Sprawling across Cape Ann, Gloucester is a historic fishing settlement and summer getaway destination north-east of Boston. It was inhabited by the Agawam people when European settlers arrived in the 17th century and named the town after the city of Gloucester in south-west England.
Things to do in Gloucester
Gloucester’s cultural and artistic history is on display at the Cape Ann Museum, which occupies the 1804-built Captain Elias Davis House. In addition to maritime and fishing artefacts, the museum exhibits vintage equipment and tools from the area’s granite quarries. Works by the 19th-century maritime artist Fitz Henry Lane and block prints from the Folly Cove Designers are also on display.
Several waterfront industrial buildings are preserved as Maritime Gloucester, an engaging museum that hosts changing exhibitions and educational workshops. It’s a short stroll from Solomon Jacobs Landing, a memorial park where you can watch the fishing boats coming and going from the harbour. Further along the coast is Hammond Castle Museum, a medieval-style complex built by the inventor John Hays Hammond, Jr.
For a day at the beach, head to Good Harbor, a wide expanse of sand backed by dunes and bird-filled marshes. It’s a popular destination for swimming and body surfing, and there’s also a beach volleyball court. At low tide, you can walk out to Salt Island, which lies just offshore. On the other side of Gloucester is Stage Fort Park, a beachfront reserve on the site of Gloucester’s original settlement.
Getting around Gloucester
Gloucester is around 45 minutes’ drive from Boston and Boston Logan International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the globe. Trains connect along the Newburyport-Rockport Line to the Gloucester railway station and buses travel throughout the city. The centre of Gloucester can easily be explored on foot.