Closed for 2026 Season – Private Tours Available
That’s a wrap on another wonderful season at Aptucxet! Our museums and shops are now closed for regular visits and walk-in tours.
Thank you to everyone who visited in 2026! Whether you joined a tour, attended a festival or program, enjoyed our gardens and grounds, or shopped in our Gift Shop and Windmill Vintage Shop. We’re grateful to our volunteers, staff, members, and community partners for making it all possible.
There’s still plenty happening this fall and winter! Check our website and Facebook page for upcoming events, holiday celebrations and program details.
Private Tours Available Year-Round
You can still explore the Museums at Aptucxet with a private tour by appointment. Tours cost $60 for up to six people, plus $10 for each additional person. Schools, homeschool groups, and other organizations are welcome to contact us about group visits.
To arrange a tour, email BourneHistoricalSociety@comcast.net or call (508) 759-8167.
Thank you for being part of our 2026 season. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event or private tour and welcoming walk-in visitors again in spring 2027!
About the Museums at Aptucxet
The Museums at Aptucxet is a 12-acre campus on the banks of the Cape Cod Canal in Bourne, Massachusetts consisting of small historical buildings, historical replicas and outdoor installations that collectively tell the story of local history from the colonial era through the 20th century. The Museums at Aptucxet are open for walk-in tours from Memorial Day Weekend through the first week in October on Thursdays – Saturdays 10 AM to 4 PM and Sundays noon to 3 PM.
The main museum building is the Aptucxet Trading Post, a replica of the 17th century Pilgrim Trading Post built by Plymouth Colony in 1627 in this area to trade with the local Wampanoag people and travelling Dutch traders.
The property also features the 19th-century Gray Gables Railroad Station, which was built to serve President Grover Cleveland during his second term and now functions as a mini museum of Cleveland’s connection to the area.
The historic Joseph Jefferson Windmill was originally built as an art studio for the actor Joseph Jefferson at his summer home on Buttermilk Bay and was relocated to the grounds of Aptucxet in 1976. In recent years, it has served as a gallery and studio space for local artists. For the 2026 season, the Windmill will be home to our Windmill Vintage Shop, offering a curated selection of antiques, collectibles, and unique vintage finds.
An artisan-lead Gift Shop is housed in a historic information booth from mid 20th century Sagamore Village. The museum property also features a replica of a 19th-century saltworks, a replica of a 19th century coastal schooner and a work-in-progress 1/2 size model of the Schooner Sultana. A walk through the property will bring you by the Early American Gardens, Three Sisters Garden and Wildflower Garden and recently added Hydrangea Gardens next to a 3 season open-air event pavilion.
…