Provincetown Travel Guide, Massachusetts

Provincetown is a town with a long and beautiful history that goes way back to 1602 when Explorer Bartholomew Gosnold found this place abundant in fish and set in a beautiful location.

All those who followed and settled here were amazed by the place including painter Charles Hawthorne who, discovering what was then a little fishing settlement, decided to stay and helped found the Provincetown Art Association & Museum in 1914.

He would be proud to see it still functioning. At first having only a few paintings donated by local artists, now the museum has an impressive collection of art belonging to both modernist and classicist artists. There are different rooms for each section, but you can still see works of different value and style next to each other. The best thing about this place is that it is not conservative keeping the visitor at distance from art, but there are many events like, lectures, readings, and classes that help the visitor interact with the artists.

Fishing was the cornerstone of the local economy, thus the town was made up of a community of fishermen and whaling crews.

This lovely little town, an isolated outpost on the eastern seaboard with a basic Portuguese community still attracts many tourists, especially those seeking adventure and who enjoy both the crowded months of summer and the quiet months in winter as there is something that’s present an all year round, an atmosphere of open-mindedness of the locals that helped assemble a community of individuals with different views and lifestyles that have in common the love for this place.

The local’s permissive view on life attracted many gay and lesbian people who saw the place as the perfect spot where they can feel free of prejudices. Some might see things differently and call the town a place of decadence where you would not want to bring your children, but those who feel that way should definitely not come to Provincetown. This does not mean that all residents of the town are gay or lesbian, there are quite a few others who feel strong about their tradition and religion, but strangely enough, they are not at conflict with the more non conformist spirits they respect each other and the place they call home.

The beauties of the place, especially the „dune shacks”, were also discovered by famous writers like Eugene O'Neill, Jack Kerouac who saw them as a place of inspiration. These National Historic Landmarks attract many visitors throughout the year and they are offered different tours including sunset clambake dune tour, Race Point Lighthouse tour and barbeque tour.

Among other attractions to be visited is the Old Harbor Life-Saving Museum exhibiting old equipment that was used to rescue shipwreck victims or any person that was in distress at sea. The museum is hosted in one of 13 lifesaving stations, equipped with a lookout tower that was used as a shelter for those rescued from sea.

Another attraction that offers an astonishing view of the coast and of the New Hampshire's mountains is the Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum, with a granite tower inviting you to climb its 116 steps. The museum boasts exhibits tracing the town’s history including a replica dune shack, polar bears and paintings by Provincetown artists.

An equally interesting attraction is The Expedition Whydah Sea Lab & Learning Center with fascinating exhibits of a 17th-century pirate ship called Whydah where more than 100,000 artifacts were found.

A place rich in heritage, art and history, with welcoming people, a place where you can feel at ease no matter what kind of person you are and whatever your views on life you have.