My husband and I are older parents of a teen girl with autism. We love to travel as a family, creating trips that are that are both sensory-friendly and fun for our daughter G. Our posts are relevant for any family traveling with children, but take the extra step to give details about potential sensory issues at popular destinations so that you can steer clear of triggers and focus on having fun.
We love New England Coastal towns, and often head to “the other Cape” on Boston’s North Shore. If you’re traveling to New England from another part of the country, Cape Ann is absolutely worth a few days of your time. If you’re local to the Boston area, any of the towns featured in this series is a good day trip on a sunny Saturday or Sunday!
In This Post
The Sensory Benefits of Sailing
The smooth waters of Gloucester Harbor are perfect for sailing
Gloucester is a vibrant port city about an hour north of Boston. Founded in 1623, it’s the oldest continuously operating fishing port in the US with lots of interesting things to do near the harbor and some of the best beaches in Massachusetts.
From May through mid-October, a sail in Gloucester Harbor on an old-fashioned schooner is one of the most fun things to do on a sunny afternoon, engaging all five of your senses. The slow, predictable movement of the boat creates a sensory friendly experience that is relaxing and reassuring.
Enjoy the sight of the massive white sails and the shadows they cast, marvel at the colorful lobster buoys bobbing in the water, and watch fishing boats coming and going on their day’s work. Listen to the rhythmic sound of the waves, the canvas rustling in the wind, and clinking of the boat hardware as the boat moves smoothly through the water. Touch the fine mist that sprays up from the water, the heavy wood of the boat, and feel the wind in your hair. Smell fresh ocean air, and taste the salt from the spray of the ocean.
The best way to spend a day in Gloucester is to explore the Harbor Walk area in the morning, take a boat ride in the afternoon, and finish up with a quick swim at a local beach.
All About Gloucester’s Harborwalk
The Harborwalk is a well marked digital walking tour that brings you to 42 places of interest along the Gloucester waterfront.
At each stop, there is a QR code that will tell you the story of famous Gloucester residents, interesting events from the past, and trivia about this great city. Make sure your phones are fully charged to get the most out of this experience!
The Harborwalk is a very family-friendly and autism-friendly experience. It’s mostly outdoors, you can go at your pace, and it has several quiet areas with seating along the way to take a break.
Your kids will probably enjoy marker number 19, which tells all about the massive sea serpent sighted by local residents back in 1817!
The Maritime Gloucester museum at the Pier is a really fun stop for kids, with interactive fishing and boating exhibits, touch tanks, and craft activities. Admission is included if you’ve booked a schooner sail with Maritime Heritage Charters.
If you’re more interested in whales than sailboats, you’re in the right place to hop on a whale watch boat.
Gloucester is right on top of the Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary, the summer feeding ground for several species of whales, so you have only a short boat ride before you’re amidst a majestic population of humpback, finback and minke whales.
Sensory: Whale watch boat engines can be loud, and the horn blows loudly whenever the boat turns, so bring your noise cancelling headphones. Whenever a whale is spotted, people rush to see it, so sometimes it gets a little chaotic. If your child is prone to motion sickness, consult with your doctor about the correct dose of dramamine.
Great Light Leads to Great Art
Dazzling sunshine, rugged rocky shores, and lovely downtown architecture drew famous landscape painters Homer Winslow, Edward Hopper, and Fitz Henry Lane to Gloucester.
Famous authors, including T.S. Eliot and Rudyard Kipling, lived and wrote here.
Gloucester continues to attract artists to its Rocky Neck Art Colony, where you can browse the galleries and wonder which of Gloucester’s artists today will be a legend in the future.
Getting to Rocky Neck is the best part of the adventure - take the Gloucester Water Shuttle from Jacob’s Landing, next to the Maritime Museum. An all day, unlimited ticket will get you out on the water for only $10.
Edward Hopper, National Gallery of Art
Back to Stage Fort Park
Towards the end of the Harborwalk, you’ll come to the Blynman Bridge - a drawbridge that opens every 15-20 minutes in summer to let boats pass through. For kids who are interested in gears, things that spin, and mechanical operations, this is a fascinating thing to watch. Bring your noise cancelling headphones - it can be a little bit loud for some people.
Your tour ends at Stage Fort Park, where there is a visitor center with restrooms, a playground and a nice beach.
