The Town of Barnstable, which is Cape Cod’s largest town, is made up of seven villages: They include Barnstable, Centerville, Cotuit, Hyannis, Marstons Mills, Osterville and West Barnstable. It spans 76-square miles between Nantucket Sound and Cape Cod Bay.
Barnstable Village is noted for its significant historic preservation efforts, particularly in the case of the Olde Colonial Courthouse, built in 1774, and the Sturgis Library, built in 1644. Not only are both of the buildings among the oldest structures on the Cape, they are some of the oldest Colonial buildings in the country. Sturgis Library’s Lothrop Room, an area once used for public worship, makes the library the oldest structure still standing in America where religious services were regularly held.
The Barnstable Comedy Club, one of the oldest and longest-running community theaters in Massachusetts, sits in the heart of Barnstable Village. It produces four main shows per season, which include a musical and three plays beginning in November through May as well as other special events such as the Annual Barnstable Village Stroll, staged readings, and acting and directing workshops.
Each year, a popular attraction in Hyannis is the row of quaint artist shanties. Visitors to the Hyannis HyArts Artist Shanties can spend an afternoon at the harbor, strolling the boardwalk, visiting artists, listening to live music, and even a picnic in the park. This year’s artists work in a wide variety of media including: photography, painting (acrylics, oils, pastels, watercolors, etc.), handmade jewelry from metals, gemstones, glass, beach stones and more, ceramics, mosaics, mariner knot work, wood carving, tapestry, fiber art and more. There is no fee to browse.
The Guyer Barn, adjacent to Barnstable Town Hall, is a showcase for emerging and established local artists in a wide variety of genres. It is a community art space – a working artist studio and professional artist gallery supporting and promoting the arts where visitors gather year round to enjoy changing exhibitions, classes and workshops and performances.
The Coast Guard Heritage Museum is located in the historic old Customs House at the corner of Main Street and Millway in Barnstable Village. The mission of the Coast Guard Heritage Museum is to preserve the history of the Coast Guard from its beginnings in 1790 through the modern era.
The Cape Cod Baseball League, which is a premier amateur wooden bat collegiate baseball league that turns out many MLB players, has not one, but two teams in the town of Barnstable – the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, who play at McKeon Field, Hyannis, and the Cotuit Kettleers, who play in Lowell Park, Cotuit.
