Please note that many establishments throughout New England have modified their hours and/or operations in response to COVID-19. Always check for the latest information before making travel plans.
As the largest public garden in southern New England, Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich, MA, on Cape Cod is a “must-visit” for garden and history enthusiasts. The gardens include 100 acres of trails, flowers, trees, and shrubs native to Cape Cod, accented with features like a flume fountain and historic windmill. There are also three exhibit galleries, a children’s adventure park, a vintage carousel, and a labyrinth.
I wasn’t able to see and do everything the museum has to offer, but that only means I have the perfect excuse to return. Here’s a look at my summer 2016 visit to Heritage Museums and Gardens in photos.
Heritage Museums and Gardens on Cape Cod
Welcome to the Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich, MA! Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyFirst up? The Heritage Museums and Gardens Automobile Gallery. Look familiar? The building is a reproduction of the Round Stone Barn at Hancock Shaker Village. Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyThe popular main exhibit, Driven to Collect, features a permanent collection of antique and classic automobiles. Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
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The Old East Windmill is a favorite photo op at Heritage. Built in 1800 in nearby Orleans, Massachusetts, the windmill ground wheat, rye, barley, and salt for 93 years before it was transported to Heritage in 1968. Heritage Fun Fact: “In order to make the 32-mile trip, the windmill was disassembled into four pieces. The move took ten days as each power line along the route had to be lifted to accommodate the height of the windmill.” Photo Credit : Aimee TuckerThe Flume Fountain at Heritage Museums and Gardens is a lovely spot of tranquility. Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyKeep your eyes peeled for turtles on the lilypads! Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyThe hydrangea garden at Heritage Museums and Gardens (these varieties would soon be blooming!) is especially impressive, making it a perfect spot for those enjoying the annual Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival. Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyLovely hydrangeas at Heritage Museums and Gardens. Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyThis stunning variety, hydrangea serrata, is delicate, but hardy — and was very popular with the bees. Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyThe labyrinth at Heritage Museums and Gardens was designed by Marty Cain of Newport, NH, and installed in 2002. Heritage Says: “This seven-circuit labyrinth of crushed shells and pink granite enables visitors to follow a single roundabout path to the center and use the same path to return, coming full circle and exiting where they entered.” Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyThe Special Exhibitions Gallery at Heritage Museums and Gardens. During my visit, the exhibit was Cut! Costume and Cinema. I must confess, being up close and personal with Kate Winslet’s dress from the 1996 film Emma had me feeling a little swoon-y. Tucked into the woods, Hidden Hollow at Heritage offers a place for families to play and explore. Kids, quite understandably, love the interactive adventure components at Hidden Hollow. Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyThe American Art & Carousel Gallery at Heritage. I didn’t have time to tour the gallery… Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyBut couldn’t resist checking out the 1908 hand-carved carousel! Heritage offers unlimited rides on the carousel with admission. Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyMultiple paths at Heritage Museums and Gardens offer hours of strolling opportunities. Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyThe daylilies were in full bloom during my mid-summer visit. Photo Credit : Aimee SeaveyShawme Pond in historic Sandwich was my final stop at Heritage Museums and Gardens. The perfect place to sit and rest before a long drive home. Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
Heritage Museums and Gardens is open daily from April through October, plus seasonally in winter for special events. Visit their website for additional information. Wondering what you’ll see during your visit? Check out the Heritage Bloom Calendar.
Have you ever visited Heritage Gardens and Museums?
This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated.
Aimee Tucker is Yankee Magazine’s Home Editor and the Senior Digital Editor of NewEngland.com. A lifelong New Englander and Yankee contributor since 2010, Aimee has written columns devoted to history, foliage, retro food, and architecture, and regularly shares her experiences in New England travel, home, and gardening. Her most memorable Yankee experiences to date include meeting Stephen King, singing along to a James Taylor Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood, and taking to the skies in the Hood blimp for an open-air tour of the Massachusetts coastline.
