Dennis Town Profile

Dennis features culture indoors, action outdoors

One of the cultural centers of Cape Cod, the town of Dennis is home to the Cape Playhouse, the Cape Cinema and the Cape Cod Museum of Art, all three of which are located in a cluster just off scenic Route 6A.

America’s oldest professional summer theater, the Cape Playhouse opened on July 4, 1927. Among the actors who have appeared there are Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Gregory Peck, Ginger Rogers, Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda. The Cape Cinema is a 300-seat theater that specializes in independent film. In addition to its permanent and temporary exhibitions of works by local artists, the Cape Cod Museum of Art offers lectures, concerts and studio classes.

Don’t forget to keep some sunscreen in your car if you move to Dennis. The town has 16 ocean beaches – plus two more on freshwater lakes. Golfers can choose between the Dennis Pines and Dennis Highlands courses. The 25-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail allows cyclists a traffic-free way of pedaling from Dennis to Wellfleet. The 30-foot tower atop Scargo Hill provides an on-high look at anglers pursuing trout and smallmouth bass in nearby Scargo Lake.

Popular restaurants include Gina’s by the Sea and the Red Pheasant Inn in Dennis village, the Ocean House in Dennisport and the Marshside in East Dennis. For a taste of the sea, don’t miss the clam fritters and fish and chips at Captain Frosty’s in Dennis village. When Cape Codders rank their favorite spots for ice cream, the Sundae School Ice Cream Parlor in Dennisport always makes the list. For coffee and sweet treats, try Buckies Biscotti in Dennis.

The Tony Kent Arena attracts hockey players and figure skaters. While most of them are local students, Nancy Kerrigan trained there before winning a silver medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

Dick and Ellie’s Flea Market, which attracts vendors selling a fascinating variety of odds and ends, recently added a children’s play land, including a miniature golf course.

History is valued in Dennis, a town where more than 400 sea captains lived in the 1800s. Do you like cranberry juice? Give thanks to Dennis resident Henry Hall, who cultivated the first cranberry bog in 1807. For a peek at how the town’s namesake lived, visit the Josiah Dennis Manse Museum, a 1736 saltbox house.

Annual events in Dennis include a sandcastle-building contest, Family Fun Day at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, a fall walk through a historic cemetery, the East Dennis Ladies Aid Society’s Village Fair and the Christmas Open House at the 1736 Josiah Dennis Manse Museum.