Nantucket is one of the famous islands of Cape Cod. Renowned for its beauty as a tourist destination, people from across the world travel here to make family memories. If you are staying at the Handkerchief Shoals Inn, Nantucket can make the perfect daytime excursion. Check out Freedom Cruise Line to reserve your spot on the ferry.
But what are the best things to do on Nantucket? What do you have to look forward to after you make the journey across the sea? Here are some ideas you may like!
As it's an east-coast landmark, you are bound to see some American history and influence throughout your trip. You'll have the chance to celebrate Nantucket history and appreciate some of the old buildings and landmarks you'll see throughout the island.
Whaling Museum
Address: 13 Broad St. Hours: Monday - Saturday: 10AM - 4PM Closed on Sundays Explore Nantucket's diverse history at the Whaling Museum! You'll discover crucial stories that span the past 400 years. You'll learn about historical families and figures, you'll check out old-timey artifacts, and you'll wade through dozens of art pieces.
The main attraction to this museum is the complete whale skeleton that is displayed in one of the rooms. Here you'll learn about the history of whale hunting in colonial times.
The Best Nantucket Historical Association Sites
Many of the historical buildings on the island are a part of the Nantucket Historical Association (NHA). Each one of them offers its own charm and story to the Nantucket community.
Hadwen House Address: 96 Main St, Nantucket The outside of the home looks like it's straight out of the 1800s. The gorgeous mansion houses artifacts and maps of the world of the time. Guests love this place!
Quaker Meeting House Address: 7 Fair St, Nantucket A smaller museum house where the Quakers used to live and meet for religious celebrations. Learn about this colonial religion and how it influenced other churches and ideas to this day. People love holding events here because of its beauty.
Jethro Coffin House Address: 16 Sunset Hill, Nantucket Known as the oldest house in Massachusetts, the Jethro Coffin House is a saltbox home that's worth visiting. It was built in 1686, and is still holding up with renovations and fine craftsmanship. One must-do location!
Bike Paths around Nantucket
In this section, we will review the best trails and most reliable bike rental locations on Nantucket.
Biking around the island is a ton of fun. While most of the biking trails around here are fairly simple, there are others that offer
Miacomet Pond Trail Length: 3 miles Difficulty: Easy
Gardner Forest Meadows Length: 1.4 miles Difficulty: Easy
Sconset Bike Path Length: 7 miles Difficulty: Moderate
Sconset Bluff Walk Length: 2 miles Difficulty: Easy
Altar Rock Length: 1.1 miles Difficulty: Moderate
This island is the perfect day trip. While we talked about some of the more unique attractions, you can also go beaching, snorkeling, and the like for incredibly cheap and fun times.
