Cape Cod Museums Kids Love

Fall weekends are the most beautiful time of year to visit Cape Cod, and these kid-pleasing museums are perfect for family travels.

Kids can see and touch real pirate treasure at Whydah Pirate Museum in Yarmouth. The galley ship Whydah was captured by pirate Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy and he used the ship to plunder cargoes from more than 50 ships. In 1717, however, Whydah sank in a storm, filled with gold and other treasure. The ship and its precious cargo were recovered off the coast of Cape Cod, near Wellfleet, in 1984, and the treasure is displayed in this museum, along with the story of its recovery and historical information about pirates.

Older children will appreciate the creepy Gothic world of artist Edward Gorey and be fascinated by his offbeat and often macabre collections. These and his drawings fill Edward Gorey House in Yarmouth, both reflections of his off-beat personality. Watchers of PBS Masterpiece Mysteries will enjoy seeing the original plates he created for the series opening credits.

In Brewster, Cape Cod Museum of Natural History combines an aquarium and interactive nature exhibits with three nature trails through woodlands and a saltwater marsh. In addition to whales, fish, birds, turtles and other Cape Cod wildlife, kids can learn about archaeology and the discovery of Native American and early settler artifacts on Cape Cod. While in Brewster, stop at Stony Brook Grist Mill, which grinds grains and corn powered by a small stream.