Route 6A (Old King’s Highway) Drive
– Sandwich to Brewster

Route 6A from the Sagamore Bridge through Sandwich, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, to Brewster. Beautiful drive through small town centers and lots of shopping at distinctive galleries, boutiques, and antique stores. Drive is about 29 miles

See Map of Route 6A Drive

Center Sandwich

A tiny triangular island formed by the intersection of Water and Main streets, in front of the First Church of Christ at 136 Main Street. is a good place to park and walk a bit in the heart of this lovely village. Just south of the church, at 1 Water Street, is the Dunbar Tea Room & Gift Shop, a fine place to start and end your drive on Route 6A, the Old King’s Highway. See Map

Dunbar Tea Room & Gift Shop

1 Water Street
Sandwich

The Dunbar Tea Room is known for its homemade goods, quality teas, British ales, and European wines, ports, and sherries. The building is a carriage house to the main house (circa 1740) and the tea room sits in a former billiards room. The tea room has a fireplace that is stoked up for the winter, and a patio and Tea Garden. The gift shop specializes in British gifts and gourmet foods and a wide selection of teas and tea accoutrements. See Map

Audience: Adult Anglophiles who enjoy fine living
Time to Visit: Under an hour
Information: Dunbar Tea Room or call 508-833-2485.

Sandwich Glass Museum

129 Main Street
Sandwich

Just a short walk along Main, the Sandwich Glass Museum. The museum displays fine art-quality glasswork by many artists. Watch a demonstration of molten glass being drawn from the furnace, blown and pressed into exquisite shapes. The 20-minute demonstration takes place every half hour. This up-close, hands-on demonstration is enthralling for adults and mesmerizing for children. Open year-round except the month of January. Hours vary seasonally. See Map

Audience: Adults and children who love glass art
Time to Visit: The museum recommends spending at least 90 minutes
Information: Sandwich Glass Museum or call 508-888-0251.

Driving Directions: After leaving the Sandwich Glass Museum, make a quick right and left around the triangle and head southward on Grove Street about 1.2 miles

Heritage Museums & Gardens

67 Grove Street
Sandwich

This 100-acre property sprawls through rolling, wooded hills and is home to magnificent flower gardens, nature trails, a restored antique carousel, and museums of classic American cars and American art. At the new Hidden Hollow: A Nature Discovery Center, adults and children can walk the discovery trails, create nature-inspired art, play music on outdoor instruments, and do scientific investigations. The new the Flume Fountain conveys a wide ribbon of water down a dramatic waterfall into a pool in a daylily garden. The Shaker round barn exhibits the J. K. Lilly III Automobile Collection. There is also a labyrinth, a maze garden, a café, and a museum store. See Map

Audience: Great for adults and children
Time to visit: 1 to 4 hours
Information: Heritage Museums & Gardens or call 508-888-3300

Driving Directions: Backtrack northward on Grove Street to the Sandwich Glass Museum. Take Main Street eastward and then take a left onto Jarves Street. This will take you to Route 6A, the Old King’s Highway, and the start of your west-to-east tour of Route 6A.

Sandwich Antiques Center

131 Route 6A
Sandwich

Established in 1994, Sandwich Antiques Center has grown to become one of the finest multi-dealer shops in New England, representing many of Massachusetts's most respected and nationally recognized dealers. The 6,000-square-foot antique building is located on historic Route 6A in the heart of old Sandwich. Voted best antiques store 11 years consecutively by Cape Cod Life magazine, this story has a reputation for high-quality art and antiques. See Map

Audience: Antique lovers
Time to Visit: For some people, there’s no telling
Information: Sandwich Antiques Center or call 508-833-3600.

Driving Directions: When leaving the antiques center, take Jarvis Street east, then take a left on Factory Road and a right on Harbor Street, which will lead out to Boardwalk Road, to …

Sandwich Boardwalk
(at Town Neck Beach)

A simple walk through a place of stunning beauty. The Sandwich Boardwalk – more than 1,000 feet long – stretches above and across Mill Creek and acres of beautiful marshes and leads to the public Town Neck Beach. A walk across the boardwalk from the parking lot to the beach places you in the center of fantastic vistas of dune in the distance, sky overhead, and marsh underfoot. It remains one of Sandwich's unique treasures. To reach the Boardwalk, follow Route 6A to Jarves Street. The Boardwalk is located at the end of Jarves and Harbor Streets, with ample parking available. See Map

Audience: Great for adults and children.
Time to Visit: 1 hour or more

Driving Directions: Leaving the boardwalk parking are, retrace your route through the neighborhood back to Route 6A and take a left to head eastward

Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen

6 Discovery Hill Road
East Sandwich

This delightful little place a short drive from Center Sandwich is a sanctuary of beauty in all seasons. Located on the shores of Smiling Pool, Green Briar offers a spectacular wild flower garden and interpreted nature trails. Natural history programs for children and adults are offered year-round. The nature center is adjacent to the 57-acre Briar Patch Conservation Area. This was a childhood retreat for Thornton Burgess, a Sandwich native and a prolific writer of popular children’s stories in the early 20th century, best known for the Old Mother West Wind stories. Walking trails are open to the public.
This property also includes the Green Briar Jam Kitchen founded by Ida Putnam, a friend of Thornton Burgess, in 1903. Today the Jam Kitchen is a living museum where visitors may view the cooking process first-hand. See Map

Audience: Great for adults and children.
Time to Visit: 1 hour or more
Information: Green Briar Nature Center or call 508-888-6870

Titcomb's Book Shop

432 Route 6A
East Sandwich

Titcomb’s Bookshop, founded in an abandoned barn, has now grown to a thriving three-story retail store selling new and old books, games, puzzles, and cards. Steve Fisher at the New England Independent Booksellers Association said, “For 40 years Titcomb’s Bookshop has embodied everything that is good and proud about independent bookselling dedicated to providing its customers with expertise, passion, individual service." Open daily. See Map

Audience: People who love books.
Time to Visit: For some people, there’s no telling
Information: Titcomb's Book Shop or call 508-888-2331

Glass Studio on Cape Cod

470 Route 6A
East Sandwich

On Cape Cod, glass has been made for generations. The town of Sandwich has been famous for over one hundred years for its Sandwich glass. Today, glassblower Michael Magyar continues this proud tradition in his Glass Studio on Cape Cod. Magyar creates new hand-blown glass daily in his studio. Magyar welcomes visitors to his Cape Cod Glass Studio to watch him at work and to purchase bowls, plates and other glassware in his gift shop upstairs. See Map

Audience: People who love glass art
Time to Visit: 1 hour
Information: Glass Studio on Cape Cod or call 508-888-6681

Lavender Moon

679 Route 6A
East Sandwich

Described as “Cape Cod’s Most Magical Shopping Experience,” Lavender Moon declares that it has something for all of your mystical needs, including books, music, clothing, ritual supplies and one-of-a-kind glass ornaments, crystals, and statuary. Psychics are always on duty. Open year-round, daily.
See Map

Audience: Shoppers seeking a mystical experience
Time to Visit: 1 hour or less
Information: Lavender Moon or call 508-375-0081

Keveney Lane

Cummaquid and Yarmouthport

A drive down this road is an enchanting side trip for people who want to dig deep into the feeling of Cape Cod. The small wooden Keveney Lane Bridge looks out over Mill Creek on one side and Hallets Mill Pond on the other. Refreshing solitude, beauty, and Cape Cod scenery await here. See Map

Audience: Wanderers, nature lovers, artists
Time to Visit: According to taste

Driving Directions: to get to the next stop, Harvest of Barnstable, you need to make a short detour down Willow Street, which is a right turn off Route 6A in Yarmouthport

Harvest of Barnstable

89 Willow Street
Yarmouthport

This is a locally owned manufacturing company specializing in dried natural wreaths, centerpieces, flowers, shells, baskets, and custom designs. Work by Harvest of Barnstable can be purchased in throughout the country in many fine retail gift stores and floral shops, in retail catalogs, and decorator show houses. Open year-round, Monday through Saturday. See Map

Audience: Adults, aficionados of dried natural forms
Time to Visit: According to taste
Information: Harvest of Barnstable or call 508-362-4595

Optimist Cafe

134 Route 6A
Yarmouth Port

The Optimist Café has built a devoted following for its distinguishable charm and novel breakfasts, brunches, lunches, high tea, and wine bar. Originally, the Captain Howes House, this beautiful historic home was built in 1849 by Captain Frederick Howes; it is listed on the National Historic Register. Stepping into the world of The Optimist Café is a treat not to be missed whether you are a Cape Cod native or a visitor. Meals are lavish and tasty, and the atmosphere continues to bring customers back. See Map

Information: Optimist Cafe or call 508-744-6989.

Edward Gorey House

8 Strawberry Lane
Yarmouthport

The Edward Gorey House celebrates the life and work of acclaimed writer and artist Edward Gorey, who may be best known for the sinister animated credits of the PBS series, Mystery. The house features exhibits of Gorey's professional work, personal life and legacy of supporting animal welfare causes, the Gorey House is a glimpse into the mind and life of one of America's great creative minds. Open mid-April through December. See Map

Audience: Art lovers
Time to Visit: According to taste
Information: Edward Gorey House or call 508-362-3909

Captain Frosty's Fish & Chips

219 Main Street
Dennis

Captain Frosty’s is not on the water, but it is a true-blue clam shack. Among the treats are fresh Chatham cod in the fish and chips, lightly fried local clams and scallops, premium lobster salad, clam cakes, hand-cut onion rings, black Angus burgers, and soft-serve ice cream to finish. Very casual and lots of fun for the kids. See Map

