Have you already booked a dream rental home for your family vacation on Nantucket? Now is the time to plan your schedule so that you and the kids are happy and make your holiday unforgettable.
Thankfully, this beautiful New England island is a family-friendly spot. It offers numerous exciting sailing tours, museums, workshops, surf schools, and endless beaches. You could also search for dog friendly vacation properties in Nantucket if you wish to bring your pooch along with you.
Perhaps the best thing about coastal towns such as Falmouth or Nantucket is that you can never run out of vacation activities. There is a reason they have been holiday destinations for hundreds of years, and continue to stay popular as ever. Things to do in places such as these are ever-expanding, from new popular spots meant to promote tourism, to natural beautiful scenes and corners that are known to few. That said, if you want to save money while spending time on the island, here are some ideas for four completely free things to do with kids on your Nantucket vacation.
Collect Seashells on Surfside Beach
Surfside beach is among the most popular beaches on the southern coast of Nantucket. It is a preferred spot for surfers and fans of all types of watersports. If these are some things that are often on your bucket list for a beach vacation, then get ready with your Matching Family Swimsuits, hats, and all the other fancy stuff to head here. While the water there is not as calm as on the north shore beaches like Jetties and Children’s beach, it is still an excellent place to spend the day with your kids. Oh, and did you know that a beach is one of the Best Places To Take Your Dog For A Holiday? So, if you have an adored family pet whom you don’t want to leave behind, then you can take them along too. The beach is easy to reach via bike, shuttle bus, or car. It has all the necessary amenities to keep your children happy and safe. The services include lifeguards, restrooms, showers, and a diaper-changing station. You can get all kinds of snacks, dishes, drinks, and refreshments at The Surf and the nearby Taco Truck. Plus, it is only 3 miles from Downtown, so you can always head to town for a meal. The best time to enjoy a walk or a picnic on the beach with small children is in the morning when it is not as crowded and has fewer surfers. You sip on a tropical cocktail and enjoy lobster rolls on the white sands of this wide beach. Meanwhile, your children can play, fly kites, watch the planes arriving or departing the island, and collect seashells as keepsakes.
Try Bird Spotting at The Creeks
Thanks to the avid conservation efforts by the local authorities and residents of Nantucket, the island has some of the country’s most beautiful nature reserves, bird sanctuaries, and parks. If you are staying in town but still want to go on a wildlife trip with the children, then we recommend visiting The Creeks. The area can be reached via the extension of Washington Street. You can enjoy a stroll through the narrow beach, which will lead you to the Saltmarsh with many stunning large and small creeks. If you are lucky, you and your kids can spot some of the local shore and water birds that inhabit this beautiful area. The birds you can see include herons, ducks, egrets, and seagulls. The Creeks offer some stunning views of the ocean and the island, including most of the harbor, Downtown Nantucket and Monomoy. When the tide is low, you can even reach the island of Monomoy on foot.
Enjoy Some Peaceful Time at the Nantucket Atheneum
Your children may not be thrilled by the idea of going to the library during the summer vacation, but the Nantucket Atheneum is a library like no other. This public library was built in 1834 and rebuilt just over a decade later after a fire burnt it down. Today, it is a prime example of the Greek revival architectural style and is one of the most beautiful buildings on the island. Apart from holding over 40,000 books and unique historical records, the Atheneum offers a wide range of movies and has free Wi-Fi and laptops. The library’s interior is reminiscent of a museum. You can stroll through it, showing the children the paintings of whaling ships, portraits of famous captains and people, and statues and figureheads. The best part for families is the library garden with its Weezie Library children’s wing. There, your kids can have fun in the multiple activities organized by the library and community, including the summer reading program, various craft activities, music, and story times. The spot is frequently visited by local and other performers, authors, and illustrators. The Weezie Library has painted chairs and tables for the children. In the evenings, you can enjoy a free poetry slam or concert there with the whole family.
Take a Downtown Waterfront Walk
When visiting Nantucket, you should most definitely plan a tour around the historic Downtown. One idea for a free tour is a Downtown Waterfront Walk. It starts at the Easy Street Basin, where you can take family vacation photos with the famous 007 red rowboat and the Killen Dorr boat. Then, you can explore the historic Dreamland Theater Complex and the Opera House, one of the most famous restaurants and clubs with famous visitors such as Liz Taylor and July Garland. You and the children can explore the historic Pacific Club and Thos. Macy Warehouse. The latter is the oldest building on the waterfront and the place where the ancestors of Rowland Hussy Macy first began their retail business. Afterward, proceed to the New Whale Basin marina and then George’s Park to see some of the most extravagant mega yachts in the world. Your children will love seeing the Petrel Landing, named after the famous Petrel steamship. The crew of this commercial fishing ship is known for catching a shark weighing 10,000 lb. While walking by the waterfront and enjoying the ocean view, you can see local scallopers. Every summer, they provide the nearby Maria Mitchell Museum aquarium with live shellfish for children and adults to meet and pet. At the end of this free tour, you can walk by the regal historic brick buildings of SOMA-south of Main, which corresponds to New York’s SoHo and Boston’s SoWa.
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