Overview
Dennis is in Massachusetts on Cape Cod. It includes the villages of Dennis Port, East Dennis, South Dennis, and West Dennis. Dennis bills itself as the "Cultural Center of Cape Cod", and perhaps rightly so. It boasts the Cape Cod Museum of Art, the Cape Playhouse, and some really excellent art and craft galleries.
3 sights · 6 things to do · 9 places to eat · 4 bars & cafés · 12 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Dennis
Scargo Pottery
Fine, unusual pottery by various artists, including an outdoor display. Sometimes you can watch them work.
Josiah Dennis Manse Museum and Schoolhouse
Mayflower Beach
One of the most beautiful beaches in Dennis. Best at low tide, when vast sandbars stretch for miles and the ocean recedes several hundred yards. Can get very crowded during tourist season: neighboring Chapin Beach is usu…
Cape Cod Museum of Art
Preserves and displays the art of Cape Cod artists.
Cape Playhouse Center for the Arts
America's oldest professional summer theatre.
Bike the Cape Cod Rail Trail
Free parking. This 22-mile bike trail follows an old railroad bed through several towns. Check their website or call them to check for closures. (The map pointer is at the end of the trail with the parks service office.)…
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 — 6 mi away. Directions
- ACK Nantucket Memorial Airport, Nantucket — 34 mi away. Directions
- BOS Boston Logan International Airport, Boston — 60 mi away (major hub). Directions
Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $80–$185 a night (typical $90), from 9 listed prices.
- Typical meal: about $20 per person at listed restaurants.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$120, mid-range ~$160, comfortable ~$350.
Options are grouped as Campgrounds in the Sleep guide ↓.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Josiah Dennis Manse Museum and Schoolhouse, Cape Cod Museum of Art, Cape Playhouse Center for the Arts
- Lunch Scargo Cafe
- Afternoon Mayflower Beach, Scargo Pottery
- Dinner Chapin's Restaurant
- Evening Devil's Purse Brewing Co.
Day 2
- Morning Bike the Cape Cod Rail Trail, Golf
- Lunch Sundae School Ice Cream
- Afternoon Tigger Too Sport Fishing
- Dinner LaScala Cape Cod
- Evening Sundancer's
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). Dennis is at Exit 78 (old exit 9) off of Route 6, approximately 40 minutes from the Sagamore Bridge.
- 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. Dennis is at Exit 78 (old exit 9) off of Route 6, approximately 40 minutes from the Sagamore Bridge.
By bus
- Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway, 17 Elm Av., Hyannis, +1 508-771-6191, .
Get around
Public transportation is non-existent in Dennis, so you will want a car to get around. While the shoulders are narrow on many of the roads, bicycles are also a great way to get around in Dennis.
See
- Scargo Hill, Scargo Hill Rd., (Rte 6, Exit 9 to Route 143 north, left on Rte 6A, left on Scargo Hill Rd). Nice panoramic view of the Cape and across Cape Cod Bay from the top of the 28 ft (8.5 m) stone tower on the 160 ft (49 m) hill.
Do
- Eventide Theatre Company, Dennis Union Church, Route 6A, +1 508-255-9255 (General Information), +1 508-255-9255 (Box Office).
Dennis Pines Par 72, 7000 yards. Dennis Highlands Par 71, 6500 yards.
- Albatross Deep Sea Fishing, Sesuit Harbor, +1 508-863-2533.
Eat
Eat Ocean House
Top notch dining overlooking Nantucket Sound. Rated excellent by Zagat.
Eat Scargo Cafe
Nice casual place right across from the theatre.
Eat Chapin's Restaurant
"Beach casual" featuring outdoor raw bar.
Eat The Lighthouse Inn
Great oceanside location, some imaginative dinners. Lousy, small wine glasses. $19-28.
Eat Sundae School Ice Cream
One of the most popular ice cream shops in Dennis. A favorite of locals and tourists alike. Has a player piano and a neighboring candy shop.
Eat Kream N' Kone
Very affordable local seafood restaurant, known for its excellent fried seafood. Regularly recognized by Cape Cod Life magazine and various surveys.
Eat LaScala Cape Cod
A family-friendly Italian restaurant focused on serving fresh, simple, delicious Italian food in a comfortable, home-like setting where everyone is welcomed as family and friends.
Drink
Drink Sand Bar (at the Lighthouse Inn)
W-Sa features Rock King, who has been a 38-year fixture here.
Drink Sundancer's
On Bass River. Young crowd. Rock music in summer. Reggae on summer Sundays.
Drink Lost Dog Pub
Where the locals hang out.
Drink Devil's Purse Brewing Co.
Small micro-brewery offering tastings, growler fills, and crowlers. This is a brewery, opened in 2015, is a barebones warehouse tasting room in an industrial area. There are quite a range of styles, from ESB to double IPA.
Sleep
Stay Lighthouse Inn
Open mid-May to mid-October. Accommodations include cottages, carriage house, and a lodge. Amenities include pool, private bath, air conditioning, refrigerators, in-room safe, television, data-port, and hairdryers. Located near beaches, golf courses, hiking/biking trails, and shopping. No pets.
Campgrounds
Go next
Nearby Hyannis, one of the villages of Barnstable, boasts the largest downtown area in the mid-Cape, as well as the Cape Cod Mall, the largest mall on the Cape. Main Street is lined with ice cream parlors, restaurants, salt water taffy shops, bars, art galleries, and lots of souvenir shops. Although some say it has become tacky, it is still worth a visit.
A bit farther out from Dennis is Provincetown, at the tip of the Cape. Provincetown is home to a vibrant LGBT community as well as a wide array of shops, art galleries, bars, bed & breakfasts, and particularly good restaurants. While the cobblestone streets can get a bit raucous at night, it is far and away the most vibrant town in the area and still retains the antique charm of Cape Cod. Definitely worth a visit.
Nearby
Yarmouth
City / town · 35 listings · 3 mi away
Barnstable
City / town · 3 mi away
Brewster
City / town · 27 listings · 6 mi away
Barnstable Village
City / town · 8 listings · 6 mi away
Harwich
City / town · 27 listings · 7 mi away
Hyannis
City / town · 39 listings · 7 mi away
Centerville
City / town · 7 listings · 10 mi away
Orleans
City / town · 24 listings · 11 mi away
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