Hyannis, Massachusetts

About Hyannis MA - Main Street, Waterfront, Lodging, Activities and More

And yes, it's true. Hyannis is a bustling place, especially during the summer months.

But describing Hyannis as "busy" doesn't come close to telling the whole story ...

Today, Main Street is a friendly, welcoming place where you'll find adorable storefronts with window boxes bursting with colorful flowers, hungry folks enjoying a meal at an outdoor bistro or lounging on the Town Green with their picnic lunch, and visitors posing for photos with the full-sized bronze sculpture of President Kennedy in front of the John F. Kennedy Museum.

Yes, Main Street does get a little "traffic-y" at times - but there's plenty of off-street parking, and much of it is free.

And the whole length of Main Street is very walkable, even for moms and dads walking with little kids or pushing a baby stroller.

Please, don't let the nay-sayers put you off. Main Street might be busy - but it's still is a great place to spend a day, an evening, or longer.

This is the "Walkway to the Sea", leading to Hyannis Harbor.

Strolling along the Walkway you'll pass the stately old Town Hall building, then you'll come to Aselton Park - a perfect spot for your first view of the inner harbor.

But there's much more to see and do on the Hyannis waterfront than just wait for the ferry.

On Land ...

• As you reach Asleton Park, look to your left and you'll see the Cape Cod Maritime Museum perched up on the knoll overlooking the Harbor. It's a small museum with some fascinating exhibits about the Cape's rich seafaring history. It's wonderful for all ages, and well worth a half-hour visit!
• When it's time for a bite to eat, head down to the dock area and stop by Spanky's Clam Shack. Order up a cool drink and maybe some fresh seafood, enjoy the breeze on the outdoor patio, and watch the boats come in. It's a great place to rest your weary legs and re-fuel after a busy morning exploring Main Street.
• Then wander through the artist shanties, just beyond Spanky's. They're the cutest little buildings where some incredibly talented artisans from the Harbor Your Arts project display their creativity.

At Sea ...

If you're anxious to venture out onto the water, you'll find lots of way to do that, right there in the harbor:

• Step onto a catamaran or an old Maine steamer for a tour past the Lewis Bay lighthouse and out to the Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport.
• Sign on for a deep sea fishing charter, or a kid-friendly sea critter exploration cruise.
• Go aboard the Eventide for a leisurely sail around Lewis Bay.
• Take your little ones on the Pirate Adventure cruise, searching for lost treasure in Pine Island Cove. It's an absolute hoot for both the kids and the adults! (I went on the cruise 5 or 6 years ago with my niece and nephew, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I had some little kids to take with me!!)

To The Beach ...

When it's time to dig your toes in the sand and take a dip in the saltwater, you'll find several nice beaches in Hyannis.

Veteran's Park Beach, just beyond the inner harbor on Ocean Street, is excellent for families with small children. The water is relatively shallow and normally very calm, and there's a nice grassy area where the little ones can play safely away from the shoreline.

A little father down Ocean Street is Kalmus Beach. Kalmus is known world-wide for its wonderful windsurfing, and on a breezy day it's also a perfect place to bring a kite for some trick flying.

For more about Veteran's, Kalmus, and other great beaches in and near Hyannis MA, visit our Hyannis beaches page.

When you venture away from Main Street and the Harbor area, you'll undoubtedly notice that Hyannis feels more like a small city than a small town.

Outside of town there's a large mall, movie theaters, and almost every other service you'd normally expect to find in a small city.

Although there are plenty of places to stay in the downtown area, most of the larger, more well-known hotels and resorts are in the more commercial part of town.

This comes as a bit of a surprise to some first-time visitors to Hyannis.

If you want to stay away from the more commercial sections of town, then lodging in downtown - or in one of the neighboring towns - might be your best bet. (See our Hyannis Lodging mini-guide to find out more.)

Either way ... if you like hustle-bustle, having lots of things to do, and an active nightlife ... then Hyannis could be the perfect Cape Cod vacation spot for you!