Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Sandwich, Massachusetts

In the Upper Cape, Sandwich is a historic town facing Cape Cod Bay, established in 1637.

From the 1820s onward, Sandwich garnered recognition as New England’s foremost glassmaking center, a legacy vividly detailed at the Sandwich Glass Museum, where visitors can observe live demonstrations at the furnace.

Route 6A, known as the Old King’s Highway, traverses the town, highlighting an array of historic house museums along the route and nearby.

Sandwich boasts several picturesque public beaches, one of which is accessible via an iconic boardwalk first constructed in 1875. Furthermore, the eastern entrance of the impressive Cape Cod Canal is situated in the northern part of the town.

1. Heritage Museums & Gardens

This 100-acre estate, owned by Charles O. Dexter (1862-1943), is among Cape Cod’s premier visitor attractions. Renowned for his work in hybridizing rhododendrons, Dexter cultivated thousands of seedlings here annually from 1921 until his passing in 1943.

Visitors can explore the remarkable gardens, which house a nationally significant collection of thousands of rhododendron bushes, representing most known Dexter cultivars.

Additionally, the gardens feature more than 1,000 varieties of daylilies alongside a notable collection of hostas, complemented by indoor museum galleries.

Inside, guests can marvel at the extraordinary American Automobile Collection (1890s-1960s), enjoy splendid displays of American art and artifacts, and ride the functioning 1908 Charles Looff Carousel.

2. Sandwich Glass Museum

The Sandwich Glass Museum revives the town’s historical glassmaking industry, documenting both its legacy and the renowned trade therein.

What distinguishes this museum is its glass furnace, where visitors can observe an expert glassblower at work, allowing for a unique proximity to the experience. During the 20-minute demonstration, an audience member may be chosen to assist in shaping a piece of glass.

The museum’s static galleries display thousands of glassware items, many produced at Deming Jarves’ factory, alongside items crafted with advanced technology.

A gift shop also enhances the visitor experience, featuring a diverse selection of art glass, jewelry, paperweights, vases, bowls, perfume bottles, and more.

3. Sandwich Boardwalk and Town Neck Beach

This 1350-foot wooden boardwalk, an emblem of Sandwich since 1875, is located minutes from the town’s historic center. It traverses an expansive estuarine marshland on Mill Creek, providing a scenic route to Town Neck Beach.

Currently, the boardwalk is undergoing renovations aimed at preserving its integrity against decay and storm surges.

Such updates have been necessary throughout its 150-year history due to numerous storm impacts.

The area where the boardwalk crosses Mill Creek is popular for jumping during high tide. Additionally, the sandy Town Neck Beach is among the town’s finest, offering an unobstructed view of the Cape Cod Canal’s entrance to the north.

4. The Old King’s Highway

Designated as a National Scenic Byway in 2021, Route 6A in Sandwich follows the historic Old King’s Highway, which extends for 62 miles along Cape Cod’s north coast.

As it meanders through lush landscapes of salt marshes, cranberry bogs, mature woodlands, and preserved agricultural areas, this road connects a series of historic communities from Bourne in the west to Orleans in the east, including sections through Truro and Provincetown in the Outer Cape.

The route is adorned with historic architecture spanning every New England style from the 17th to 20th centuries.

The Captains’ Mile, a two-mile stretch located nearby in Yarmouth, showcases only 19th-century buildings, having once been the residence of numerous sea captains.

Every town along the way features bed & breakfasts and compelling visitor attractions, and this is also true in Sandwich, where locations including The Nye House, Sandwich Glass Museum, Sandwich State Fish Hatchery, Green Briar Nature Center, and Jam Kitchen, along with Wing Fort House, are situated on or near the Old King’s Highway.

5. Cape Cod Canal

Since the 17th century, the aspiration to construct a safe, navigable waterway connecting Buzzards Bay and Cape Cod Bay has existed.

This aspiration culminated in the establishment of the seven-mile Cape Cod Canal in 1914, currently managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and has become a popular recreation destination during the summer.

Multi-use trails exist along both banks, measuring seven miles on the northern side and 6.5 miles on the southern side, alongside various visitor attractions, public recreation zones, and campgrounds.

In Sandwich, the canal’s eastern entrance features an official visitor center and Scusset Beach State Reservation. As one travels westward, the impressive Sagamore Bridge, Bourne Bridge, and Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge dominate the skyline.

The latter, constructed in 1935, remains the second-longest lift bridge in the United States.

6. Hoxie House

As one of the oldest structures on Cape Cod, Hoxie House is beautifully situated at the edge of Shawme Lake within Sandwich’s historic center.

The precise origins of this saltbox-style home are unclear; however, by 1675, it became the residence of Rev. John Smith, pastor of the Separatist First Church of Sandwich from 1673 to 1689, alongside his wife Susanna and their thirteen children.

Subsequently, the property was acquired in the mid-1800s by whaling captain Abraham Hoxie. In the 1950s, the town of Sandwich acquired the house, restoring it to its 17th-century appearance and converting it into a museum with educational guided tours.

Admission to Hoxie House also includes access to the Dexter Grist Mill, located a short walk away at the north end of Shawme Lake.

7. Dexter Grist Mill

Situated in the picturesque Town Hall Square Historic District, the Dexter Grist Mill operates within a historic narrative dating back to the mid-17th century.

The mill was constructed where Mill Creek drains Shawme Lake, featuring a charming stone-walled millrace that powers its water wheel.

The original water-powered mill transitioned to an iron turbine in the mid-19th century.

