Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Provincetown
While you are visiting Martha’s Vineyard, consider the African American Heritage Trail tour and see over 30 marked sites dedicated to the island’s deep Black history.
Oaks Bluff Visitors Informatiom https://www.oakbluffsma.gov/35/Visiting
Nantucket Island – https://www.nantucket-ma.gov/854/Visitor-Information
- Walking Tours: Explore historic Oak Bluffs (the historic summer hub for affluent African American families), including the Highlands Area and Inkwell Beach.
- Driving & Island Tours: Covers island-wide historical markers stretching across Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and up to Aquinnah.
- Themed Tours: The Heritage Trail occasionally offers special thematic experiences, such as HBCU-focused tours of the island. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Notable Martha’s Vineyard Black Heritage Trail Landmarks
- The Shearer Cottage: Located in Oak Bluffs, this historic inn was one of the first establishments to welcome middle-class Black tourists during the Jim Crow era, hosting guests like Madame C.J. Walker and Paul Robeson. [1]
- Dorothy West House: The historic residence of the celebrated Harlem Renaissance writer. [1, 2, 3]
- Nancy Michael & Randall Burton Sites: Dedicated markers in Edgartown and Menemsha that highlight the histories of formerly enslaved people and Wampanoag rescue stories. [1, 2]
- Grace Church: Located in Vineyard Haven, this stop features beautiful stained-glass windows and a mural honoring Rev. Absalom Jones and Bishop John Melville Burgess. [1, 2]
Transportation from Boston
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Our unique African American Martha’s Vineyard 4-hour Riding Tour covers the whole island and 35+ Black heritage and history sites, landmarks and towns. Talk to us about going to these popular destinations from Boston.
It is amazing how it happened. While the first documented Blacks, many who were from Angola, landed in Boston the year 1638, Blacks were visiting Cape Cod island territories with merchant traders and voyagers. But they didn’t mix with the Blacks living in Boston. In the beginning, there was no connection between their communities.
Provincetown
We took a speed boat to Provincetown. It is nice over there. Beautiful beaches, vibrant shopping districts, artists and street performers are out and about and their are bachelor pads everywhere. The harbor offers adventure activities like sail boating, fishing trips, bike rental shops, restaurants, gift shops, the library and more are all there at Provincetown Harbor. It is a tourism magnet for the city full of myths.
Take the sightseeing tour when you land. The Mayflower Trolley meets the fast commuter boats from Boston and the Cape. We recommend it. You’ll see all the top attractions of Provincetown in 1.5 hours on this nostalgic sightseeing trolley Select transportation and tour tickets.
from Boston on the fast boat to Provincetown
Provincetown is a peninsula, not an island like Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Motorcoach buses regularly roll into the wharf area to let off their riders.
Unlike descendants of the Plymouth Mayflower boat, there are no Blacks in Boston today who can trace their ancestry to the African 1638 cohort who were the first documented Blacks in Boston. You will have better luck finding their DNS markers in lower Canada. The tour guide on the trolley pointed out a Provincetown house where Robert Perry or was it Peary once lived.
Perry was a famed yacht designer. Peary was with brother Mathew Henson, the black man who carried that Perry to the North Pole he was credited with “discovering.” I told the tour guide about that. She said she would look it up. Yeah, that’s the thing about tours. Tour guides run past a lot of Black folklore and heritage – narrators will totally skip on the subject – until you point it out to them.
WALKING the Black Boston City
The Black Boston Sprint Tour
Summer, Winter or whenever you want to go – We’ll start near Back Bay hotels and the Copley Place shopping complex at the Orange Line MBTA Back Bay T Stop. The historic South End awaits us. This is the only Black Heritage walking tour from the Back Bay to the heart of African American culture in Black Boston. Destination: ROXBURY CULTURAL DISTRICT.
You’ll see and learn about Roxbury Day Zero. This tour connects civil rights, to cool jazz, Black businesses to Black artists. The best Black-owned restaurants are on the path. See the MLK apartment, Harriet Tubman memorial park, the artwork murals of Lower Roxbury and what’s happening in the center of African American culture.
Bus transportation for groups
We supply mini-coach and motor coach buses for groups going anywhere they want to go. Use our large group airport pickup and transfer service to go to hotels and event meetings. Request a quote for your trip or text us at 617. 417.7456 (ph) about your trip for a quote. A smaller lux SUV for up to 7 persons is available as well. Ride-for-hire vehicle seat counts are 7, 14, 24, and 55 pax persons.
Steamship Authority
The Steamship Authority operates the ferry boats on a regular schedule all day long. The boats have comfortable amenities, food, beverage and Wifi. The island run is about an hour. A two-way adult fare is $18. You’ll park in dedicated spaces and take the free shuttle bus from the parking lot. If you want to drive on the island you can pay for the car to go there on the ferry.
Automobiles cost between $100 to $180 RT (sedan to SUV). If you don’t have a car you’ll have two ferry departure options: Falmouth or Woods Hole. The auto goes over from Woods Hole. Motor coach 55 passenger buses are charged approximately $500 RT for the ferry ride to Martha’s Vineyard when you must travel with it.
The Martha’s Vineyard tours are:
- The Black Heritage Martha’s Vineyard (4 hr) riding, sightseeing tour trip, with narrator tour guide
- the Culture of Martha’s Vineyard (3hr) riding, guided tour
- ask for transportation from Boston if you need it.
