Bountiful Bogs: The Massachusetts Cranberry Story

Location: Special Exhibits Gallery | Open For Viewing: May 10 – October 19th, 2025

Whether they are garnishing a cocktail or accompanying a Thanksgiving dinner, one can find cranberries on dining tables and store shelves around the world. But did you know that the very first cranberry farms began right here on Cape Cod?

Bountiful Bogs: The Cape Cod Cranberry Story charts the rise of the humble cranberry through Cape Cod’s history. From its historic use by the Wampanoag people to its modern sale worldwide by companies like Ocean Spray, cranberries have fundamentally shaped the culture, economics, and environment of Cape Cod for hundreds of years. Come see our life-size model of a cranberry screenhouse, admire a giant bottle of cranberry juice cocktail, and feel the weight of a real vintage cranberry harvesting scoop.

This exhibition marks the debut of Heritage’s newly acquired cranberry collection, the largest museum collection of cranberry history in the country. The Peter K. Meier Cranberry Collection was purchased with funds given in memory of Mary Ann and Edward Gelsthorpe by Cynthia and John Fish.