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KIDS ON THE CAPE SUGGESTS...
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: 20 Academy Lane off Main St. Get a free map and other information. 508-548-8500
BEACH FOR KIDS: Surf Drive Beach is perfect for smaller children with its protected salt-water pool. Full facilities and snack bar. Parking fee. Freshwater swimming at Grews Pond in Goodwill park. Restrooms & lifeguard.
PICNIC SPOT: Goodwill Park. Run by the Falmouth Recreation Department, the park offers swimming, BBQ pits, kids playground, volleyball courts and restrooms. There are 2 entrances to the park- from Palmer Ave (off Rte 28) or off Gifford St. (from Main St. near the library) 508-457-2567
FISHING SPOT: Try Coonamessett Pond off Rte 151 where you can catch bass, pickerel, yellow perch, bullhead, and white perch.
BIKING TRAIL: Shining Sea Bikeway. Running along the beach coast from Falmouth to Woods Hole is a 3.3 mile route. Several bike rental places are located nearby.
HIKING TRAIL: Ashumet Holly and Wildlife Sanctuary, Currier Road off Rte. 151. (Two miles from Mashpee Rotary). A great woodsy place for nature walks, with self guided tours and varied educational programs. Admission: Adults $3; seniors and children 16 and under $2; Members free. Currier Road off Rte 151 (2 miles from the Mashpee Rotary). Open from dawn to dusk. 508-362-1426
LIBRARIES: Falmouth Public Library: 123 Katherine Lee Bates Rd. 508-457-2555; E. Falmouth Branch: 310 E. Falmouth Hwy. 508-548-6340; N. Falmouth Branch: Chester St. 508-563-2922; W. Falmouth Library: W. Falmouth Hwy. 508-548-4709; Woods Hole Library: 581 Woods Hole Rd. 508-548-8961 (Call for story hours)
PLAYGROUNDS: In Woods Hole, on Bell Tower Lane. In East Falmouth at the Elementary School off Maravista and at North Falmouth Elementary School on Old Main Road.
MUSEUM ON THE GREEN: 55-65 Palmer Ave, adjacent to the Village Green. Offering guided tours of two 18th century houses featuring period rooms, a colonial kitchen, an early 1800’s doctor’s office and exhibits on Falmouth whaling in the 19th century. A special Katharine Lee Bates Room chronicles the life of the Falmouth-born author of “America the Beautiful.” The two-acre museum complex includes the Hallett Barn, where hands-on activities and exhibits highlight tools and domestic arts of yesteryear, colonial and herb gardens and a gift shop. Open 10am - 4pm, Tues. - Sat., mid June - mid Sept. 508-548-4857
OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE EXHIBIT CENTER: Visitors to WHOI’s Exhibit Center learn about the institution’s ocean science research & the vessels & tools developed by WHOI engineers & scientists for use in that research. Step inside a full-size model of the deep submersible Alvin & imagine life at the ocean floor while watching vivid footage taken at deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites. Much more. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, 15 School St. 508-289-2252
FALMOUTH RECREATION DEPARTMENT: A town-sponsored playground program begins after 4th of July weekend. Call for schedule. Swimming, sailing and tennis lessons are coordinated through the Rec. Dept. Scheduling details 508-457-2567
patriot boats, falmouth: Enjoy fishing, scenic cruises and sailing right out of Falmouth Harbor. Patriot Boats has been taking families fishing for scup, fluke and tautog for over 30 years. All bait and tackle is included, as well as instruction. During the summer, the 65-foot Schooner Liberte offers 2-hour daysails, four times a day. Scenic sunset cruises every evening. Great family fun on the water! For reservations and information, 508-548-2626
BOWLING ALLEY: Leary Family Amusements, located near the town offices off of Main St. offers “Cosmic Bowl” on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer. It’s a fun, wild night of bowling with a light show, rock music, and bumper bowling for the kids. 508-540-4877
SKATEBOARD PARK: Skateboarders gather at a park built especially for them -- next to the Trotting Park field on Gifford Street.
FALMOUTH ICE ARENA: 9 Skating Lane. Limited open skating plus kids camps are offered during the summer. 508-548-7080
WAQUOIT BAY NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE VISITOR CENTER: On Rte 28, east of Falmouth Center, about 3.5 miles west of the Mashpee Rotary, the Center offers interperative programs, walks, estuary exploration, “Creature Features,” Jr. Rangers, a summer science school and much more. 508-457-0495
ASHUMET HOLLY RESERVATION: Off Rte 151 at 286 Ashumet Rd., E. Falmouth. The Mass Audubon sanctuary features more than 40 acres of hiking trails, and is known for its collection of Holly trees. 508-563-6390
OCEANQUEST, WOODS HOLE: Oceanquest is a non-profit marine education organization. Passengers travel off the coast in their 60’ research vessel to participate in hands-on marine experiments. Kids haul traps, operate instrumentation, explore touch-tanks and learn about our native waters--the ecosystem and basic oceanography. The trips are exhilarating, educational and unforgettable. Waterfront Park, Water St. 800-376-2326
CAPE COD BASEBALL LEAGUE: Catch a free baseball game with the hometown Falmouth Commodores. See he Cape League Special Feature & baseball schedule in this issue of Kids on the Cape.
NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES AQUARIUM, WOODS HOLE: The oldest research aquarium in the country, visitors can get behind the scenes and see how an aquarium works. Touch tanks with local species are fascinating. It’s free! Albatross and Water Streets. 508-495-2001
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Falmouth has been a tourist resort since the mid-1800's when wealthy Bostonians began purchasing picturesque farms as summer retreats. The town continued in the 1800's to welcome wealthy visitors who traveled non-stop from their City homes on a private train nicknamed the Dude Train. The area's classic New England look stems from the tasteful influences of wealthy sea captains and civic leaders prominent in the late 1800's. With its picturesque village green and its many outdoor attractions, Falmouth with its villages of Woods Hole, Teaticket, Hatchville and Waquoit remains today a preferred Cape Cod destination. 
