Province Lands Visitor Center at Cape Cod National Seashore

LOCATION

Province Lands Visitor Center
171 Race Point Road
Provincetown, MA  02657

Telephone: (508) 487-1256

OPERATING HOURS

The Province Lands Visitor Center is typically open from May 1st through October 31st, 9 AM to 5 PM daily. If you need information at other times, the Salt Pond Visitor Center is open year-round.

Times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to get the current schedule on the National Park Service’s Operating Hours and Seasons web page for Cape Cod National Seashore.

Inside the Province Lands Visitor Center at Cape Cod National Seashore

AMENITIES

• Ranger-staffed information desk where you can pick up a park brochure with a map, the Cape Cod National Seashore newspaper, trail maps, and many other publications
• Schedule of daily Ranger-led activities
• Sign up for Ranger-led tours held in Truro and Provincetown
• Theater that shows a variety of films
• Small exhibit area on lower floor
• Gift and book store
• Observation deck
• Restrooms

Gift store at the Province Lands Visitor Center at Cape Cod National Seashore

OBSERVATION DECKS

There are two outdoor observation decks at the Province Lands Visitor Center. The deck on the top level provides the best views of the area but requires walking up steps. A second deck is available on the main level for those with mobility problems.

Upper observation deck at the Province Lands Visitor Center at Cape Cod National Seashore

PARK FILMS

There are seven films that show on a rotating schedule starting at 9 AM.

The Sands of Time is a 12-minute documentary that focuses on the geology of Cape Cod. It is suitable for all ages.

Thoreau’s Cape Cod is an 8-minute dramatization of scenes from a book that Henry David Thoreau wrote about his visit to the cape in the mid-1800s. I found this film quite interesting, particularly a scene that demonstrates the difference between yesteryear and modern times. While hiking through the cape, Thoreau walked up to a stranger’s house to ask if he could spend the night. It was almost a given that the owner would agree. Today, if you weren’t shot on sight, the police would certainly be called.

Wooden Ships and Men of Iron is a 12-minute film about the fishing and whaling industries at Cape Cod. It does have footage of whales being hunted and processed for oil, which may be disturbing to young children and animal lovers. The film also covers the U. S. Life Saving Service’s role on the cape. Lifesaving stations were similar to fire stations, only the men rescued people from sinking or grounded ships. The U. S. Life Saving Service was the precursor to the Coast Guard.

Voice of Cape Cod is about Guglielmo Marconi and the first transatlantic wireless station that he built on Cape Cod in 1901. Cape Cod was chosen because it is the easternmost landmass in the United States.

I did not watch the other films, Standing Bold, ORARC Dune Shacks, and Shark Smart.

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

Watching films would take up most of the time that a person might spend at the Province Lands Visitor Center, but if you have no plans to do that, pencil in fifteen minutes to speak with a park Ranger about what there is to do in the area and read through the exhibits. If you do want to watch a film, figure fifteen additional minutes for each one.

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