How many days in Nantucket?

The headline things to do in Nantucket

From the Nantucket guide — these are the items that anchor a 3-day visit. For the full breakdown, read the Nantucket travel guide.

1. Nantucket Whaling Museum — Broad Street, downtown

   Housed in the 1847 Hadwen and Barney spermaceti candle factory at the head of the wharf — the most thorough museum of whaling history anywhere in the world. The centerpiece is a 46-foot articulated sperm-whale skeleton in the lobby; other galleries cover the African American whaling captain Absalom Boston, the Essex tragedy that inspired Moby-Dick, and the cooper's craft. Allow two hours. Adult $25.

2. Cobblestone Main Street — Downtown

   The four-block historic shopping and dining street that defines downtown Nantucket — original 1840s cobblestones (uneven, rough on heels), brick storefronts, gas-lamp street lighting, and the Pacific National Bank at the head of the street where whaling captains once held accounts. Walking the full length and the side streets takes 30 minutes; a slow afternoon meander is the ideal first introduction to the island.

3. Brant Point Lighthouse — Brant Point, north of town

   A small 26-foot wooden lighthouse on the harbour entrance, the second-oldest light station in the United States (the original 1746 building has been replaced eight times). Walkable from town in 20 minutes via Easton Street. The lighthouse is the symbol of Nantucket harbour returns — yachts and ferries pass within feet of it as they enter and leave.

4. Sconset Bluff Walk — Siasconset, east end

   A privately-maintained but publicly-accessible footpath along the eastern bluff above Sconset Beach, running 1.5 miles between the village of Siasconset and Sankaty Light. The path threads behind 19th-century cottages with rose-trellised facades and over private lawns (visitors are expected to walk single-file and quietly). One of the most photographable walks in New England.

5. Madaket Beach Sunset — Madaket, west end

   A wide unspoiled west-facing beach at the western end of the island with the best sunset view from anywhere on Nantucket. The Atlantic surf can be strong (no lifeguards on most stretches) and parking is limited. Bike from town via the Madaket Path (about 6 miles), drive the Madaket Road, or take the seasonal NRTA shuttle.

6. Sankaty Head Light — Siasconset, east end

   A 70-foot red-and-white-banded lighthouse on the Sankaty Head bluff at the eastern end of the island — built 1850 to mark the dangerous Nantucket Shoals where countless ships have wrecked. Threatened by erosion (the bluff lost 50 feet between 1990 and 2007), the lighthouse was moved 405 feet inland in 2007. Park at the small lot, walk the bluff, photograph the lighthouse, watch the sea churn.

7. Cisco Brewers — Mid-island, off Bartlett Farm Road

   A combined brewery, distillery, and winery on Bartlett Farm Road in the middle of the island that has become Nantucket's most popular afternoon hangout — outdoor beer-garden seating, food trucks, live music daily in summer, and tasting flights of the local IPA, gin, and rosé. Free shuttle bus from town on weekends. Closes at 7 PM (no late-night).

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