Museum Directory

The Dennis Historical Society is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to preserve, promote, and present the history of Dennis – bringing Dennis history to life. In partnership with the Town of Dennis, we support and operate three town-owned museums:

· The Jericho Historical Center, housed in an 1801 full-cape farmhouse, contains 19th century furnishings, textiles, paintings and keepsakes. The Barn Museum on the site contains a general store, a salt works model, a carriage that raced at Riverside Trotting Park, farming tools & equipment from the 1800's, and a Cranberry exhibit which tells the story of cranberry cultivation, an industry that began in Dennis in 1816.

· The Josiah Dennis Manse, the 1689 home of the town’s first minister. Docents in period costume aid visitors through the air conditioned, barrier-free home, offering insight into life on Cape Cod in the 1700s. Also on this site is the recently renovated West Schoolhouse, built in 1745 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

· The West Dennis Graded School, the only one surviving of the town’s original five graded school buildings. It now houses a replica of an 1860’s schoolroom. The building is also home to the Dennis Maritime Museum, with displays related to the town’s extensive seagoing history, highlighting local sea captains, their ships, their tales and their navigational tools.

At each museum, docents aid visitors through the museums and offer details about the what, why, and how of life at that time and place.

The Society also operates:

· The Pauline Wixon Derick DHS Library on the 2nd floor of the West Dennis Library with the Society’s archives, maritime collections, local diaries, early deeds, photographs, and genealogical information. It is open year-round, but with limited open hours.

· The DHS website, which includes an online, searchable digital archive of historic information and photos related to Dennis history, as well as an online bookstore

· The Receiving Tomb in the Dennis Village Cemetery. Constructed in 1875, it temporarily housed the bodies of those who died during the winter months when the ground was too frozen to allow burial. Now, you can visit this free and self-guided educational museum when the "Open" flag hangs just outside the front doors to see and read the information on pre-twentieth century burial practices in Dennis.

· Occasional Cemetery Tours in the several Dennis village cemeteries, with a costumed docent regaling visitors with tales of the deceased.

Our museums are mostly seasonal (generally late June through early September), with special events at each location during the summer season and a few additional Christmas-season openings. Group tours of any size can be arranged at any of our museums outside of our normal operating hours for a nominal fee; please contact us at info@dennishistoricalsociety.org to schedule.

Visit their website for additional information including museum location details, opening dates and times, and schedules of special events.