Maritime Gloucester

Massachusetts


Visit Gloucester's working waterfront and see the ongoing restoration of wooden boats, watch the operation of a marine railway that hauls ships out of the water and compare the different kinds of fishing boats that were used over the years. Excellent exhibits showcase the local creatures of the sea.

The Sea Pocket Aquarium is a hands-on outdoor aquarium with exhibits on local marine habitats. It's a great chance for kids to get down and dirty with sea stars, sea urchins, snails, crabs and seaweed. The Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary Exhibit provides an excellent introduction for whale-watchers heading out on an excursion.

From the Grant Circle rotary, take Washington St to its terminus, then turn left on Rogers St to Harbor Loop.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Massachusetts attractions

1. Cape Ann Museum

0.24 MILES

This small museum is a gem – particularly for its paintings by Gloucester native Fitz Henry Lane. Exhibits also showcase the region's granite-quarrying…

2. Gallery 53 on Rocky Neck

0.29 MILES

In a beautiful space overlooking Smith Cove, this cooperative gallery showcases the work of 30-plus Cape Ann artists.

3. Rocky Neck Art Colony

0.3 MILES

The artistic legacy of Gloucester native Fitz Henry Lane endures, as Gloucester still boasts a vibrant artists community at Rocky Neck Art Colony. In…

4. North Shore Arts Association

0.38 MILES

With some 600 members, this vibrant local arts association has been hosting exhibits and performances since 1922. Visit the lovely harborside setting to…

5. Rocky Neck Cultural Center

0.43 MILES

Built as a neighborhood meeting place in 1877, this Carpenter Gothic building now hosts exhibits and events.

6. St Peter’s Square

0.58 MILES

Don’t leave Gloucester without paying your respects at St Peter's Sq, where Leonard Craske’s famous statue Gloucester Fisherman is dedicated to ‘They That…

7. Stage Fort Park

1.01 MILES

There are two lovely, small beaches at Stage Fort Park: the picturesque Half-Moon Beach and the more remote Cressy’s Beach. The latter is a bit of a trek…

8. Beauport

1.37 MILES

The lavish home of interior designer Henry Davis Sleeper is known as Beauport, or the Sleeper-McCann mansion. Sleeper scoured New England for houses that…