Dennis: 2016 town profile
Cape Cod Life / 2016 Annual / Art & Entertainment, Food & Dining, History, Nature, People & Businesses, Recreation & Activities
Writer: Caitlyn McGuire / Photographer: Cynthia Keating and Don Sylor
Dennis: 2016 town profile
Cape Cod Life / 2016 Annual / Art & Entertainment, Food & Dining, History, Nature, People & Businesses, Recreation & Activities
Writer: Caitlyn McGuire / Photographer: Cynthia Keating and Don Sylor
Located in the center of Cape Cod, the town of Dennis boasts a variety of cultural venues and historic sites, endless beaches and several great restaurants.
A good place to start any Dennis day is at The Cape Cod Museum of Art. The museum exhibits the work of local artists from today and yesteryear and offers painting, drawing and pottery classes. Just next door on Hope Lane, The Cape Playhouse is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2016, and this year’s summer lineup includes Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The Music Man and Cabaret. Cape Cinema is located between these two venues and offers a cozy atmosphere to enjoy popcorn and a movie. Inside the theater an imaginative ceiling mural—painted by artist Rockwell Kent—has inspired visitors for decades.
Speaking of historical attractions, the 1736 Josiah Dennis Manse Museum on Nobscusset Road is a saltbox home that once housed the minister after whom the town is named. Open in summer, the museum displays town artifacts including spinning and weaving tools.
The beaches of Dennis are both wonderful and plentiful and include Corporation, Mayflower and Chapin Memorial on the bay side, and Sea Street and Haigis overlooking Nantucket Sound. After hitting the beach, why not climb to the top of Scargo Tower? Standing atop the highest hill on the Mid-Cape, the 30-foot stone structure overlooks Scargo Lake and offers views as far as Provincetown.
Route 6A’s Eden Hand Arts—another local landmark—is home of the original Cape Cod screwball bracelet. The well-known band, which the jewelers create in many variations today, remains one of the best ways for lovers of the Cape to carry the area with them.
Naturally, any day of sightseeing requires great food, and in this area Dennis does not disappoint. The Red Cottage Restaurant has been a fixture since the 1950s and offers a menu that includes four pages—for breakfast alone. The Red Pheasant Inn on Main Street is known for its French-inspired American dishes and a cozy outdoor fire pit. And don’t miss Sesuit Harbor Café, where guests enjoy overflowing lobster rolls while looking out over the bay.