20 Unique Things To Do In Hyannis, Massachusetts

Hyannis Harbor is scenic and is the entry point to the islands of Nantucket Sound, and is worth visiting. For a peaceful tour, you can take a boat ride from the harbor or to Hyannis Machachusetts restaurants, shops, and museums.

You can also view the facilities from the sea, and looking east, there’s an old lighthouse tower on Point Gammon On entering into the boatyard, there are over 180 slips where boats can be found floating.

This harbor area is capable of accommodating any form of transportation that floats from big passenger ferries to small sailing dinghies.

Exploring the Kennedy Hyannis Museum is one of the most fascinating things to do in Hyannis Port. The John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum provides information about John F. Kennedy’s holidays and weekends spent in Hyannis and with the family.

The museum is open between June and October with seasonal opening hours. The regular price is $14 for adults and $8 for children 6 years and above though Price specials are available for seniors, veterans, and students.

It should also be noted that active members enter for free, as do the kids aged 6 years and below.

Kalmus Beach is one of the best Hyannis beaches and the most popular. This is a large beach on Nantucket Sound with white sand and is a favorite with windsurfers and swimmers who are served by a seasonal lifeguard.

Spending a few hours on the shore is one of the best free things to do in Hyannis: take a sandwich and have a barbecue, watch the ferries, or spend time searching for shells and stars on the beach.

The water here is very calm which is why this is amongst the best of the Cape Cod beach destinations for a family.

The next place that one should visit within the area when in Hyannis and or interested in maritime and history is the Cape Cod Maritime Museum. This small museum at the Hyannis Harbor serves as a record of the maritime history of Cape Cod.

It has collections on marine biology, fishing, and boat building, the lighthouses of Cape Cod, and several boats. Their attractions include the catboat SARAH, the replica of the Crosby Catboat of 1886, constructed at the premises.

It takes approximately 1 hour to tour the museum. It costs $10 for a regular ticket and $8 for students, seniors, veterans, current military, and children.

St. Francis Xavier Church is a lovely old church with plenty of parking area that has ties to the Kennedy Family. This is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Hyannis.

Here you will be in peace and solitude along with the view of stained glass windows and the beautiful altars. You will hear the Gregorian chant playing quietly in the background in this church.

And also, you will find a nice place to sit and reconnect with god. So, we highly recommend you to visit this place.

Main Street Hyannis is an odd but distinctive all-American Main Street that is great for shopping, dining, and fun. Specialty Hyannis Massachusetts restaurants, shops, and fun attractions have made Main Street even in internationally famous downtown Hyannis.

The best part is you will find almost all the people working in the shops are polite, helpful and thankful even if you don't make any purchases. Among all the shops on this street, Kandy Korner is the best candy shop as they make their own taffy, ice cream, fudge, and peanut brittle.

One of the best things to do in Hyannis MA is take the ferry at the Hy-Line Cruises. Currently, two companies provide Hyannis MA ferry to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

The Hy-Line ferry is usually more popular and thus sells out much quicker. A relaxing cruise is also available from Steamship Authority which is a 2 hour and 15 minute ferry.

Unlike Hy-Line, Steamship Authority only provides Martha’s Vineyard ferry that departs from Woods Hole and takes only forty-five minutes to get to Hy-Line Hyannis. You would also get to use free Wi-Fi when on board and experience a comfortable journey with an awesome view of the harbor.

Hathaway’s Pond is among the beautiful places most tourists visiting Cape Cod rarely get to see. Among all the things to do in Hyannis and for people with children in particular, an afternoon in Hathaway’s Pond on warm summer days is among the most engaging activities. 

Located off Phinney’s Lane, this swimming hole provides fishing and launching pontoons/boats as well as swimming and hiking on a sandy beach and shallow water. The list of facilities available for users includes grills, showers, restrooms, picnic tables, and swings among others within the park.

Cape Cod Beer is Cape Cod’s original craft beer brewery based in Hyannis at 1336 Phinney’s Lane and currently has its beer on tap in over 400 places and 125 package stores from Plymouth to Provincetown.

This is a great local brewery that offers fresh options and a nice atmosphere. The owner will provide you with an excellent tour with knowledge and provide you with a strong community connection for local businesses.

There you will find a great variety of beers at a very good price and you can also get food from the food truck on weekends. Also, if you have enough time in hand, explore various things to do in Cape Code, Massachusetts.

Any list of necessary sights and attractions in Hyannis Massachusetts cannot possibly exclude Veterans Memorial Park which is now considered as the busiest park in the town. It is an easily accessible park where families love to hang out due to the fine view of the harbor most yachts and sailboats depart from the marina.

It also has a playground for children, adequately maintained alongside a shaded picnicking zone. Two memorials in the park are the Korean War Memorial and the John F. Kennedy Memorial a small pool and gardens.

