When I go to Cape Cod, it is all about relaxing and recharging. I love all the beautiful beaches and taking long walks while shopping in downtown areas. When I travel I like to take in the culture of my destination and Heritage Museum and Gardens, located in Sandwich, is the perfect place to experience classic Cape Cod. There is something for everyone here and a lovely way to spend half a day. Let me tell you about my day at this unique spot.
GARDENS
No matter when you visit, there is always something beautiful to see. I spent a perfect spring day here and everything was just beginning to bloom. I can’t imagine how colorful it is summer. There are more than 100 acres of gardens that display flowers, trees, and shrubs native to Cape Cod. You can stroll the wooded paths or stay on the paved trail. Your senses are surrounded as you take in the colors and scents of over a thousand varieties of trees, shrubs, and flowers.
WINDMILL
It was such a pretty sight to walk upon the Old East Mill. This mill was built in 1800, in Orleans, Massachusetts. In it’s early years it served as a tool for grinding wheat, rye, barley, and salt. In the Civil War it was used to ground corn meal that was used for rations for Union soldiers. There are beautiful gardens in this area and a large field where kids would love to run around.
AUTOMOBILE GALLERY
From the outside, the building is unassuming, but when you walk in you will be blown away by what you see. It is a reproduction of the Round Stone Barn, at Hancock Shaker Village. Make sure you take in the ceiling as the sun shines through.
I was not expecting such an amazing collection of cars in such perfect condition. I am not usually a car lover, but I was so interested in this gorgeous group of antique and classic automobiles. This collection was the passion of Josiah K Lilly III, the founder of Heritage, and he wanted to share it with the public. Some of the cars I loved included the 1936 Cord 810 Westchester (red car in the big box) 1932 Speedster (Bottom row, black car), the 1912 Raceabout (bottom row, yellow car), the 1922 Ford Model T Howe Pumper (bottom row, red car), the 1910 Roadster (2nd row, green car), and the 1909 Steam Car (first row, green car on right side). Sorry, but my labeling of the cars may not match up if you’re viewing this on your mobile.
SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS GALLERY
Until October 2016, Heritage is featuring an amazing exhibit called CUT! Costume and the Cinema. It is a stunning collection of 43 costumes from famous movies throughout the years. The collection featured costumes from stars such as Johnny Depp, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, Heath Ledger, Kiera Knightly, Jude Law, Minnie Driver, and Randy Quaid. The exhibit emphasizes how costumes set the scene and ambiance of a film and can reveal a character’s status, age, wealth, and their role in the film.
AMERICAN ART GALLERY
This gallery contains a collection of New England folk art. There are beautiful paintings, weapons from 1865, clothing, old toys, statues, and so much more.
CAROUSEL GALLERY
My girls would have loved this section of Heritage because you can ride this gorgeous carousel over and over. The carousel was built in 1908, and was manufactured by Charles Looff. It truly is a piece of art. It features hand-carved figures of zebras, frogs, ostriches, cats, and deer.
FULL BLOOM…
The following are pictures of the gardens when the flowers are more in bloom. I will definitely be back to experience how beautiful it is. Thank you, Julie Raynor, for use of these stunning photographs.
TIPS:
ADDRESS: 67 Grove Street. Sandwich, MA 02563
HOURS: Saturday, April 16- Monday, October 10, 2016: 9:00 am- 5:00 pm
ADMISSION: Adults $18, Youths (ages 3-11) $8, 2 and under are free.
Tickets can be purchased online.
PHONE NUMBER: (508) 888-3300
PARKING: There is free parking at Heritage Museum and Garden.
PROGRAMS: Heritage offers many interesting programs throughout the season. Click here for their Program Calendar.
ADVENTURE PARK: This looks like such a fun place! I wish I had time to explore it. I know my girls would have loved to experience it and it looks like a fun activity for the entire family. For more information Click Here.
Thank you to Heritage Museums and Gardens for having me as your guest.
As always, my experience and opinion is 100% my own.