September/October 2016 Cape Cod Life Magazine

Swing by the Adventure Park at Heritage Museums & Gardens

Cape Cod Life  /  September/October 2016 / , ,

Writer: Catherine Kierce

Swing by the Adventure Park at Heritage Museums & Gardens

September/October 2016 Cape Cod Life Magazine

Cape Cod Life  /  September/October 2016 / , ,

Writer: Catherine Kierce

Swing by the Adventure Park at Heritage Museums & Gardens, Sept/Oct Cape Cod Life | capecodlife.com

Regarding the new Adventure Park at Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, to say things are “looking up” would be quite an understatement. Through August, the ropes course had seen 11,000 climbers in 2016 alone, and it’s clearly growing into one of the top attractions on Cape Cod.

Opened in 2015, Heritage’s Adventure Park has four distinct ropes course trails that are color-coded for different ability levels, with each featuring 12 to 14 different climbing components. “The park is designed to accommodate different ability levels,” says Anthony Wellman, communications director for The Adventure Parks company, which built and oversees the Heritage course. “So families with children (age 7 or older), teens, and parents who want to climb can all find a suitable challenge level and still share the overall experience together.”

In all, there are several zip lines and more than 60 bridges extending from tree to tree. Instructors are stationed at the beginning of the treetop trek to provide climbing and safety instructions, and guides walk below climbers at all times to offer encouragement and ensure safety. “The Adventure Park experience can be educational as well as fun,” Wellman says. “There are interpretive signs along the ground paths that explain Cape Cod fauna and flora.”

Each ticket grants climbers two and one-half hours of climbing, and if climbers finish one course, they can move on to the next. Part of Heritage’s involvement in the national ‘Let’s Move! Museums’ program, the course is intended to provide new ways for children to learn, explore, and get outdoors. The Adventure Park at Heritage also offers school programs for students in grades six and above as well as team-building programs for corporate outings.

And now that the ropes course is in full swing, it’s just another fun feature Heritage has to offer its patrons. “Where else can you choose to climb and zip line in the trees,” Wellman says, “or ride an antique merry-go-round . . . or explore spectacular gardens . . . or view an amazing collection of vintage automobiles and other fascinating exhibits?”

Heritage Museums & Gardens is at 67 Grove Street, Sandwich. For more information, visit heritageadventurepark.org, or call 508-866-0199.

Now set a course . . . for the Dan’l Webster Inn

After a few hours of climbing, stop in at the Dan’l Webster Inn, 149 Main Street in Sandwich, for lunch or dinner in a colonial setting. The 18th-century inn features four dining rooms including a tavern where patriots met during the Revolutionary period. danlwebsterinn.com. 508-888-3622 — Rachel Walman

Catherine Kierce

A resident of Yarmouth Port, Catherine Kierce is a student at Salve Regina University, majoring in communications with minors in marketing and gender studies. A former editorial intern for Cape Cod Life Publications, she is currently working as the communications & outreach assistant at The Potter League for Animals in Newport, Rhode Island.