The Massachusetts Air and Space Museum is a new, niche museum that bridges the less-discussed narrative of the aerospace history of Massachusetts.

The museum continued as a virtual museum and reopened the physical structure in 2023 in the downtown Hyannis area opposite the John F Kennedy Hyannis Museum. But there’s still much to explore here with numerous reasons for the history of flight and the parts Massachusetts played both in firms and individuals.

The newest addition is the John Write Wood Jr Grumman Albatross cockpit deck, which the group salvaged from Arizona and had to restore.

The Hyannis Arts District was created by the town of Barnstable as the agency responsible for the organization of activities related to art and culture in Hyannis.

It is a regional cultural center for creativity in arts and theatre along with relevant bodies such as the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod, Cape Cod Art Foundation, and Massachusetts Cultural Council.

There is so much to see in the HyArts District such as HyArts Artist Shanties, HyArts Campus, art sculptures, and weekly events, including the Hyannis Film Festival.

You should definitely take a boat ride if you're looking for unique things to do in Hyannis. Bay Spirit Tours provides a 90-minute live music cruise, a Lighthouse Harbour Tour, and a 75-minute guided tour of Hyannis Harbour and the surrounding lighthouses.

Additionally, you can also try Pirate Adventures Hyannis, which provides kid-friendly boat trips with a pirate theme, for something more engaging. It's unquestionably among the fun things to do in Hyannis with young children ages three to ten.

Following boarding, children are given face paint transformations and engage in endless activities such as reading maps, hoisting the flag, and firing water cannons.

It will be only right to also include the Cape Codder Water Park in Hyannis on our list of things to do in Hyannis with kids.

Being the only water park in Cape Cod, this facility has indoor and outdoor water features, water slides, a water wave pool, pirate bay water and kiddie spray pool, and a stormy river.

It is located in Cape Codder Resort & Spa which also offers a restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere and a spa.

When reading the info about things to do in Hyannis, you may be surprised to find out that this place has a rather large and interesting live music venue.

The Melody Tent, which was owned by South Shore Playhouse Associates, is a unique theatre converted to Music festivals. This round-shaped tent has a capacity of 2,250 and has a revolving stage where the stage floor turns 360 degrees to provide an excellent view to all the people.

The Melody Tent has had many important performers through the years such as Diana Ross, Tony Bennett, and The Kinks. As of now, the Country artists are the most popular and those that attract the biggest audience today.

The Hyannis Youth & Community Center (HYCC) is a massive all-season complex with a large indoor sports arena and a huge number of things to do in Hyannis MA for kids and teenagers.

The field has a dual, two-hundred-foot ice surface that offers lessons, a walking track, a large wooden floor gym, and a pro shop. There is also a game room and computer lab with free wii-fi and a cafe.

Furthermore, the building of the HYCC can be booked for birthday celebrations and functions.

Ryan Family Amusement is a nice place to have fun for the whole family which is a combination of Arcade and bowling. Your kids will definitely love this place as it has all-new games, clean and the price is very reasonable.

They also have some fascinating virtual game rooms, and the staff are extremely polite, friendly, and knowledgeable. Hence, this is a great activity to escape the heat for a while so, we highly recommend you to go in this family amusements for a great family time.

Crazy Mermaids is a gift shop and gallery that supports the works of over 50 local artisans. They have got original paintings, ceramics, glasswork, woodwork, textiles, and everything you can imagine.

They also teach art classes most days when they are open along with all the material provided. So, if you are someone who loves art then you should call to schedule a class or just walk in. The best part is you can take the class along with your children as they also offer classes for kids.

If you are someone who likes to gift souvenirs to your friends and family, you can purchase them from here. So, we highly recommend you visit this store for extra fun and learning.

Playing golf at the Hyannis Golf Course is among the best things that one can do in Hyannis during the best weather. This facility has a layout of par 71 and covers an area of 18 holes, affording the facility two greens and a full-length driving range.

The Hyannis Golf Course is recognized as one of the most successful local golf courses where the annual Cape Cod Open takes place and they offer good putting surfaces and a pristine local driving range.

The building known as Toad Hall started out with only a couple of sports cars but today there is a collection of 50+ red classic sports calls.

The majority are English while the rest are European and Japanese with well over 10 Lotuses, 6+ Jaguars, Triumphs and MGs, Austin Healeys, Datsun, Ferrari, and others. Most of them are from the 1950’s to early eighties with several of no more than twelve like this one in the United States.

Toad Hall Classic Car Museum is open to the public every day from eleven in the morning to five in the evening throughout the year. Adults are charged $8 while children between 10 and 16 years cost $4; children aged below 10 have free admission.