Impressionist New England: Four Seasons of Color and Light

What is it about New England—as both setting and a subject—that has captured Impressionist painters’ attention for over a century? This exhibition presents both historical and contemporary Impressionist paintings inspired by New England: its natural beauty, its people, its charming towns, and its glorious light. Includes work by Childe Hassam, Charles Hawthorne, John Twachtman and many more. READ MORE

Alfred Glover in the Garden

This solo show brings Cataumet artist Alfie Glover’s bold, colorful depictions of animals, trees, and other wildlife to Heritage’s grounds and gardens. Frequent visitors to Heritage may recognize his whimsical work, as one of his sculptures, “Garden Gate,” has been on display in the McInnes Garden. READ MORE

Charging Ahead: Early Electric Cars in America

Electric vehicles are growing in popularity as part of greener solution for automobiles. But they are not a recent innovation. View examples of early electric vehicle chargers and Heritage’s 1917 Milburn Electric.  READ MORE

From Carriage to Classic: How Automobiles Transformed America

We present the origin story of the American automobile through 26 cars from Heritage’s permanent collection. Come along for a ride from the late 1800s to the 1960s and watch the car evolve from a horseless carriage to a streamlined symbol of freedom and independence. READ MORE

Heritage Highlights

Heritage visitors and community members have asked to learn about Cape Cod stories. We listened! View a variety of folk art and everyday objects made by Cape Codders—everyone from silversmiths to watchmakers, and students. READ MORE

Wampanoag Wetu, Three Sisters-style Garden & Mush8n

What was life like for the indigenous tribes who lived here pre-colonization? This exhibit features a full-scale reproduction of a wetu, a traditional Wampanoag dwelling, a Wampanoag-style vegetable garden, and a Wampanoag mush8n. READ MORE

1908 Looff Carousel

The carousel is one of the most popular attractions at Heritage Museums & Gardens. Made by Charles Looff in 1908, the hand-carved carousel has been thrilling riders for over a hundred years. READ MORE

Creating Cape Cod – 2022, 2023

How did Cape Cod move from the “Yankee backwater” that Henry David Thoreau described in 1855 to a destination that more than 5 million people visit each year? This story is revealed in Creating Cape Cod.

Over a hundred years ago, Cape Cod was plagued with a faltering economy and a dropping population. Community leaders decided on tourism as the answer to the region’s woes. Marketing the Cape as a place where history lived on through rugged sea captains and hard-working fishermen, and historic windmills and lighthouses, their efforts to draw tourists were more successful than anyone could have imagined. In the past two centuries, what’s been gained? And what has been lost? This exhibit has been re-imagined for the 2023 Regular Season with new and exciting additions! READ MORE

Otherworldly – 2023

What is more human than to dream? For as long as we’ve existed, humans have told stories of the fantastical, the mythical, and the unreal. We fantasize, imagine realms different from our own, and share stories that we wish were true. Art has always been a portal to delve into the cracks of our imaginations—whether that be through words or paint or stone. With the sculptures in this exhibition, artists have brought their fantasies, myths, and dreams to life in three-dimensions. Explore them! Dream with them! And then, imagine your own. READ MORE

Treasured Trash – 2022

This exhibition brought together six artists from the Northeast region of the United States who all created work from recycled and repurposed materials. Made from salvaged fishing gear, cardboard, plastic bags and bottles, beach trash and more, these large-scale outdoor sculptures and installations shone a light on the challenges of waste management and pollution—two major issues facing our coastal communities. This exhibit, which ended in October of 2022, featured the work of Michelle Lougee, Gin Stone, Nicolas Nobili, Cindy Pease Roe, Sue Beardsley, and Dylan Gauthier. READ MORE

Let’s Play! New England Toy Stories – 2020, 2021

Toys and games—from the handmade to the mass-produced—factor large in this region’s cultural history. Come learn about the local roots of many of America’s most beloved toys and games. READ MORE

Bugs, Birds & Bricks – 2020, 2021

Placed within the grounds and gardens, these sculptures highlight the interconnected relationships between the plants and animals that we see at Heritage. READ MORE