After the cessation of Sandwich’s industrial era, the mill closed, yet it was restored in the 1960s to reflect its 19th-century form. During the restoration, historic grinding wheels from the 1800s were added, having been sourced from France.

During the summer months, visitors can enter the Dexter Grist Mill to observe the machinery in operation and acquire a bag of cornmeal, complete with recipes reminiscent of those used by Sandwich’s early settlers.

8. Nye Museum

Similar to the Fort Wing House, the Benjamin Nye Homestead has been owned by the Nye family for nearly its entire existence.

The earliest section of this 2.5-story timber-framed residence was constructed around 1678 by Benjamin Nye, with later expansions occurring in the 19th century.

Following its sale to the state in 1924, the property fell into disrepair, prompting the Nye Family Association to assume responsibility in the early 1960s and to restore the house.

The structure now serves as a history house museum featuring 18th-century furnishings and is open for tours from June through October.

Upon arrival, guests are greeted by the Grange Hall, built in 1889 as a gathering space for farmers, now operating as the museum’s visitor center, providing information, offering a local crafts shop, special exhibits, and community event spaces.

9. Scusset Beach State Reservation

For a public beach in Sandwich, Scusset Beach State Reservation stands out, located at the eastern entrance of the Cape Cod Canal. This recreational area, situated on the northern bank of the waterway, offers a stretch of canalfront as well as 1.5 miles of sandy shores along Cape Cod Bay.

Guests can observe vessels navigate the waterway from a stone jetty extending several hundred feet with a guiding beacon at its end.

Lifeguards are present from Juneteenth to Labor Day. As with all the local beaches, Scusset Beach experiences significant tidal changes, featuring extensive sandy areas at low tide and a narrower shore at high tide.

Nonetheless, there is ample space for visitors to enjoy, enhanced by 98 RV campsites and five tent-only sites available in the area.

10. Sandy Neck Beach Park

Sandy Neck Beach, a lengthy barrier beach extending six miles into Cape Cod Bay, is situated in the neighboring Barnstable. Yet, due to local geography, it is more readily accessible from Sandwich.

Surrounded by approximately 4,700 acres of lush dunes, marshlands, and maritime forest, this beach ranks among the most scenic and frequented on Cape Cod, attracting thousands annually for swimming, surfing, beachcombing, and sunbathing.

Visitors can traverse the breathtaking coastal habitats along the 7.5-mile Sandy Neck Nature Trail, which meanders through marshes before looping back along the oceanfront.

The designated area with lifeguards is located in front of the parking lot off Sandy Neck Road, accompanied by a snack stand, which proves beneficial given the remote location.

11. Wing Fort House

In Sandwich, visitors can explore the Wing Fort House, the oldest home in New England that has been continuously occupied by the same family.

Constructed in 1641, this residence may have been established as a refuge from Native American incursions, although the local populace soon proved amicable.

By 1646, the house became the domicile of Stephen Wing, one of the town’s early settlers, whose descendants resided there until 1942, when it was sold to the Wing Family of America, Inc. This organization now maintains the property as a museum, open Tuesday through Saturday from mid-June to the end of September.

The interior is furnished almost entirely with items belonging to the Wing family, reflecting evolving tastes throughout nearly 400 years of history.

12. Green Briar Nature Center and Jam Kitchen

The Thornton W. Burgess Society, named after the renowned children’s author and conservationist, operates this attraction in East Sandwich.

Burgess (1874-1965), who wrote over 170 books, created characters such as Peter Rabbit. The Green Briar Nature Center draws inspiration from the Briar Patch in his stories, providing a lovely natural space adjacent to Smiling Pond.

Here, interpretive trails and exquisite wildflower gardens exist alongside a wealth of educational programs that include guided walks, workshops, field trips, and classes.

The Jam Kitchen, established in 1903, serves as a living museum where visitors can observe the traditional preparation of jams, jellies, pickles, and relishes in an early 19th-century kitchen setting.

This facility also houses the world’s oldest commercial solar-cooking kitchen, where preserves are prepared delicately using sunlight.

13. Cape Cod Canal Visitor Center

The Cape Cod Canal Visitor Center, operated by the federal government, is located on the southern bank of the canal in Sandwich.

This attraction is open to the public free of charge from early May to late October, and is essential for those interested in the waterway’s history.

Through interactive exhibits and multimedia presentations, visitors can learn about the management of traffic through the canal by the US Army Corps of Engineers and view live radar and camera feeds tracking approaching ships.

A highlight of the center is the 40-foot Renier patrol boat, which provided assistance and enforced regulations on the canal for 25 years.

14. Sandwich State Fish Hatchery

Offering a unique perspective, one of Massachusetts’ five state fish hatcheries is situated along the Old King’s Highway, within a brief walk from Sandwich’s historic core.

This hatchery cultivates over 500,000 rainbow, brown, brook, and tiger trout that are released into state waterways each spring and fall.

Accessible without cost, the hatchery provides an educational experience, allowing visitors to observe the fish at different growth stages and feed them using available dispensers. Visitors should remember to bring quarters and snack bags to hold the fish food.

15. Shawme-Crowell State Forest

This 624-acre state forest preserves pitch pine and scrub oak woods, located conveniently near the canal.

Shawme-Crowell State Forest attracts individuals interested in hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing, with 15 miles of trails available for exploration.

During the summer months, the forest also accommodates camping, offering nearly 285 sites set in tranquil woodlands.

Facilities linked to the campgrounds include picnic areas, showers, restrooms, basketball courts, and a playground, with access to the nearby Scusset Beach State Reservation located on the opposite side of the canal.