Nantucket After Labor Day | Nantucket, Massachusetts
An early fall visit to Nantucket after Labor Day gives visitors the best the island has to offer — shopping, dining, strolling, and harbor views — but with less crowds and lower prices.
Nantucket Harbort was a favorite destination, both in early morning and late evening.
Photo Credit : Ian Aldrich
It’s a fact. Sometimes summer destinations become too much of a destination. The crowds. The traffic. The getting there. It can feel like work. Which is why the shoulder season is a beautiful thing.
Consider Nantucket.
Recently I visited the island for a couple of stories I’m working for Yankee, including one on the ‘Sconset Bluff Walk. It was post Labor Day and as more than a few year-round residents brought to my attention, the perfect time to visit. “The summer tourists are all gone but everything is still open,” one woman told me.
Indeed. The island was still wide open, making the early fall perhaps the best time to visit Nantucket. Restaurants and shops still offered summer hours, but with end-of-the-season sales and minimal check out lines. I strolled around in a T-shirt and shorts. I’ve visited the island several times over the years, in every season, but early autumn remains my favorite time to come to Nantucket.
My journey began on the Steamship Authority’s fast ferry out of Hyannis. We were on the water for just an hour before stepping off in downtown. For my three-day stay I planned to keep it simple. I left my car on the mainland and rented a bike from Young’s Bicycle Shop. I pedaled and walked my way around Nantucket, visiting art galleries, museums, and the harbor. I got to know Nantucket’s famed cobble stone streets like an old friend.
Below is a sampling of the downtown places I visited during my early fall Nantucket visit in photographs. See if they don’t have you planning your own Nantucket fall getaway.
NANTUCKET AFTER LABOR DAY | PHOTOS
Happy travelers departing the Nantucket ferry for their island visit. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichMy home during my stay was at The Carriage House, a downtown B&B housed in a converted 1865 Victorian–you guessed it–carriage house. Photo Credit : Ian AdrichMy transportation came in the form of this two-wheel beauty from Young’s Bicycle Shop. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichI’d be lying if I said this wasn’t an intriguing option. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichFog Island became my go-to breakfast stop. It opened early and served up some delicious omelettes. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichDuring my first morning on the island I went for an early walk found I had downtown practically all to myself – a “Nantucket after Labor Day” perk. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichDowntown Nantucket offers two great bookstores: Nantucket Bookworks, which stays open until 10 P.M., and Mitchell’s Book Corner (pictured here). Both offer robust Nantucket sections, including every title from local favorite and famed historian, Nathaniel Philbrick. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichNantucket Harbort was a favorite destination, both in early morning and late evening. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichBlue sky, blue water were sort of a theme during my visit. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichAny downtown visit must include an ice cream (or frappe) from the Nantucket Pharmacy, whose 1929 soda fountain is still running strong. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichNantucket doesn’t suffer from a lack of shops. One of the more interesting areas to visit is the Old South Wharf, where a bevy of artists and artisans now populate the harbor’s renovated buildings. There you’ll find Pete’s Fresh Fish Prints, where Peter VanDingstee practices Gyotaku, the Oriental art of creating prints of genuine fish on delicate rice paper. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichA beautiful example of VanDingstee’s framed work, which he sells from his shop. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichMy visit also included a stop at the Nantucket Whaling Museum, where I toured the exhibit “Stove By a Whale,” which documents the story of the whale ship Essex, whose lost-at-sea real life tale inspired Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.” Photo Credit : Ian AldrichOne of the highlights of the museum is this giant Sperm whale skelaeton that hangs in the main gallery space. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichI also enjoyed the views of downtown from the museum’s rooftop deck. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichOne of the final stops during my Nantucket stay was at the Atheneum. Housed in an historic 1847 building it just may rank as one of New England’s prettiest small town libraries. Photo Credit : Ian AldrichSee what I mean? Inside the Atheneum’s upstairs reading room. Photo Credit : Ian Aldrich
Have you ever enjoyed a fall visit to Nantucket after Labor Day?
This post was first updated in 2016 and has been updated.
Ian Aldrich is the Senior Features Editor at Yankee magazine, where he has worked for more for nearly two decades. As the magazine’s staff feature writer, he writes stories that delve deep into issues facing communities throughout New England. In 2019 he received gold in the reporting category at the annual City-Regional Magazine conference for his story on New England’s opioid crisis. Ian’s work has been recognized by both the Best American Sports and Best American Travel Writing anthologies. He lives with his family in Dublin, New Hampshire.
