18 Best Things To Do On Nantucket

Most people come to the island of Nantucket MA for the beaches. Or the boutiques. Or the highly respected cuisine. But Nantucket, 26 miles off the Massachusetts coast - the most remote of all New England islands - is so steeped in whaling and Victorian-resort history, the whole 14-mile long landmass has been declared a National Historic Landmark. To that end, sure, enjoy the beaches, restaurants and shopping – but to do Nantucket justice, prepare to dive a bit deeper into the historic chain of events that informs the island of today. Start with these 18 ideas...(For much more information on this and other “Offbeat Escapes in the Northeast” – check out GetawayMavens.com)

1. Take the “slow ferry.” The Steamship Authority’s Nantucket Ferry from Hyannis MA takes about 2 ¼ hours versus the one-hour high-speed ferries. What’s your rush? People claim that as soon as they get onboard and head out to sea, they feel as if they are “on vacation.” Each ferry features a small café, dining tables, wi-fi, and plenty of seats - so make the voyage last. The Steamship Authority runs ferries to Nantucket year round, and is the only line that accommodates cars and trucks. (Cars are $225 each way – driver an additional $18.50 each way). Consider bringing a bike only – at $7 each way, your total round trip cost is just $51.

2. Get oriented. If you only have a few hours, or want to get the lay of the land right off the ferry, opt for one of several sightseeing tours that all run about 1.5 to 2 hours, and bring you to all points on the island. Choose from Barrett’s Tours or Nantucket Island Tours – in coach buses; Gail’s Tours in a luxury Mercedes Benz van, or a custom tour (or just a ride somewhere) with Val’s Cabs.

3. Rent a bike. Dedicate bicycle paths, wide and mostly flat, thread the island, and for most people, pedal power is the best way to go the distance. There are plenty of bike rental shops as soon as you exit the wharves, so even if you don’t bring one, you can rent one. Young’s Bicycle Shop (also rents cars), Nantucket Bike Shop, Easy Riders Bicycles and Cook’s Cycles all have bikes and maps.

4. See the remains of a whale, that mostly likely died from an infected tooth, at the Nantucket Whaling Museum. The skeleton of a 46 ft bull sperm whale that came ashore on a Nantucket beach in 1998 and perished there, hovers perilously over a harpoon packed whaling skiff - the centerpiece of a once small museum that has expanded into a world-class institution, run by the very active Nantucket Historical Association. Upstairs you’ll find one of the best exhibits of scrimshaw and decorative arts made from whalebone, and great views of the island from the top floor Observation Deck.

5. Plan to spend an hour or more at the Shipwreck and Lifesaving Museum. A bit out of town, this fantastic museum is worth the bike ride, or even a taxi ride to see. Nantucket has been a magnet for shipwrecks since men set off in ships. Over 700 known ships have run aground on the shoals surrounding Nantucket and continue to do so: the last one in 1995, when the Panamanian cruise ship Royal Majesty lost its bearings and lodged on the Rose & Crown Shoals. The beauty of this museum is that shipwrecks come to life here - aided by paintings, photographs, and artifacts - especially if you enlist a docent who interjects personal tales and adds drama.

6. Learn the history of Nantucket’s iconic folk art at the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum. The woven baskets made from strips of rattan brought back to Nantucket on Pacific-Island-bound whaling ships were first painstakingly fashioned in the 1870’s by men manning the floating lighthouse - the Nantucket Lightship. What came to be known as “Lightship Baskets” were initially given to wives to carry crops from fields and gardens. But, in 1948, Jose Reyes, protégée of basket-maker, Mitchy Ray, tweaked the utilitarian Lightship Basket, scaling down its size, giving it a cover, ivory clasp, and curved wooden handle. When Charlie Sayles, another famous artisan, placed a carved ivory whale on the lid of this newfangled “Friendship Basket” in the 1950’s, a Fashion Icon, not to mention a coveted Nantucket souvenir, was born.

7. See what happens when a couple of eccentric artsy unmarried Quaker sisters turn a livestock barn into a sun-flooded eclectically designed abode. This house, called Greater Light, is now open to the public. In 1930, Philadelphia-born Gertrude and Hannah Monaghan used their considerable artistic talents to scour demolition sites for found objects and other architectural elements that just “fell into place,” while assembling their home on Nantucket. The effect is so modern and unique; people visit just for design ideas alone.

