Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The “living museum,” a National Historic Landmark, is open to the public and on
view at Rowe's Wharf downtown; check ahead for details and schedules of dockside
programs, open days and hours, and prices.
Beauport (Sleeper-McCann House)
The rough-and-tumble fishing port of
Gloucester has another face: exclusive summer community. Aficionados of house
tours will want to build their schedules around a visit to this magnificent property on
the stylish Back Shore, the product of a uniquely creative mind. Pioneering interior
designer and antiquarian Henry Davis Sleeper created Beauport, transforming it into
a repository for his vast collection of American and European decorative arts and
antiques. From 1907 to 1934, he built and expanded the house, which has more than
40 rooms, and decorated many of the chambers to illustrate literary and historical
themes. The entertaining tour concentrates more on the gorgeous house and rooms in
general than on the countless objects on display, which remain virtually as Sleeper left
them. You'll see architectural details rescued from other buildings, magnificent
arrangements of colored glassware, secret staircases, the “Red Indian Room” (with a
majestic view of the harbor), the “Master Mariner's Room” (overflowing with nauti-
cal items), and even the kitchen and servants' quarters. Beauport, a National Historic
Landmark, also schedules events such as afternoon tea, wine tastings, and specialty
tours throughout the season.
75 Eastern Point Blvd.
&
978/283-0800.
www.historicnewengland.org. Guided tour $10 adults, $9 seniors, $5 stu-
dents and children 6-12. Tours on the hour June to mid-Oct Tues-Sat 10am-4pm. Closed mid-Oct to May and
Sun-Mon year-round. Take E. Main St. to Eastern Point Blvd. (a private road), continue
1
⁄
2
mile to house, park on left.
Cape Ann Historical Museum
This meticulously curated museum makes an
excellent introduction to Cape Ann's history and artists. It devotes an entire gallery to
the extraordinary work of
Fitz Henry Lane
(formerly known as Fitz Hugh
Lane), the Luminist painter whose light-flooded canvases show off the best of his
native Gloucester. The nation's largest collection of his paintings and drawings is here.
Other galleries feature works on paper by 20th-century artists such as Maurice Pren-
dergast and Milton Avery, work by other contemporary artists, and granite-quarrying
tools and equipment. There's also an outdoor sculpture court. On display in the mari-
time and fisheries galleries are entire vessels (including one about the size of a station
wagon that crossed the Atlantic), exhibits on the fishing industry, ship models, and
historic photographs and models of the Gloucester waterfront. The
Capt. Elias Davis
House
(1804), decorated and furnished in Federal style with furniture, silver, and
porcelains, is part of the museum.
27 Pleasant St.
&
978/283-0455.
www.capeannmuseum.org. Admission $8 adults, $6 seniors and students, free
for children under 12. Mar-Jan Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1-4pm. Closed Feb. Follow Main St. west through down-
town and turn right onto Pleasant St.; museum is 1 block up on right. Metered parking on street or in lot across street.
SHOPPING
Rocky Neck
(see “Exploring the Town,” above) offers great browsing. Downtown,
Main Street
between Pleasant and Washington streets is a good destination. Agreeable
stops include
Mystery Train,
21 Main St. (
&
978/281-8911;
www.mysterytrain
records.com), which carries a huge variety of used music and films; the
Ménage
Gallery,
134 Main St. (
&
877/283-6030
or 978/283-6030; www.menagegallery.
com), which shows varied works by artists and artisans, including gorgeous furniture;
and the
Dogtown Book Shop,
132 Main St. (
&
978/281-5599;
www.dogtown
books.com), noted for its used and antiquarian selection.
