Pedersen Painting Falmouth 1

From its beaches, to bike paths and classic charm, Cape Cod is absolutely a great destination for families which makes it a quintessential summer getaway. If you go off the beaten path on the Cape, you will come across Woods Hole, a beautiful tiny village near Falmouth that straddles both Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound.

Though the town may be a bit small, it’s absolutely packed with fun activities for families of all ages. You can definitely find many fun reasons to visit famous Woods Hole with kids. Established in 1885, the Woods Hole Science Aquarium is America’s oldest marine aquarium and an ideal place for both kids and adults.

Offering free admission and access to approximately 140 species of marine animals found in Northeast and Middle Atlantic waters, this can truly make for a memorable family afternoon. The true stars of the aquarium are the non-releasable harbor seals in the 17,000-gallon pool. Open to the public for viewing us twice-a-day feeding and training.

The awesome touch tanks house so many fascinating sea creatures that include lobsters, starfish, horseshoe crabs, spider crabs, and hermit crabs. If the kids are up to it, they can even go behind the scenes and watch the staff prepare the fish food, feed the animals, check the life support equipment, and clean the tanks.

In addition to its full and amazing display animals, the aquarium also runs a program to rehabilitate sea turtles that have washed up on Cape Cod beaches after being injured or stunned by cold weather in late autumn. The turtles are then loved and rehabilitated until they are healthy enough to return to the wild.

For such a tiny seaside village that boasts fewer than 1,000 residents, Woods Hole has a boatload of science going on. Home to prestigious research facilities and dozens of Nobel Prize laureates, this epicenter of scientific research offers many adventures for Cape Cod visitors. You for sure won’t be disappointed with a trip here!