After Mario and I had read the book and watched the movie titled In The Heart Of The Sea, Nantucket was definitely on our list of places to visit. It didn’t disappoint – there aren’t many places like it! If you love historic sites and architecture + the overall cuteness of New England seaside towns, this is certainly a must see spot. Nantucket is expensive, which is why we decided to camp in Hyannis and ferry over for the day, making it purely a walking trip to save some money.

Most of our day was spent wandering the streets, admiring the architecture, shops and testing out some local eats. We were excited to visit the Whaling Museum – an All Access pass for $20 each gets you into the lovely museum as well as plenty of other historical sites around town. We visited the Old Mill and the Old Gaol, both with very informative tour guides and interesting history!

We made our visit in late September, which was a fantastic time – not as crowded as the summer but everything was still open, and the weather was still warm.

Food + Drink

You could spend weeks in this little town and still have new places left to try. We kept it light so we could try a few places on our “average joe” budget. We found a cool little pub called Brotherhood of Thieves in a historical building to share a massive calamari appetizer for lunch. (Seriously, thank goodness we didn’t order meals with it too.) A cozy, classy wine bar called Meursault provided us with an afternoon drink and we headed to The Rose & Crown for a great mid-priced dinner. Formerly a stable in the 1800’s, they had live music and a great ambience, with tons of cool nautical decor on the walls. Overall, we had good experiences everywhere and Nantucket is known for great food, so you can’t really go wrong.

“Can’t Miss It” – The Whaling Museum

If you’re going to visit, I definitely recommend getting some background knowledge on the whaling industry in Nantucket and visiting the Whaling Museum. We found In The Heart Of The Sea fascinating and the museum brings you right back in time to the industry that supported Nantucket for so long. Plus, your entry comes with free access to many more historical places.

What We’d Do Differently Next Time

-Rent a bike and cover more ground. There are tons of bike rental places here.

-Visit Siasconset. After speaking to some locals, this was their big recommendation for us. Siasconset is a 20 minute drive East of Nantucket and features scenic cottages and gorgeous flowers.

-Bring a group and rent a house. This would be the most economical way to spend a few days, rent a car and check out all that Nantucket has to offer. Google Nantucket rental homes if you want to see some droolworthy spots (you’re welcome.)

 

Overall, we were so glad we made this trip! Even without the budget that most visitors here probably have (we noticed most were 40+ and well dressed…not sure we fit in!) it was so great to just explore this little world all day.