From Beaches to Oysters | Things to do in Duxbury Mass
Duxbury, MA is located about 30 miles south of Boston. It’s an upscale town with stunning beaches and thriving oyster farms.
History
Duxbury is one of the beautiful little old New England towns folks zoom right by as they are driving on the highway to get to Cape Cod. In 1637 Duxbury was one of the first communities to be founded by the early English settlers in Plymouth Colony. Duxbury was a major shipbuilding and commerce center back in the day during the 17th and 18th centuries. Some residents worked in coastal trade and fishing industry.
As the town grew so did industry. Agriculture, farming and the introduction to cranberry cultivation began.
In the 18th and 19th centuries many wealthy folks saw the beauty in Duxbury as well as other South Shore towns between Boston and the Cape and built huge summer cottages along the coast. Some of these homes still exist today and they are indeed spectacular.
Powder Point Bridge
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Simon and Max on the inland side of Powder Point Bridge
There is a wonderful old long bridge in Duxbury called the Powder Point Bridge that leads out to the Duxbury Beach Reservation, a 6 mile long barrier beach, which in turn leads to Gurnet Point. Simon and Max enjoyed a visit out there recently, the beach is wide and beautiful, with plenty of room to run.
The bridge leads to gorgeous Duxbury Beach and the oversand 4 wheel drive area. The Town of Duxbury Non Resident Oversand Beach Sticker Application is available online and costs approx $300. The town does a delicate mix of allowing vehicles on the beach and protecting the piping plovers and least terns, which are endangered species. The fee helps to maintain and protect Duxbury Beach.
Another way to access Duxbury Beach Park is by going through Marshfield and taking Canal Street to Gurnet Road in Duxbury.
Day parking for visitors is available at the Duxbury Beach Park on Gurnet Road in Duxbury. $20 per day cash only.
Blakeman’s Restaurant
While you’re out at Duxbury Beach, be sure to drop by Blakeman’s Restaurant, a convenient snack bar right over the dune from Duxbury Beach. They’re open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Island Creek Oysters
Do you love oysters? If so, trust me, you do not want to miss out on Island Creek Oysters offerings, harvested daily from Duxbury Bay. I quote you the vision from the website of this mission based company I have watched grow from its inception in 1995.
“At Island Creek Oysters we envision a world where all people have uninterrupted access to nutritious, sustainably grown food. After witnessing the effects of our own shellfish farm on the local economy, diet, and environment, we wholeheartedly believe in aquaculture’s potential to play a role in making this vision a reality.”
Enjoy a farm tour of the oyster farm where you can shuck and eat oysters!
Duxbury Art Complex Museum
All are welcome to the Duxbury Art Complex Museum after two years of closure for major renovations.
The museum hosts concert series, adult and children classes, and gallery talks.
“The scope of the Art Complex Museum’s permanent collection is rooted in the personal interests of museum co-founder, Carl A. Weyerhaeuser (1901-1996) and his wife Edith Greenleaf Weyerhaeuser (1912-2000). The major strengths of the collection, which numbers in excess of eight thousand art objects are American paintings; Shaker furniture and artifacts; works on paper, the majority of which are American and European prints. Also of great significance is the Asian art collection, which encompasses paintings, bronzes and ceramics dating from prehistoric times.”
The museum houses the work of contemporary artists; upcoming events include a mosaic art exhibition and a gallery talk with three artists currently displaying work at the museum.
Admission is free. Open: Wednesday through Sunday 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. The museum’s galleries are wheelchair accessible.
The Art Complex Museum is located at:
189 Alden Street
Duxbury, MA, 02332
781-934-6634
John Alden House
John Alden was one of the early settlers that came over on the Mayflower as the ships cooper, someone who makes and repairs barrels and wooden casks, and founded Plymouth Colony.
Believe it or not there are over 8,327 coopers currently employed in the United States today.
You may have read The Courtship of Miles Standish, Longfellow’s fictionalized narrative poem of John Alden, his roommate Miles Standish and Priscilla Mullins, Apparently love triangles are not only a modern day thing!
Today the John and Priscilla Alden Family Site is a National Historic Landmark in Duxbury. The home today sits on land owned by the town of Duxbury and looks over the Bluefish River.
Alden house in 1904.
The Alden House is open for guided tours Wednesdays through Saturdays noon to 4pm June 1 – October 14
Adult admission in 2022 is $8
Call 781-931-9092 for more information.
105 Alden Street Duxbury MA
Homes in Duxbury worth visiting for the history buff
The King Caesar House located at 120 King Caesar Road, Duxbury, was built in 1809 for Ezra Weston II (1772-1842). Weston was known as “King Caesar” for his success in shipbuilding and shipping. Lloyd’s of London recognized him as the largest shipowner in America.
The King Caesar House is open to the public on select days from late June 2023 through fall. To book a tour
https://duxburyhistory.org/events/king-caesar-house-tours/
The Nathaniel Winsor Jr. house is open to the public, free of charge, for visitation Monday-Friday. It is the most architecturally significant building in Duxbury, and was based on designs by Bulfinch and Asher Benjamin.
Please call ahead as hours may change: 781-934-6106.
The Bradford house will be open for public tours on select days, from late June through the fall. Please visit https://duxburyhistory.org/events to book your tour.
During the 19th century the Bradford family was active in many of the social movements of the day, including anti-slavery, temperance, vegetarianism and alternative medicine. In addition to a household of Bradford furnishings, the family also preserved thousands of letters, log books, journals and other documents, making them one of the best documented families in Duxbury.
