UNIQUE CAPE COD LANDMARKS

Distinctive landmarks that set Cape Cod apart from other destinations

1. HISTORIC WINDMILLS

EASTHAM WINDMILL

Location: Eastham Town Center, Route 6
Built: 1680s (oldest working windmill on Cape Cod)
Unique Feature: Last working gristmill on the Cape
Tours: Seasonal tours showing 1700s milling process
National Register: Listed historic landmark
Annual Event: Windmill Weekend celebration

JONATHAN YOUNG WINDMILL

Location: Orleans (41 Old King's Highway)
Built: 1720
Moved: Relocated multiple times, now permanently situated
Access: Seasonal tours available
Photography: Popular wedding and portrait location

JUDAH BAKER WINDMILL

Location: South Yarmouth (River Street)
Built: 1791
Status: Restored working condition
Unique: Octagonal design (rare style)

HIGGINS FARM WINDMILL

Location: Brewster
Historic Complex: Part of larger historic farm display
Surrounded by: Period buildings and artifacts

2. OBSERVATION TOWERS & SCENIC OVERLOOKS

PILGRIM MONUMENT

Location: Provincetown
Height: 252 feet (tallest all-granite structure in US)
Built: 1907-1910
Commemorates: Mayflower Pilgrims' first landing in 1620
Views: 360-degree panoramic views of Cape Cod
Climb: 116 steps and 60 ramps to top
Museum: Adjacent Provincetown Museum included

SCARGO TOWER

Location: Dennis (Scargo Hill Road)
Height: 28 feet stone tower on 160-foot hill
Built: 1929
Views: Cape Cod Bay, cranberry bogs, and surrounding towns
Free: No admission charge
Unique: Built to resemble medieval castle tower

FORT HILL OVERLOOK

Location: Eastham (Cape Cod National Seashore)
Elevation: Highest point in area
Views: Nauset Marsh, Atlantic Ocean, and barrier islands
Boardwalk: Accessible viewing platform
Historic: Site of 1651 colonial settlement

3. CRANBERRY BOG LANDMARKS

HISTORIC CRANBERRY BOGS

Multiple locations throughout Cape Cod offering unique landscapes:

PAMET VALLEY BOG HOUSE

Location: North Pamet Road, Truro
Built: Around 1830
Purpose: Historic cranberry harvesting support building
Views: From atop Bearberry Hill
Setting: Among former cranberry bogs

FLAX POND CRANBERRY BOG

Location: Brewster
Status: Active commercial bog
Seasonal: Spectacular flooding and harvesting views (fall)
Photography: Unique geometric patterns when flooded

BELL'S NECK CONSERVATION AREA

Location: Harwich
Features: Historic cranberry bog landscape
Trails: Walking paths through bog areas
Wildlife: Bog-specific bird species

4. HISTORIC BRIDGES & ENGINEERING LANDMARKS

CAPE COD CANAL BRIDGES

Sagamore Bridge

Built: 1935
Height: 135 feet above canal
Length: 1,408 feet
Views: Panoramic canal and Cape Cod Bay views
Walking: Pedestrian walkway with interpretive signs

Bourne Bridge

Built: 1935
Twin: Sister to Sagamore Bridge
Views: Different perspective of canal system
Historic: Art Deco architectural details

CAPE COD CANAL ITSELF

Length: 17.4 miles
Built: 1909-1914
Engineering: Sea-level waterway
Bike Path: 6.5-mile recreation trail alongside
Visitor Centers: Multiple locations with canal history

5. UNIQUE CEMETERIES & BURIAL GROUNDS

OLD CEMETERY (PROVINCETOWN)

Location: Winslow Street
Dating: Gravestones from 1700s-1800s
Unique: Maritime-themed headstones
Art: Elaborate carved sailing ships and maritime symbols
Historic: Sea captains and whaling families

MAYFLOWER CEMETERY

Location: Duxbury (technically Plymouth County but Cape Cod adjacent)
Notable: Pilgrim burials
Connections: Direct Cape Cod Pilgrim history

