The north side of Yarmouth features the historic Yarmouth Port village along Route 6A, also known as Old King’s Highway. The Captain’s Mile through Yarmouth Port includes over 50 former homes of sea captains. A few of these places are now treasured sites you can visit and even spend the night!
Illustrator and writer Edward Gorey purchased an old sea captain’s house on the Yarmouth Port Common in 1979. After his death in 2000, the house eventually became the Edward Gorey House museum, and is a celebration of his vastly varied career, which included designing sets for the Broadway production of Dracula and drawing the well-known graphics used by PBS in the introduction to “Masterpiece Theater.” The Edward Gorey House is open from April to December and reservations for a visit are encouraged.
Also on the Yarmouth Port Common is the Captain Bangs Hallet House Museum. This building too was once a sea captain’s house, dating back to about 1840, and is filled with period furniture and décor. The Historical Society of Old Yarmouth owns and operates the Captain Bangs Hallet House Museum and preserves the history of Yarmouth. Note that the museum is closed in 2025 for inventory and will reopen in 2026. The grounds of the museum feature an enormous 120-year-old weeping beech tree: the perfect place for a selfie!
The Historical Society also offers over 50 acres of nature trails. The trail head is located at the Tufts Gatehouse, the small building on the lane next to the Yarmouth Port Post Office. You can download the trail map from the Historical Society’s website, as well as a variety of self-guided walking tour guides, which include the Captain’s Mile, the Village of Yarmouth Port, and a ghosts, myths, and legends walk!
Across Route 6A from the Yarmouth Port Common is Thacher Hall, a historic building dating back to around 1870. Originally a church, and one of the best surviving examples of Gothic architecture in New England, the building has been preserved and is now managed as a community location for programs, events, and weddings! Check out the schedule to see what’s on during your visit.
Located in another 19th century building, Parnassus Books is a family-run bookstore right down the street from the Yarmouth Port Common. They specialize in rare and antique books on a wide range of subjects, from fine arts to metaphysics, political science to fashion, and much more, including a major collection of books about Cape Cod. A visit to Parnassus Books is always an adventure!
Stay in a Sea Captain’s Home
To extend your historical experience in Yarmouth Port, you can stay in a former sea captain’s home! One option is the Captain Farris House, built in 1845 and restored to modern luxury, with ten rooms and beautiful gardens.
Chapter House was built even earlier, in 1716, by Captain John Minot, a soldier and later a doctor during the Revolutionary War, with Chapter House converted to a temporary hospital. Today, Chapter House is a boutique hotel, with the main house boasting an elegant bar, and a carriage house offering additional accommodations.
The Inn at Yarmouth Port dates back to 1843 and was the home of Captain James Bacon Crocker. He presided over the courthouse that was located on the first floor of his house. During renovations, workers found beams that may have come from Captain Crocker’s ships. It’s now a small inn with six suites and a lovely outdoor patio.
Enjoy Yarmouth Port
All these accommodations and attractions in historic Yarmouth Port are near the beautiful beaches of Cape Cod Bay. And it’s just a short drive to the rest of Yarmouth’s many activities along Route 28, so you can find the perfect blend of action, adventure, history, and tranquility that you need, all in one central Cape Cod town. Aye aye, Captain!
Written by Ellen Cliggott, Freelance Content Marketing Writer and Editor
Photos by: Amie Medeiros
This blog is funded through the Town of Yarmouth’s Tourism Revenue Preservation Fund.
