is GOING OUT. Be of sound and nimble footwork to walk out over the jetty to access this spot. (the last of the land in Massachusetts) you'll only have a short window before the "tide turns". You won't be able to make it back to terra firma unless you have a hovercraft. BUT certainly worth the effort.
9. Provincetown Causeway
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 96 reviews
Reviewed By Littlefield19 - Provincetown, United States
It's called "the jetty" by townies. It's long (over a mile), can be hazardous in spots, can be underwater in two spots - but hey, if 80 year-old grandmothers can do this, so can you. The view is spectacular. Unless it's real hot, the constant wind can chill you out. You can swim off the rocks, depending on the tides which can approach a 13-foot swing. On the other side, the Long Point area of Cape Cod (and the geographical terminus of our sandy peninsular), you can bring beach stuff and food and spend the day having a beach almost all to yourselves. Oh, yeah, best of all, it's free. Just be mindful of the tides because you can get trapped. Don't worry, you can always walk the beach back. I live here and never fail to "do the jetty" with my company.
