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PrintFalmouth - Majestic and Scenic
Falmouth, the second largest town on the Cape offers the feel of a quaint seaside village.
Saint Barnabas Church in downtown Falmouth, MA
Katharine lee bates born and raised in Falmouth, wrote “America the Beautiful” and she may well have had her hometown in mind in her lyrics. The “spacious skies” belong to some of Falmouth’s spectacular views-the knoll opposite Nobska Light, with the sea and sky and islands beyond, the pale sandy expanse of Old Silver Beach and the scenic drive past Great Sippewisset Marsh.
Falmouth occupies the lower corner of the Cape’s shoulder, and is surrounded on almost three sides by water. With its many inlets and bays, Falmouth boasts 68 miles of beaches and that is more than any town on Cape Cod. With the ease of access to water, Falmouth has historically been an ideal location for maritime trade including fishing, whaling and ship building. Many sea captains called Falmouth home and at one time nearly half of the 300 households in Falmouth were homes to sea captains. 
Agriculture was also a major economic driver for Falmouth. Cranberries, strawberries and salt were all harvested on the lands of the town. An often overlooked and popular farming activity in Falmouth’s past was sheep husbandry. Because of the availability of water-powered mills and the availability of merino sheep, Falmouth became a big producer of wool.
Downtown Falmouth with its large, majestic green, once used by townsfolk for grazing livestock and military training, is still a bustling center of activity. Shops, restaurants and galleries line Main Street offering shoppers a large variety of wares and treats. Beyond Falmouth Village lay Falmouth’s additional seven villages including East Falmouth, North Falmouth, Teaticket, West Falmouth, Hatchville, Waquoit and Woods Hole.
Woods Hole, a quaint New England seaside village is seen by many as the place to catch the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard, but it is also home to the Marine Biological Laboratory and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. These world-famous organizations study the habits and inhabitants of the sea. Their mini-sub “Alvin” piloted by Bob Ballard, participated in the underwater searches for both the Titanic and the Bismarck.
The Ashumet Holly Reservation is an Audubon Society wildlife sanctuary whose claim to fame is an extraordinary collection of holly species, plus lovely flowering dogwoods, rhododendrons, and a colorful array of bird species. It is a wonderful place to have a picnic and enjoy nature.
