Brewster News and Town Information

CLAIM TO FAME: Conservation Capital of Cape Cod

HISTORICAL BRAGGING RIGHTS: Old Sea Captains’ Village

BEACHES: Breakwater, Linell Landing, Paines Creek

DON’T MISS: Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Nickerson State Park, Route 6A

The town of Brewster, named for the first religious leader of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony, William Brewster, was originally settled in 1656 as the northeastern parish of the town of Harwich. In 1693 Brewster split from Harwich but didn’t officially incorporate as a town until 1803 – making it one of the Cape’s “youngest” towns.

Brewster is a historic sea captains’ town as it was a hotbed of the shipping industry during its early years. These successful captains built scores of proud houses lining the Old King’s Highway (“historic Route 6A,” as it is known today). Many of the old sea captains’ estates still stand along Route 6A, although now they now serve as bed and breakfast inns, art galleries, restaurants and antique shops.

The town’s eight bayside beaches are known for their rippled sand stretching as far as two miles when the tide is out. On a clear day, the beaches offer striking views of the entire Cape Cod Bay curve, from Sandwich to Provincetown.

The town of Brewster is home to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. Open since 1954, the museum was founded in part by the famous naturalist writer John Hay in order to celebrate and preserve Cape Cod’s distinct landscape. Today the museum encompasses 85 acres, including several bike paths for visitors to explore. The museum sponsors lectures, concerts, cruises, bike tours and “eco-treks.” It also offers several interactive exhibits such as eerie whale songs, children’s animal puppet theater, live bee hives, and four marine tanks containing both freshwater and saltwater wildlife.

Nickerson State Park offers visitors a woodland setting with 420 campsites, hiking trails and a paved eight mile bike path that connects to the Cape Cod Rail Trail. There are eight freshwater kettle ponds stocked year round with trout and perfect for freshwater swimming and boating. The woodland portion of the park is mainly evergreen trees planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Along with Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet, Brewster is a member of the Nauset Regional School District. Fittingly, Nauset is the only high school on the East coast located within a National Park, the Cape Cod National Seashore.