ANCIENT CEMETERY

Location: Yarmouth
Dating: 1600s burials
Unique: Some of Cape Cod's oldest marked graves
Architecture: Historic slate and fieldstone markers

6. WATER FEATURES & DAMS

HERRING RUN VIEWING AREAS

Stony Brook Grist Mill & Herring Run (Brewster)

Seasonal: Spring herring migration (April-May)
Historic: 1663 grist mill still operating
Natural: Fish ladder and viewing area
Photography: Spectacular migration photography

Bournedale Herring Run

Location: Bourne
Fish Ladder: Engineered migration route
Viewing Platform: Elevated observation area
Peak Season: April-early June

MILL PONDS

Drummer Boy Museum Mill Pond (Brewster)

Historic: Former mill operation site
Current: Scenic pond with historic mill building
Walking: Paths around historic mill complex

7. UNIQUE ARCHITECTURAL LANDMARKS

OCTAGON HOUSE

Location: Orleans
Built: 1850s
Architecture: Rare eight-sided house design
Status: Private residence but visible from road
Historic: Example of 19th-century architectural experimentation

CAPTAIN'S HOUSES

Multiple elaborate sea captain mansions throughout Cape Cod:

Captain Edward Penniman House

Location: Eastham (Fort Hill area)
Built: 1868
Architecture: French Second Empire style
Features: Elaborate whale jaw bone gate arch
Tours: National Park Service guided tours

HISTORIC SALTWORKS SITES

Remnants of 1800s salt manufacturing

Multiple locations in Dennis, Yarmouth, and other towns
Historic Industry: Solar salt evaporation operations
Archaeological: Foundation ruins and interpretive markers

8. UNIQUE NATURAL FORMATIONS

WELLFLEET BLUFFS

Location: Wellfleet oceanside
Formation: Dramatic clay cliffs
Erosion: Constantly changing landscape
Views: Spectacular ocean and beach panoramas
Access: Various beach access points

GREAT ISLAND

Location: Wellfleet (accessible by trail)
Formation: Former island, now connected by sandbar
Historic: Site of 1600s whaling station
Trails: 8+ miles of hiking trails
Views: Unique perspective on Cape Cod Bay

9. HISTORIC MARKERS & MONUMENTS

FIRST ENCOUNTER BEACH PLAQUE

Location: Eastham
Commemorates: First conflict between Pilgrims and Native Americans (1620)
Historic: Before Plymouth settlement
Beach: Beautiful beach setting with historic significance

MARCONI STATION SITE

Location: Wellfleet (Cape Cod National Seashore)
Historic: First transatlantic wireless station
Commemoration: Marconi's 1903 wireless transmission to Europe
Remains: Foundation ruins and interpretive displays
Views: Dramatic ocean overlook

10. UNIQUE STRUCTURES

CHATHAM FISH PIER

Location: Chatham Harbor
Activity: Working commercial fishing fleet
Viewing: Public observation deck
Timing: Early morning and late afternoon fleet activity
Seals: Large seal populations visible from pier

PROVINCETOWN BREAKWATER

Length: Nearly 2 miles
Built: Late 1800s-early 1900s
Walking: Challenging walk on large stone blocks
Destination: Wood End Light at terminus
Engineering: Massive stone construction project

FIRE TOWERS & LOOKOUTS

SCUSSET BEACH AREA LOOKOUTS

Location: Bourne
Views: Cape Cod Canal and Plymouth across bay
Beach: Sandy beach with unique canal views
Camping: State park camping available

That's for you who loves:

History Enthusiasts: Windmills, monuments, cemeteries
Photography Enthusiasts: Unique structures and seasonal landscapes
Architecture Lovers: Historic buildings and engineering marvels
Nature Lovers: Bogs, bluffs, and natural formations
Adventure Seekers: Tower climbs and challenging walks

Landmarks