If you’re driving to Gloucester, the best place to park is at the paid lot here at Stage Fort, so that your beach stuff will be ready and waiting for you at the end of your walking tour. You’ll need to reserve and pay in advance using the Gloucester Blinkay App. You can then take the shuttle from the visitor center to the waterfront to start your Harborwalk tour.
The Best Beach in Gloucester
Wingaersheek Beach is a half-mile wide stretch of soft white sand with shallow, calm waters, large granite rock formations that are fun to climb when you’re not busy swimming, and tide pools where you can hunt hermit crabs.
Located about 15 minutes north of downtown Gloucester, this beach offers restrooms, showers, a concession stands and a small souvenir store. Parking reservations are strongly recommended on busy summer weekends. There is no attendant at the lot - you will need to book and pay for your parking using the Gloucester Blinkay parking app.
The Gloucester Schooner Festival!
If you come to Gloucester on Labor Day Weekend, you’re in for a real treat. The annual Gloucester Schooner Festival brings about 2 dozen tall ships to Gloucester. There are boat races and sail parades on the water, the harbor area has live entertainment and food trucks, and on Saturday night, there is a huge fireworks display. You can find out more about the event here: https://www.maritimegloucester.org/schooner-festival
Major events like this are intended to draw crowds - and they do. We often avoid fairs, festivals and parades due to issues with noise and chaos, but the chance to witness a fleet of schooners out for a sail is worth finding a way to make it work! With a little planning, you can take in the excitement of Schoonerfest in a sensory friendly way.
Most of the boats arrive by Wednesday, so if you go on Thursday or Friday, there will be lots to see with smaller crowds. Some of the boats will let you board for free deck tours in the mornings, and most will let you book a cruise at some point in the weekend. You need to book directly with the schooner of your choice. Click here for a list of participating ships. Maritime Gloucester is offering shorter, 1 hour sails at a discounted rate: click here.
Sunday is Race Day! The Parade of Sail happens from 10 to 11:30, and the Mayor’s Cup Boat Races are in the afternoon. You can watch both from Stage Fort Park if you don’t want to brave the crowds at the pier.
Getting to Gloucester on Public Transport
The MBTA commuter rail has regular daily service between North Station in Boston and Rockport. The train ride takes 1 hour 10 minutes, see here for the schedule. It’s about a 15 minute walk from the Gloucester commuter rail station to the first stop on the Harborwalk. In summer, a free shuttle service runs roughly every 20 minutes between the commuter rail station, Stage Fort Park, the Maritime Wharf area and Rocky Point.
There’s a good amount of metered street parking downtown, but if you’re visiting in summer, and plan to include some beach time at the end of your day, the best plan is to pay for parking near the Visitor Center at Stage Fort Park, and use the free shuttle to get to the first Harborwalk Stop, and work your way back to the car over the course of the day. You can reserve parking here. Parking is free after Labor Day.
The MBTA offers a weekend commuter rail pass for only $10 for adults, free of charge for children 11 and under. The pass allows unlimited travel on all commuter rail trains in the Greater Boston area, but not on the regular subway or bus lines. If you’re downtown, and your child enjoys train rides – this is a Great Adventure for your family!
Where to Stay in Gloucester
Most kids judge the quality of any vacation, any time of year, to any place, by how much time they get to spend swimming.
If you’re looking for a hotel with an indoor pool, the Hotel at Cape Ann Marina in Gloucester or the Rockport Inn and Suites in Rockport are good choices. The Vista has an outdoor pool with tremendous ocean views, and many rooms come with kitchenettes - handy if you’re dealing with special diets or a child whose best behavior doesn’t always last until dinner time. A nice hotel room in Gloucester will run about $350 on a summer weekend, but only half that off-season.
If you’re also planning to visit Salem on this trip, consider staying in Danvers or Beverly, halfway between Rockport and Salem. This is more of a business community than tourist area, so you’ll easily find your favorite chain restaurants, stores and extended stay hotels. Your room will be about half the price of staying directly in Rockport. The Doubletree Hilton has a nice indoor pool, and the Marriott Residence Inn has a good outdoor pool. Our family loves the Residence Inn – it’s easy to keep G on her usual routines in an apartment like setting.