Rockport (Massachusetts)

Rockport is a town in Massachusetts on Cape Ann. The town, once famous for granite production, got its start as an artist colony in the late 1800s. Rockport is a favorite vacation spot and day trip for many who come to enjoy the concentration of shops and galleries on Bearskin Neck, the rugged, rocky coastline or some ultra-fresh lobsters or other seafood.

Get in

By car

Interstate 95 to Route 128 to Route 127. Downtown has parking meters ($.25 per half-hour) and often has no spots. Rockport has a free parking facility, the Blue Gate Parking Lot (open June-Oct.), located as you arrive on Route 127 about 1/4 mi. ( km) past the Rockport Visitor Information booth. From the parking lot, it is about a 3/4 mile walk to downtown Rockport, but a shuttle to town only costs $1 each way.

By train

The commuter rail run from Boston's North Station is about a 70-minute trip and costs $7.75 one-way. Rockport's station is off Railroad Avenue, less than a mile from the center of town.

By bus

The Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA), Phone: [phone], , runs buses from town to town on Cape Ann.

Get around

The main tourist areas are very compact and walkable. Having a car lets one explore some of the other coastal areas.

See

• Motif #1, the widely known subject of many paintings.
• 🌍 Halibut Point State Park, Gott Av (3 mi north of town on Rt. 127), ☎ [phone]. Daily dawn to dusk. Beautiful coastline views, visitor center, walking trails, and tidal pools. A renovated World War II fire tower provides a scenic view. Weekend quarry tours and granite cutting demonstrations take place in summer. Great place to picnic. Parking $10, MA Residents $5.  
• Paper House, 52 Pigeon Hill St (Rt. 127 north to Curtis St.), ☎ [phone]. Daily Apr-Oct, 10AM-5PM. Bizarre 1922 vintage house built entirely of 100,000 newspapers even housing a newspaper-covered piano. Admission: adults $1.50, children $1. 
• I.N. Kamalic Gallery, 8 Main Street suite B, ☎ [phone]. 

Galleries

• An Artful Touch Gallery, 5 Main Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Borsari Gallery, 12 Tuna Wharf, ☎ [phone]. 
• John Caggiano Gallery, ☎ [phone]. 66 Bearskin Neck (also 4 Main St.). 
• Nancy Caplan, 5 Gott Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Correale Gallery, ☎ [phone]. 23 Dock Square. 
• Cynthia Curtis Pottery, 80 Pigeon Hill Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Fielding Gallery, 12 Dock Square, ☎ [phone]. 
• Good Dog! Gallery, 6 Dock Square, ☎ [phone]. 
• Harborview Gallery, 67C Bearskin Neck, ☎ [phone]. 
• Harvard Babson Gallery, 10 Jewett Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Kanegis Gallery, 13 Bearskin Neck, ☎ [phone]. 
• London Venturers Co., 2 Dock Square, ☎ [phone]. 
• Don Mosher Gallery, 13 Main Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Tom Nicholas Gallery, 7 Wildon Heights, ☎ [phone]. 
• North Shore Galleries, 18 Bearskin Neck, ☎ [phone]. 
• Reverie Gallery, 21 Mt. Pleasant Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Square Circle, 11 Dock Square, ☎ [phone]. 
• Michael Stoffa Gallery, 41 Main Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Paul Strisik Gallery, 89 Marmion Way, ☎ [phone]. 
• Summer House Gallery, 23 Dock Square, ☎ [phone]. 
• Thistle Fine Art, 8A Main Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Tidal Edge Gallery, 3 School Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• Traveling Paintbrush, 8 Pasture Road, ☎ [phone]. 
• John Walker Gallery, 60 Bearskin Neck, ☎ [phone]. 
• Wenniger Art Gallery, 19 Mt. Pleasant Street, ☎ [phone]. 

Do

• Rockport Golf Club, 60 South Street, ☎ [phone]. 
• North Shore Kayak Outdoor Center, 9 Tuna Wharf, ☎ [phone]. 
• Windhover Performing Arts Center, 257(R) Granite St, ☎ [phone]. 
• I.N. Kamalic Gallery, 8-B Main Street, ☎ [phone]. Original paintings and sculpture by Ivan N. Kamalic 

Fishing

• Black Pearl Charters, 17 Athena Way, ☎ [phone]. 
• Rockport Cast-Away's Charters, 19 Summitt Avenue, ☎ [phone]. 
• Tuna Hunter Charters, 4 Heritage Drive, ☎ [phone]. 
• Sandy B Fishing Charters, 2 State Pier, ☎ [phone]. 

