1. Woods Hole Historical Museum
City: Woods Hole, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (508) 548-7270
Address: 573 Woods Hole Rd.
Description: This museum is actually a complex of three buildings, the main one being the William Bradley House, the third-oldest house in the village of Woods Hole. It was owned by 19th-century ship captain William Bradley, who was lost at sea. The structure houses the Woods Hole Historical Collection of paintings, portraits, photographs, and records. The two other buildings, moved to the grounds in 1996, are a boat barn (the Swift Barn, a small boat museum) and an 1890s workshop that at one time belonged to a doctor with various hobbies, including etching and fly-tying. Mid-June to mid-Oct the houses are open Tues through Sat from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed late Oct to mid-June. Admission is free, though donations are gratefully accepted.
City: Woods Hole, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 15 School St.
3. Woods Hole Science Aquarium
City: Woods Hole, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (508) 495-2001
Address: 166 Water St.
Description: The public aquarium of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center encourages children to touch the specimens. They can feel around three touch-tanks and pick up such deep-sea wonders as sea cucumbers, lobsters, and starfish. They can also look at creatures close up under a magnifier and go eye-to-eye with marine life through the glass of 16 display tanks. They can see seals too: Feedings are held at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Student volunteers are on hand to answer kids’ queries in summer. The aquarium is open Mon through Fri 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the school year, and in summer Tues through Sat (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Admission is free, though donations are appreciated.
4. Oceanquest Hands-On Discovery Cruises
City: Woods Hole, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (508) 385-7656, (800) 376-2326
Address: 100 Water St.
Description: This information-packed cruise includes a hands-on science lesson for all ages. “It is geared to the general public—the nonscientist,” says OceanQuest founder and director Kathy Mullin, a marine biologist who has worked on whale-watching boats for more than a decade. “We take a sample of the ocean, and with that we look at temperature, depth, salinity, density, the pH, and we talk about the greenhouse effect and global warming.” Passengers also get a chance to practice with a plankton tow, a trawl, microscope, and lobster trap. Cruises are offered weekdays July through Aug. The cost is $22 per adult ($17 for kids 4 to 12, and $5 for those younger than 4; infants are free). Group rates are also available.
5. Woods Hole Science Aquarium
City: Woods Hole, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (508) 495-2001
Address: 166 Water St.
Description: The operative word in this aquarium’s name is “science.” This is not a world-ranging mega-aquarium, but a friendly, small facility that concentrates on marine animals from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic waters. Among the creatures that live here are turtles, lobsters, jellyfish, fresh- and saltwater fish, and 2 harbor seals, Bumper and Luseal. Dating from 1875, this is the nation’s first public aquarium. Although the exhibits are somewhat dated, the easy-to-view tanks, accessible touching pool, free admission (!), and absence of crowds make this a great outing with small children. Open daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day; open Tues through Sat the rest of the year.