Home | About the Chamber | Contact Us | Members Only

Header Image
Download Our
Travel GuideIsland Book

African American Heritage Trail

To order a free Visitor’s Guide, and for direct connections to all attractions, accommodations, restaurants and businesses, please visit our website at: www.mvy.com


Day 1

African American History Tour
Tel. 508.693.8714
Tour Season: May through October, 90 minutes
Learn about the people, places and events in the evolution of the African American presence on Martha’s Vineyard from the early 1700s to the present through this guided tour of 12 historical sites

Martha’s Vineyard Sightseeing Tours
Tel. 508.627.8687
On-line: www.mvtour.com
Year-Round, Island-wide bus tour, 2.5 hours Guided tour of the entire Island, with specific trips available to the clay cliffs at Gay Head in Aquinnah, the whaling captains’ homes in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven


Day 2

African-American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard
Tel. 508.693.4361
The African-American Heritage Trail is a series of sites that include the home of William Martin, the Island’s only African-American whaling captain, the Seaport of Menemsha, the Gospel Tabernacle, and the home of Dorothy West. This is a self-guided trail.

Gingerbread Cottages
Tel. 508.693.0525
Founded by the Methodist church in 1835, this site served as the location for annual summer camp meetings, this group of more than 300 unique and quaint cottages surrounding the Tabernacle are not to be missed.

Lighthouse Tours
Martha’s Vineyard Museum
Tel. 508.627.4441
The Gay Head and East Chop lighthouses are open for sunset tours from late June to mid-September

The Flying Horses Carousel
Tel. 508.693.9481
America’s oldest continuously operating carousel and a national landmark.


Alternative Suggestions

Art Galleries

Belushi Pisano Gallery
18 State Road, Vineyard Haven
Tel. 508.696.8988

Cousin Rose Gallery
71 Circuit Ave, Oak Bluffs
Tel. 508.693.6656

The Arts District, Dukes County Ave, Oak Bluffs, including:
The Dragonfly Gallery
91 Dukes County Ave
508.693.8877
On-line: www.mvdragonfly.com

Featherstone Center for the Arts
Barnes Road, Oak Bluffs
Tel. 508. 693.1850
On-line: www.featherstonearts.org

The Field Gallery & Sculpture Garden
State Road, W. Tisbury
Tel. 508.693.5595

The Granary Gallery at the Red Barn
636 Old County Road, W. Tisbury
Tel. 508.693.0455
On-line: www.granarygallery.com


Cultural Attractions

The Aquinnah Cultural Center
Tel. 508.645.9265
On-line: www.wampanoagtribe.net
Cultural Center for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head

The Farm Institute
14 Aero Ave, Edgartown
Tel. 508.627.7007

The Tall Ships The Black Dog, Beach Road, Vineyard Haven
Tel. 508.693.1699
On-line: www.blackdogtallships.com

The Vineyard Playhouse
Tel. 508.693.6450
On-line: www.vineyardplayhouse.org
Live theatrical performances set throughout the summer and autumn months


Recreational Activities: A selection if recreational activities Are available on our website: www.mvy.com


Historic Walking Tours are available in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven

Bicycle Rentals are available in Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven and Edgartown. The Island has 33 miles of formal bike trails, and additional roads that are safe for adults to cycle.

Boating and fishing charters are available spring – Fall


Kayaking
Island Spirit Kayak
Oak Bluffs
Tel. 508.693.9727
On-line: www.islandsspirit.com

Windsurfing
Skyhigh Kiteboarding
Vineyard Haven
Tel. 508.259.2728
On-line: www.skyhighkite.com