Buy

• Country Store, Bearskin Neck. Get candies that are hard to find in other shops. 
• Village Silversmith, 6 Tuna Wharf, ☎ [phone]. (2nd location at Dock Sq.). Beautiful, unusual stones in artisan silver work. One of the best collections of cut agate anywhere. 
• Sweet Remembrances, ☎ [phone]. 47 Bearskin Neck. Vintage photos of you. 
• Rockport Quilt Shop, 2 Ocean Av, ☎ [phone]. Over 100 antique quilts. 
• Tuck's Candies, 15 Main Street, ☎ [phone]. and Dock Square. 
• Bearskin Neck Leathers, 7 Old Harbor Rd (to the left on Bearskin Neck), ☎ [phone]. An unusual array of fine quality leather goods. Outerwear, Handbags, Wallets and accessories. Best selection of Dansko Clogs, NAOT Sandals and Minnetonka Slippers. Same location for over 36 years. Established 1974. 

Eat

• Brackett's Oceanview Restaurant, 25 Main St, ☎ [phone]. Seasonal. Su-F 11:30AM-8PM, Sat 11:30AM-9PM. Lunch $8-$20, Dinner $11-$27. 
• The Greenery, 15 Dock Sq, ☎ [phone]. 8AM-9:30PM. 
• The Blue Sapphire, 127 Granite St, ☎ [phone]. $15-30. 
• My Place by the Sea, ☎ [phone]. Bearskin Neck. Wonderful, breathtaking spot at the very end of Bearskin Neck. 

Drink

A dry town for 70 years until 2005, Rockport does not have established bars. Recent changes to the liquor laws allow only restaurants and inns to apply for liquor licenses. There are still no bars or liquor stores.

Sleep

Motels

• Bearskin Neck Motor Lodge, 64 Bearskin Neck, [phone].
• Captain's Bounty Motor Inn, 1 Beach St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Eagle House, 8 Cleaves St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Motel Peg Leg, 10 Beach St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Sandy Bay Motor Inn, 183 Main St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Cape Hedge Inn, 151 South St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Turk's Head Motor Inn, 151 South St, ☎ [phone]. 

Inns

• Emerson Inn by the Sea, 1 Cathedral Ave., ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. This charming oceanfront hotel just 35 miles NE of Boston combines modern comfort with traditional graciousness. Try the popular whale watching tours. This particular in is set on a beautiful piece of property overlooking Bearskin Neck and Halibut Point. What is interesting about this particular in is that it is set in the middle of a residential neighborhood, unlike the other inns located within Rockport. Not only do guest enjoy their stay their, but locals who live in the community enjoy dinners and drink there. A simply charming place to stay. From $125. 
• Seaward Inn, 44 Marmion Way, ☎ [phone]. 
• Yankee Clipper Inn, 127 Granite St, ☎ [phone]. 

Bed & Breakfasts

• Addison Choate Inn, 49 Broadway, ☎ [phone]. 
• Beach Knoll Inn, 30 Beach St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Bullfinch House, 96 Granite St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Captain's House, 69 Marmion Way, ☎ [phone]. 5 rooms, oceanfront. 
• Hedges by the Sea, 165 Granite St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Lantana House, ☎ [phone]. 22 Broadway. 
• Linden Tree Inn, 26 King St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Mooring Stone Bed & Breakfast, 12 Norwood Av, ☎ [phone]. 
• Pleasant Street Inn, 17 Pleasant St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Rocky Shores Manor House, 65 Eden Rd, ☎ [phone]. 
• Sally Webster Inn, 34 Mt. Pleasant St, ☎ [phone]. 
• The Seafarer Inn, 50 Marmion Way, ☎ [phone]. 
• The Tuck Inn B&B, 17 High St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Windmere Guest House, 24 Smith Rd, ☎ [phone]. 
• York House, 35 King St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Yuletide Inn, 51 Mount Pleasant St, ☎ [phone]. 

Go next

Boston, the White Mountains or Southern Coast of Maine are nearby destinations.

Routes through Rockport

END ← Gloucester ←	N  S	→ Gloucester → Beverly
Beverly ← Gloucester ←	SW  NE	→ END