Shopping

Although there are some large chain stores, the majority of retail shopping on Cape Cod is done in scores of smaller, independent shops that populate the peninsula.

The latest fashions are available, but Cape clothing stores are especially strong in classic designs and offbeat clothes just right for artistic types. We’ve got gourmet shops, jewelers, outdoor shops, shoe stores, bookshops, and gift shops. Many gift shops double as galleries, making it easy to find that one-of-a-kind wall hanging, basket, vase, or planter. (If you’re in the market for art, be sure to check our Arts chapter for galleries.)

There are a few sizable retail centers besides Cape Cod Mall, which completed a massive renovation in 2000. Busy Route 132 in Hyannis is home to three other shopping plazas right nearby. On the Upper Cape the open-air Mashpee Commons has more than 90 shops plus several banks and eateries. There’s also the Falmouth Mall with 20 stores. These large centers certainly come in handy, but shopping local is just as easy to do on the Cape. Although towns on the Outer Cape such as Truro, Wellfleet and Eastham do not have large downtowns, most other areas of the Cape have something to offer in the way of small walkable shopping areas. Even on the outer Cape there is Provincetown, with one of the most unique downtown experiences anywhere and small shops spread throughout the other three towns.

Provincetown’s Commercial Street is as funky and colorful as Greenwich Village—only with a small-town, seaside flavor. This is the place to go for the offbeat and the outrageous, along with the artistic and spiritual. Wellfleet has a nice downtown, with an emphasis on galleries mixed with a few choice shops. Eastham’s shopping scene is a bit scattered geographically, so you do need a car.

Orleans is the real retail hub of the Lower Cape. Many residents of surrounding towns come here regularly to do their grocery shopping, pick up dry cleaning, buy flowers, and just shop. It’s the kind of town where you’re bound to run into someone you know. It has a nice downtown area where you can park your car and stroll down the brick-paved sidewalks in some areas.

Chatham is also a good walking town, though there are shops beyond the downtown area you may want to drive to. Main Street Chatham has a genteel, relaxed feel—no hustle-bustle here. Harwich is sprawling, with shops all along Route 28 and in other areas of town. Harwich Port is a good place to start, because much of it is walkable. Brewster, likewise, has a couple of little centers, with a cluster of shops near the Brewster General Store, another cluster a mile or so east (including Brewster Book Store), and the Lemon Tree complex of shops to the west.

Shopkeepers accept many forms of payment—cash, personal checks (with proper ID), travelers’ checks, and credit cards. Not all shops take all credit cards, but most accept at least one or two.

Although most stores are open seven days a week during the season (Memorial Day to Labor Day), many shops—especially those on the Lower Cape—have sporadic off-season hours or are open only on weekends in winter. We’ll let you know if that is the case and, of course, we’ll tell you when a shop is closed in the off-season. Otherwise, you can assume the store is open all year. It’s always a good idea to call first during January, February, and March; even shops that are open all year sometimes close for a week or two in the dead of winter for cleaning, painting, or redecorating so they’ll be ready for another busy summer.

Shopping - The Arts

Cape Cod offers visitors and residents alike a varied and rich cultural experience with a cosmopolitan twist. Cape Cod is famed for its summer theater, whose illustrious history begins with the first performed play of Eugene O’Neill and continues with spectacular productions at places such as the marvelous Cape Playhouse in Dennis, which has attracted (and continues to attract) world-class talent like Helen Hayes, Julie Harris, and Tallulah Bankhead. If you’re a music lover, you can enjoy hot sounds at the Beachcomber and Jazz by the Sea or soaring symphonies at various venues when the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra performs.

You’ll find that the Cape is rich in the visual arts too. The spectacular landscape, the laid-back lifestyle, and the unique light have been an irresistible draw for painters. Craftspeople and artisans have come too. Fine art galleries abound, such as Tree’s Place in Orleans or the Blue Heron Gallery in Wellfleet.

Indeed the Cape is one of New England’s largest centers of the arts. It has some 125 different arts organizations, according to the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod.

If you’re an artist yourself, be sure to check out the opportunities for workshops and classes here on the Cape, which we offer in our Education and Child Care chapter. But first, for you and for everyone else who loves art, we offer a broad overview of the Cape’s cultural offerings. We start by taking a look at the theater scene, then music, dance, art galleries and art museums, and movie theaters that show more than box-office hits. There’s plenty here to lure you off the beach—take a break from the sun and bathe in creativity instead.