Time to Visit: Service is quick.
Information: Captain Frosty's Fish & Chips or call 508-385-8548

Antiques Center of Cape Cod

243 Route 6A
Dennis

Marvelously huge retail store (warehouse-size) offering antiques of every description from hundreds of dealers. Open daily, year-round, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. except for 11 a.m. opening on Sundays.See Map

Audience: Antique shoppers
Time to Visit: According to taste
Information: Antiques Center of Cape Cod or call 508-385-6400

Driving Directions: to get to the next stop, Cape Cod Museum of Art, you need to make a short detour onto Hope Lane, which is a left turn off Route 6A after you pass the center of Dennis

Cape Cod Museum of Art

60 Hope Lane
Dennis

The Cape Cod Museum of Art conserves and exhibits works by artists associated with Cape Cod and the Islands. For visitors, the museum offers exhibitions in seven galleries; strolling through a lovely sculpture garden; a museum shop for unique gifts by artists and artisans; independent films in The Screening Room; and a Kids Treasure Hunt in the Galleries. Open April through Columbus Day; hours vary by time in season, so call ahead. See Map

Audience: Art lovers, including adults and children
Time to Visit: According to taste
Information: Cape Cod Museum of Art or call 508-385-4477

Driving Directions: to get to the next stop, Scargo Stoneware Pottery, you need to make a short detour onto Doctor Lord's Road South, which is a right turn off Route 6A

Scargo Stoneware Pottery

30 Doctor Lord's Road South
Dennis

Scargo Pottery was opened in the summer of 1952 by Harry Holl. The studio has been host to numerous apprentices over the years, including Harry's four daughters. The breadth of work created by Harry is extensive; some works for which he is noted include his sculpted pots, large bird castles and ornate wall fountain and plaques. The shop itself, which is open to all and meant to be explored, is perhaps the most telling example of Harry Holl's style. See Map

Audience: Adults and children who love the art of pottery
Time to Visit: According to taste
Information: Scargo Stoneware Pottery or call 508 385 3894

Sydenstricker Glass and Gallery

490 Main Street
Brewster

Sydenstricker Galleries, makers of fine quality kiln-fired glassware, welcome visitors to this bright and spacious gallery to see all of the Sydenstricker patterns and to watch the artisans create each glassware design by hand. Sydenstricker pieces are on exhibit in many major galleries and museums, including the Toronto Museum of Art, the Tiffany Museum in Winter Park, Florida, the Chrysler Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Open daily. See Map

Audience: People who love glass art and how it is created
Time to Visit: According to taste
Information: Sydenstricker Glass and Gallery or call 508-385-3272

Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

869 Main Street
Brewster

This is a delightful museum for adults and children, but not overwhelming in size. Many exhibits explain the fascinating geology, flora, and animal life of the Cape, and the Salt Marsh Room offers a wonderful vista of the adjoining salt marsh. Downstairs is a small but satisfying aquarium. Just outside the back door is a self-guided walking trail of the marsh. Also, in the summer, naturalists offer guided treks of the marsh known a Mudflat Mania. A great way to see the fecund life of the salt marsh up close. If youplan to walk the marsh trails, check the tide chart at the front desk or consult a museum guide. Open year-round. See Map

Audience:Adults and children interested in nature and the outdoors
Time to Visit: An hour or less inside; longer for walks on the trails
Information: Cape Cod Museum of Natural History or call 508-896-3867

Lemon Tree Village Shops

1069 Route 6A
Brewster

This cheery complex filled with many unusual stores. You can find garden statuary, top-of-the-line cooking implements, locally made arts and crafts, pottery, birding supplies, clothing, gifts, jewelry, and toys. The Village has 13 shops and a café, flower garden, flowing water fountains, and a relaxing atmosphere. The shopping experience here has been described as a "unique representation of artists from all over the United States, Europe, the Far East” and, of course, Cape Cod. See Map

Information: Lemon Tree Village Shops
Audience: People who love to shop
Time to Visit: Hours, for dedicated browsers

Namskaket Sea Path

End of Linnell Landing Road
Brewster

This five-mile trail loop traverses a long stretch of Cape Cod Bay shoreline, crosses seaside outposts of Nickerson State Park, coincides with the Cape Cod Rail Trail bicycle path and hugs some scenic historic roads. All of the Cape’s defining elements can be found in this short walks—dunes, bogs, scrubby coastal woodlands shorn back by the sale-laden winds, historic homes, bicycle paths and winding roadways lined with native wildflowers. See Map

Audience: Walkers, both adults and children. Maybe too tiring for small children
Time to Visit: According to taste


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