Rockport (Massachusetts)
- Not to be confused with Rockport (Maine).
Rockport is a town of 7,000 people (2020) in Massachusetts on Cape Ann. The town, once famous for granite production, got its start as an artist colony in the late 1800s. Rockport is a favorite vacation spot and day trip for many who come to enjoy the concentration of shops and galleries on Bearskin Neck, the rugged, rocky coastline or some ultra-fresh lobsters or other seafood.
Get in
By car
Interstate 95 to Route 128 to Route 127. Downtown has parking meters ($.25 per half-hour) and often has no spots. Rockport has a free parking facility, the Blue Gate Parking Lot (open June-Oct), located as you arrive on Route 127 about 1/4 mi (400 m) past the Rockport Visitor Information booth. From the parking lot, it is about a 3/4-mile walk to downtown Rockport, but a shuttle to town only costs $1 each way.
By train
The commuter rail run from Boston's North Station is about a 70-minute trip and costs $7.75 one-way. Rockport's station is off Railroad Avenue, less than a mile from the center of town.
By bus
The Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA), ☏ +1 978-283-7916, runs buses from town to town on Cape Ann.
Get around
The main tourist areas are very compact and walkable. Having a car lets one explore some of the other coastal areas.
See
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- 🌍 Motif #1. the widely known subject of many paintings.
- 🌍 Halibut Point State Park, Gott Av (3 mi north of town on Rt. 127), ☏ +1 978 546-2997. Daily dawn to dusk. Beautiful coastline views, visitor center, walking trails, and tidal pools. A renovated World War II fire tower provides a scenic view. Weekend quarry tours and granite cutting demonstrations take place in summer. Great place to picnic. Parking $10, MA Residents $5.
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- 🌍 Paper House, 52 Pigeon Hill St (Rt. 127 north to Curtis St.), ☏ +1 978 546-2629. Daily Apr-Oct, 10AM-5PM. Bizarre 1922 vintage house built entirely of 100,000 newspapers even housing a newspaper-covered piano. Admission: adults $3, children $1.
Galleries
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- John Caggiano Gallery, ☏ +1 978 546-2414. 66 Bearskin Neck (also 4 Main St.).
- Cynthia Curtis Pottery, 80 Pigeon Hill Street, ☏ +1 978 546-6186.
- Don Mosher Gallery, 13 Main Street, ☏ +1 978 546-3666.
- Tom Nicholas Gallery, 7 Wildon Heights, ☏ +1 978 546-9647.
- Square Circle, 11 Dock Square, ☏ +1 978 546-7100.
- Thistle Fine Art, 31A Granite Street, ☏ +1 978 546-2020.
- Tidal Edge Gallery, 3 School Street, ☏ +1 978 546-3196.
Do
- Rockport Golf Club, 60 South Street, ☏ +1 978 546-3340.
- North Shore Kayak Outdoor Center, 9 Tuna Wharf, ☏ +1 978 546-5050.
- Windhover Performing Arts Center, 257(R) Granite St, ☏ +1 978 546-3611.
Fishing
- Tuna Hunter Charters, 4 Heritage Drive, ☏ +1 978 407-1351.
Buy
- Bearskin Neck Country Store, 40 Bearskin Neck, ☏ +1 978-546-3620. Get candies that are hard to find in other shops.
- Village Silversmith, 20 Bearskin Neck, ☏ +1 978 546-3227. (2nd location at Dock Sq.). Beautiful, unusual stones in artisan silver work. One of the best collections of cut agate anywhere.
- Tuck's Candies, 15 Main Street, ☏ +1 978 546-6352. and Dock Square.
Eat
- Brackett's Oceanview Restaurant, 25 Main St, ☏ +1 978 546-2797. Seasonal. Su-F 11:30AM-8PM, Sa 11:30AM-9PM. Lunch $8-20, Dinner $11-27.
- The Greenery, 15 Dock Sq, ☏ +1 978 546-9593. 8AM-9:30PM.
- My Place by the Sea, ☏ +1 978 546-9667. Bearskin Neck. Wonderful, breathtaking spot at the very end of Bearskin Neck.
Drink
A dry town for 70 years until 2005, restaurants and inns serve liquor, but there are no bars or liquor stores.
Sleep
Motels
- Bearskin Neck Motor Lodge, 64 Bearskin Neck, ☏ +1 978-546-6677.
- Captain's Bounty On The Beach, 1 Beach St, ☏ +1 978 546-9557.
- Eagle House, 8 Cleaves St, ☏ +1 978 546-6292.
- Captains Bounty Beach View, 10 Beach St, ☏ +1 978 546-6945.
Inns
- Emerson Inn by the Sea, 1 Cathedral Ave., ☏ +1 978-546-6321, ILAEmerson@ila-chateau.com. This charming oceanfront hotel 35 miles NE of Boston combines modern comfort with traditional graciousness. Try the popular whale watching tours. This particular in is set on a beautiful piece of property overlooking Bearskin Neck and Halibut Point. What is interesting about this particular in is that it is set in the middle of a residential neighborhood, unlike the other inns in Rockport. Not only do guest enjoy their stay their, but locals who live in the community enjoy dinners and drink there. A simply charming place to stay. From $125.
- Seaward Inn, 44 Marmion Way, ☏ +1 978 546-3471.
- Yankee Clipper Inn, 127 Granite St, ☏ +1 978 546-3407.
- Addison Choate, 49 Broadway, ☏ +1 978-546-7543, addisonchoatehouse@gmail.com. 7 rooms, free parking.
Bed & Breakfasts
- Lantana House, ☏ +1 978 546-3535. 22 Broadway.
- The Rockport House, 17 Pleasant St.
- Rocky Shores, 65 Eden St.
- Sally Webster Inn, 34 Pleasant St, ☏ +1 978 546-9251.
- The Seafarer Inn, 50 Marmion Way, ☏ +1 978 546-6248.
Go next
Boston, the White Mountains or Southern Coast of Maine are nearby destinations.
| Routes through Rockport |
| END ← Gloucester ← | N  S |
→ Gloucester → Beverly |
| Beverly ← Gloucester ← | SW  NE |
→ END |