Alison & Walter
Things To Do
Rockport Art Association & Museum
Our venue is also a lovely art museum & gallery! The Rockport Art Association & Museum Collection includes many fine examples that represent over a century of the Cape Ann School of art. Check them out before or after the wedding (or during).
Museum of Fine Arts
We went here on our first date. Needless to say, we had a blast!
Whale Watching
Summer is a great time for a whale watch from one of the many towns on the coast. We will be staying on Cape Ann which is north of Boston. There are many fun day trips that leave from Boston Harbor or closer to Cape Ann. The address & phone number are for Boston City Cruises, which is just one option. Walter and Alison have done this and had a blast - whale sightings are very common!
Bearskin Neck
At the tip of Cape Ann, in the quaint coastal village of Rockport, Massachusetts you will find one of the most scenic stretches in all of Massachusetts, Bearskin Neck. Located in the heart of the town, Bearskin Neck proudly juts out of Dock Square into Rockport Harbor. The shops, galleries and restaurants that line the narrow roads are all small locally-owned businesses where you can find some unique artistic treasures, meet the friendly shop owners, and enjoy the local history. Locals debate the reason the street is called "Bearskin Neck." More information here: https://addisonchoate.com/blog/bearskin-neck-rockport-ma/
Shalin Liu Performance Center
Designed to showcase chamber music, this modern 330-seat venue also hosts jazz, pop & folk concerts in the summer. Offerings from August 15-19, 2024 include an opera performance, a blues band, and a Frank Sinatra tribute band.
Salem, Massachusetts
A short train ride from Rockport is the historic Salem, Massachusetts, site of the famous witch trials of the 1690s. Lots of cool witchy shops and history to experience.
Hammond Castle Museum
Nearby Gloucester, MA also has a lot to offer. One suggestion is Hammond Castle Museum. The castle, which was constructed between 1926 and 1929, was the home, laboratory, and museum of John Hays Hammond Jr., an inventor and pioneer in the study of remote control who held over four hundred patents. The building is composed of modern and 15th-, 16th-, and 18th-century architectural elements and sits on a rocky cliff overlooking Gloucester Harbor. It is a beautiful place to visit, and weddings are often held here too!
Cape Ann Museum
Another option in Gloucester. The Cape Ann Museum's fine art collection includes the largest grouping of works by native son and renowned marine artist, Fitz Henry Lane, as well as work by other prominent painters and sculptors who lived on, visited or were inspired by Cape Ann. The work of contemporary Cape Ann artists is also collected and exhibited. The permanent collection includes fine and decorative arts, and artifacts from the major industries of the area—the fisheries and granite quarrying.
Freedom Trail
If you are interested in history, Boston has loads to learn! If you are staying a few days, we highly recommend a walking tour through the city of Boston for out-of-towners that have not been to the area. Grab some delicious clam chowder at Union Oyster House, where JFK used to dine, or walk the path of Paul Revere warning us that the British are coming, all the way to Old North Church.
New England Aquarium
A favorite of our flower girl, 4-year old Sylvie Saindon. This amazing aquarium is located right on the Central Wharf of downtown Boston. It hosts a GIANT water tank and is home to the lovely Myrtle the sea turtle.
Fenway Park
If you are into sports and are here a while, catch a game while you are in town. The Red Sox are away the whole weekend, but they are playing the Texas Rangers during the week before the wedding at Fenway Park on August 12th, 13th, and 14th. The Patriots will also be playing the Eagles in a preseason game on August 15th at Gillette Stadium.