Overview
Brewster is in Massachusetts on Cape Cod. Brewster, known as a favorite home of sea captains, is a charming bayside town. It quieter than many Cape towns and is home to Nickerson State park, a preserve of 400 acres of trails.
10 sights · 4 things to do · 4 places to eat · 8 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Brewster
The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
Exhibits and explore the flora and fauna of Cape Cod on their 80 acre (.32 km)site. This two floor museum is full of many exhibits and displays that are interactive and geared toward children. The whole family can enjoy …
Nickerson State Park
Rte. 6A (Route 6, Exit 12, left off ramp). Mid-Apr.-Mid Oct. Over 420 campsites on 1900 acres, eight miles of roads, an eight mile bike path that connects to the 25 mile Cape Cod Rail Trail. Stocked trout ponds and swimm…
Windmill VIllage
Home of the Higgins Farm Windmill & Harris Black House. The park is on a wide-open meadow with the windmill on one end and a gazebo in the field on the other end. In the middle is a playground and swing set.
Maddocks Gallery
Cape Cod oils by Jim Maddocks.
Struna Galleries
Timothy Struna's pen-and-inks, watercolors and acrylics featuring Cape landscapes and houses.
Underground Gallery
Year round. Daily in season. Watercolors by Karen North Wells. Amazing gallery supported by tree trunks and under tons of earth.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 79°F; winter lows dip to about 25°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Mar and Nov. (climate data from nearby Provincetown)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- HYA Cape Cod Gateway Airport, Hyannis — 12 mi away. Directions
- ACK Nantucket Memorial Airport, Nantucket — 35 mi away. Directions
- BOS Boston Logan International Airport, Boston — 63 mi away (major hub). Directions
Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Windmill VIllage, Maddocks Gallery, Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts
- Lunch The Brewster Fish House
- Afternoon Cobb House Museum, Cape Rep Theatre
- Dinner Cafe Alfresco
Day 2
- Morning The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Nickerson State Park, Struna Galleries
- Lunch Laurino's Tavern
- Afternoon Brewster White Caps, Emerald Hollow Farm
- Dinner Chillingsworth
Day 3
- Morning Underground Gallery, Stony Brook Grist Mill
- Afternoon Sweetwater Forest, The Captain's Golf Course
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
- From Boston take I-93 south to Route 3 south to the Sagamore Bridge (Becomes Rt. 6). Brewster's exit is at Route 134 off of Route 6, approximately 40 minutes from the Sagamore Bridge and 1.75 hours from Boston.
- From Providence or points south take I-95 north to I-195 to Route 25 south to the Bourne Bridge (I-495 also becomes Route 25). At the rotary (traffic circle) on the Cape side, go almost all the way around and travel along the Canal to Route 6 east. Exit at Route 134, approximately 40 minutes from the Sagamore Bridge.
By bus
- Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway, 17 Elm Av., Hyannis, +1 508-771-6191. No service to Brewster, but to Orleans and other nearby towns.
Get around
Car or bicycle are preferred.
- Bike the Cape Cod Rail Trail Nickerson State Park. Free parking. This 22 mi (35 km) bike trail follows an old railroad bed through several towns. Check their website or call them to check for closures. Rent your bike at Rail Trail Bike & Kayak, Snow Rd., +1 508-896-9200. Park there for the trail, get your bike fixed... they do it all.
- Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, +1-800-352-7155. Bus service throughout Cape Cod. No Sunday service.
See
Galleries
Museums
See The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
Exhibits and explore the flora and fauna of Cape Cod on their 80 acre (.32 km)site. This two floor museum is full of many exhibits and displays that are interactive and geared toward children. The whole family can enjoy exhibits on whales, indigenous birds, fish, frogs, turtles, snakes, and many more. In addition to the exhibits, the museum offers three nature trails and guided field walks.
Parks
See Nickerson State Park
Rte. 6A (Route 6, Exit 12, left off ramp). Mid-Apr.-Mid Oct. Over 420 campsites on 1900 acres, eight miles of roads, an eight mile bike path that connects to the 25 mile Cape Cod Rail Trail. Stocked trout ponds and swimming at Flax Pond. Cape Cod Bay is within walking or bicycling distance. You can swim and canoe at Flax Pond; recreational programs offered by park staff.
Do
Do Brewster White Caps
Cape Cod Baseball League collegiate summer action. Games played at Stony Brook School, 5PM or 4:30PM.
Golf
Theatre
Tours
Buy
Brewster has numerous galleries and shops to browse.
Eat
Mid-range
Eat The Brewster Fish House
Creative seafood dishes. Voted best on the Lower Cape for 6 years.
Eat Cafe Alfresco
Garden setting. Casual gourmet food.
Eat Laurino's Tavern
Good family spot, cash only.
Splurge
Eat Chillingsworth
Housed on a 300 year-old estate. Top notch and expensive. "Best restaurant on Cape Cod", according to the New York TImes.
Sleep
Hundreds of campsites available at Nickerson State Park and Sweetwater Forest, see Parks section for more details.
Go next
Orleans is just a bicycle ride away. Provincetown and Chatham are favorite shopping trips for those days that are just wrong for the beach.
Nearby
Harwich
City / town · 27 listings · 5 mi away
Orleans
City / town · 24 listings · 5 mi away
Dennis
City / town · 34 listings · 6 mi away
Eastham
City / town · 38 listings · 7 mi away
Barnstable
City / town · 8 mi away
Yarmouth
City / town · 35 listings · 8 mi away
Chatham
City / town · 43 listings · 8 mi away
Barnstable Village
City / town · 8 listings · 12 mi away
My experience
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