Barnstable villages offer art, history, nature

Barnstable is composed of seven different villages, with "their own personalities," says Lynne Poyant, town communications director.

The seven villages are Barnstable Village, Centerville, Cotuit, Hyannis, Marstons Mills, Osterville and West Barnstable. All but largely residential Marstons Mills have coastline, so beaches on either Nantucket Sound or Cape Cod Bay. Both Hyannis — the Cape’s commercial center — and Barnstable Village have been designated as state cultural districts.

Each village, though, offers much to explore in the way of art, nature and history. Barnstable Village, site of the county courthouse and government, centers on scenic Route 6A and has particularly pushed for historic preservation. West Barnstable is home to Cape Cod Community College, the only college in the area.

Barnstable is the largest town on Cape Cod at 76 square miles. It was incorporated in 1639, and became well-known for oysters, saltworks and as a port. The town has a mix of dunes, marshes and forest, plus, especially in the Marstons Mills area, cranberry bogs.

Barnstable has four marinas, numerous trails in conservation areas, and natural areas like Sandy Neck, which Poyant refers to as a “living museum … with a dynamic landscape.”

Claims to fame

President John F. Kennedy made Hyannisport (a village of the Hyannis village) and his family’s compound — a group of houses in a residential neighborhood — the “summer White House” in the early 1960s. The Hyannis Catholic church they attended, St. Francis Xavier, has been called the “Kennedy church.” The compound was also home to U.S. Senator and attorney general Robert Kennedy and U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy. To find Kennedy-related locations, including where President-elect Kennedy gave his acceptance speech, check out the Hyannis Kennedy Legacy Trail at http://kennedylegacytrail.com/.

Fun fact from the past

Cape Cod Chips was started on July 4, 1980, in a small store in Hyannis. The kettle chips, now in a variety of flavors, can now be found all around the world after ownership changes by national snack-food ownership. The potato-chip factory opened in Hyannis in 1985 and guests have since been able to visit to watch the snacks made. (This year, the factory is closed due to coronavirus concerns.)

Other fun fact

It sounds confusing, but yes, the village of Barnstable is in the town of Barnstable, which is in Barnstable County.

Historical places to visit

Explore nautical history at the Coast Guard Heritage Museum (3353 Main St., Barnstable Village) — which is actually in the 1856 U.S. Customs House — through artifacts, exhibits and more. For visit details: https://coastguardheritagemuseum.org/. The John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum is at 397 Main St., and the Centerville Historical Museum is at 513 Main St. in that village.

Other attractions

If you’re looking for an evening of music, Cape Cod Beer (1336 Phinney's Lane, Hyannis) has an outdoor summer concert series. Shows are on Fridays and musical acts include The Placeholders on Aug. 7, Nautilus on Aug. 14, and Powerload (an AC/DC cover band) on Aug. 21. Tickets and information: capecodbeer.com, https://www.facebook.com/CapeCodBeer/.

Beaches to check out

Grab some sun at Craigville Beach (997 Craigville Beach Road, Centerville), a large space with plenty of room for swimming or relaxing on the sand. Kalmus Beach (670 Ocean St., Hyannis) is known for excellent windsurfing.

What you might not know

Hyannis is the Cape’s transportation hub, with Barnstable Municipal Airport, the Hyannis Transportation Center for buses and trains (including the summer-only Cape Flyer), and ferries to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard at the harbor.

A place to hike or bike

Barnstable has several conservation areas, including Crocker Neck, which offers 1.5 miles of trails, with a mix of marsh and forest. Bridge Creek and Hathaway’s Pond are a couple of other options and a longer list can be found on the town website: https://town.barnstable.ma.us/Departments/Conservation/pageview.asp?file=Trails_and_Pathways%5CTrail-Guides.html&title=Trail%20Guides&exp=Trails_and_Pathways

What the kids will like

Consider stopping by Steve and Sue’s Par-Tee Freeze & Adventure Falls Mini Golf (455 W. Main St, Hyannis) for a round of golf and an ice cream cone. Besides ice cream, the menu also includes brownie pops (a frozen chocolate dipped brownie with sprinkles), slush in flavors of lemon-lime, watermelon and more, plus meal options like pizza, hot dogs and lobster rolls. Mini golf rates are $9.50 for adults and $8.50 for kids under 12.

Getting out into nature

Consider stopping by Mass Audubon's Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary (345 Bone Hill Road, Barnstable) and exploring trails, beaches and beautiful views, including of Barnstable Harbor and Sandy Neck Barrier Beach. Trails are open dawn to dusk. Admission is free for members, $4 for adults (over 13), $3 for kids (2-12) and seniors (over 65).

Into sports?

Grab your golf clubs and stop by the town’s two courses: Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds Golf Course (1460 Route 149, Marstons Mills) or Hyannis Golf Course (1800 Iyannough Road, Hyannis). Information: barnstable.golf.

Looking for a treat?

Swing by Four Seas Ice Cream (360 S. Main St., Centerville), which opened in 1934 and offers ice cream, sorbet, sherbet and yogurt. Available toppings range from classics like hot fudge and butterscotch to more unique options like apple cinnamon and mocha java.

Love the arts?

Cotuit Center for the Arts (4404 Falmouth Road, Route 28) has grown to a busy cultural center but has had to temper its offerings recently because of coronavirus concerns. It has reopened its art gallery, offering changing exhibits, and officials are working on performance plans. As an online option, consider joining Virtual Wine & Music Wednesdays via Zoom. Information: artsonthecape.org and https://www.facebook.com/Cotuit/. Down Route 28 is the Cahoon Museum of American Art, which just reopened its galleries, too.

Spot with a view

Mattakeese Wharf restaurant (273 Millway, Barnstable) offers views of the water and a menu that includes lobster bisque, cajun fried swordfish tacos, baked stuffed shrimp and more. Takeout, and indoor and outdoor dining are available.

Where to see a sunset/sunrise

Enjoy the sunset at Sandy Neck Beach (425 Sandy Neck Road, West Barnstable).

Find some restaurants

Enjoy a meal near Hyannis Harbor at places that include Spanky’s Clam Shack (138 Ocean St., Hyannis) with a menu that offers an array of seafood favorites like chilled shrimp cocktail, fried scallops and clam shrimps. Spanky’s is open for indoor and outdoor dining and takeout. Or there’s Baxter’s Boathouse (177 Pleasant St., Hyannis) for cajun popcorn shrimp, grilled shrimp skewers, a scallop roll and more. Indoor and outdoor seating is available.

Where the shops are

Consider taking a stroll down Main Street in Hyannis for a mix of dozens of shops and restaurants. Specialty shops include Mrs. Mitchell’s Gifts, which sells clothing, gifts, jewelry and more; Boarding House Surf Shop; and All Cape Cook’s Supply. Osterville also has a strollable Main Street, with stores that include Lilly Pulitzer and Pocketful of Posies Children’s Shop.

An unusual stop

The HyArts Artist Shanties are colorful little buildings set up in Bismore Park along Hyannis Harbor, offering studio and sale space for a rotating group of artists, artisans and craftspeople.

CapeWeek editor Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll contributed to this report.