8. See what a great deal of wealth and lumber could buy in the late 1600’s at the Jethro Coffin House – the “Oldest House in Nantucket in its Original Location,” NHA Site. Sitting up a hill on its lonesome, this Saltbox home was Nantucket’s largest structure when first built in 1686 as a wedding gift from Jethro’s big shot Dad, Peter Coffin. Peter maintained a financial interest in the New Hampshire Lumber Co., which came in handy, as the brush and spindly trees on Nantucket were useless in construction. In the mid 1600’s, wood had to be imported from the mainland or scavenged from shipwrecks. At age 23, Jethro married Mary, 16, and they were fruitful and multiplied. Mary and Jethro had 8 children, raising 6 in this “over the top McMansion of the day,” and lived here for 20 years. Though the original portrait of Mary is in the Nantucket Whaling Museum, there’s a copy here, and you’ll want to take a close gander: she looks exactly like George Washington.

9. Stand in a spacious and nicely appointed jail cell at the Old Gaol, which served as the local lock-up from 1805 until the 1930’s. Pronounced “jail,” this Garrison-style prison is one of the oldest in the country. While hardened criminals were shipped off the island, low level petty thieves and prostitutes spent time here. Take the tour to hear engaging stories of the incarcerated, including a town drunk who embezzled from the bank and “must have had connections,” as he lived upstairs in “the penthouse” for three years, made baskets, read books, and was granted a pardon from “a very important person.”

10. Tour the Old Mill. Built in 1756, this Dutch windmill is the oldest functioning mill in the United States. Standing inside, while witnessing centuries-old technology at work, is completely mindblowing.

11. Tour the Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge, 1,117- acres of beach, salt marsh, sand dunes, and “forests” of wind-sheared oak and cedar at the far northern end of the island, on a 3 hour Natural History 4X4 Oversand Vehicle Tour.

12. See the unnerving effects of erosion at the Sankaty Lighthouse. Take the bus or bike about 9 miles from town to Sankaty Lighthouse – most remarkable for the bluff eroding so quickly, the structure had to be moved in 2007. The “ocean from Portugal” has been pounding against the sand here for so long, in fact, Herman Melville remarked on it in July 1852 when he visited this light – built just two year earlier. He claimed, “The sea has encroached upon that part where their dwelling-house stands near the light-house, in a strange and beautiful contrast, we have the innocence of the land placidly eyeing the malignity of the sea.”

13. Climb the Steeple Tower of First Congregational Church. Whaling captain’s wives paced these “widow’s walks” while waiting for their men to return from the sea. The tower, with sweeping views of the town and island, is open for visitors with hearty lungs (94 steps to the top).

14. Celebrate the scientific achievements of Maria Mitchell at her Home, Science Center, Aquarium, and two Observatories, all managed by the Maria Mitchell Association. Mitchell, the first "Professional Female Astronomer in the USA," was born into a Quaker family on Nantucket in 1818. In 1847, she discovered a comet that was officially named “Miss Mitchell’s Comet.”

15. Visit the Carriage Hose Cart House where you can watch a 12 minute movie about the Fire of July 13, 1846, when a “tiny tongue of flame in a hat shop leapt from a stovepipe into a wall,” setting off a chain reaction that would leave a third of downtown, where the dry goods, grocery and provisions stores were located, in cinders. Built in 1886 this small barn is the last remaining 19th century firehouse on the island.

16. Join the hordes at Madaket Beach every evening to watch the sun set over Nantucket Sound. It’s a few miles from town, so either ride your bike or arrange a ride. While out there, try your luck getting into Millie’s – adjacent to Madaket Beach – a sand-in-your-toes elevated lobster shack for great seafood and sunsets.

17. Speaking of hordes, there’s a party almost every night at Cisco Brewers – a compound that also encompasses Nantucket Winery, Triple Eight Distillery, a gift shop, a live music venue, and various food trucks –a year-round festival on grounds seemingly expanding by the minute. Take your food and drinks to an open-air patio replete with picnic tables, and room to dance if the spirits move you. A few miles out of town, you can either bike here, cab it, or take the free shuttle that leaves every 15 minutes from the Visitor’s Center downtown. Open Mon-Sat 11-7, Sun 12-6.

18. Though there are dozens of hotels, inns and B&B’s on Nantucket, the Regatta Inn, renovated in 2016, distinguishes itself as an unpretentious luxury establishment a few blocks from the downtown action, with a thoughtfully designed interior, great attention to detail, and a warm, gracious approach to hospitality: all at a surprisingly reasonable rate. Those who are looking for a larger resort – The Nantucket Hotel, built in the late 1800’s and renovated in 2012 – is a great in-town choice.