Provincetown, one of the most well known towns on Cape Cod, offers rich cultural and artistic history as well as plenty of contemporary pleasures. The Pilgrims made their first New World landing here and the historic Mayflower Compact was written and signed just off the coast. Later, an artists' colony developed, attracting the intellectual elite and resulting in many artistic and literary institutions. Today, Provincetown thrives as a cultural center and vacation destination, known for plentiful inns and restaurants, great shopping, beautiful sunsets and a vibrant gay and lesbian community.
Established in 1914 and centrally located on Commercial Street, this gallery displays a range of works spanning an 80-year period. This is one of the premier art museums in the country, and includes a permanent collection of regional art. It also hosts juried shows, slide shows, special exhibitions, children's art classes, concerts and educational workshops. This is an excellent place in which to view the talents of both established and emerging artists, in a town that has long been home to a thriving art colony.
You will find this restaurant tucked away behind Commercial Street, down a clamshell alleyway and through a portal in a trellis that opens into a patio and garden. Inside is a very cozy, wine cellar with low ceilings, complete with hanging Chianti wicker basket bottles. This is the main fireside dining area for this sumptuous, legendary Provincetown eating experience. Upstairs, the Tuscany Room is decorated with paintings for sale, and an award-winning bartender offers you all manner of drinks. The food, mostly Northern Italian, is superb.
The Passions Gallery contains many sensual, romantic works depicting individuals and pairs in all sorts of emotional, sometimes erotic, moments. Many nudes are included in the collection. The gallery's owners claim to have created a safe space, in which both artists and collectors can broaden the boundaries of the definition of beauty.
Located in Whaler's Wharf, essentially a nice enclosed shopping and entertainment center, Ross' Grill is on the second floor and features a back wall of windows overlooking the harbor. Serving wine and beer, it is a favorite gathering spot. Its casual tables of diners eating hearty, straightforward selections of grilled meats and fish are always filled with satisfied customers taking in gorgeous harbor views. The mood is relaxed, the art is eclectic and the desserts are worth saving room for.
Boasting the best water view in Provincetown, this bar and restaurant also offers a tasty menu of items like beer cheese dip, seared tuna, scallops Milano, seafood enchiladas, coconut shrimp, rack of lamb, clam chowder and lobster. At Betsy's Mixers bar you can also get an array of beers, martinis, wines, frozen drinks and coffees. Mixers is a hip, fun and popular spot and offers all the regular menu items. As with many of P-town venues, you should call ahead off-season (Oct-Apr) to check opening hours and menu items.
Provincetown was recently listed as the sixth best beach location in the US, and dramatic Race Point may be one reason why. Here the Cape Cod Bay waters meet wild Atlantic Ocean waves to create a roiling surge called "The Race." Not always safe for small boats, it's probably no accident that this beach contains the Race Point Lifesaving Museum. But it is well guarded in season, has a bath house, and is an overall good location for sunning and swimming. It can also be quite windy here, adding to the feeling that you are facing the elemental ocean at the end of the world.
The Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial Association began collecting mementos of local history in 1892, and opened its first museum in 1910. The museum features exhibits on the Pilgrims and the early history of the local Cape, as well as the Provincetown Players, the pioneering local theater that introduced the world to the work of Eugene O'Neill. Admission includes access to the museum and the adjacent Pilgrim Monument.
Few people know that the Pilgrims first struck land in Provincetown, on November 21, 1620, before continuing on to Plymouth. While anchored in Provincetown Harbor, the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact, dedicating themselves to a community governed by rudimentary democratic rule. This tower was built in 1910 to commemorate that landing, and a climb to the top affords one of the best views on the entire Cape. Admission includes access to the tower and the adjacent Provincetown Museum.
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