Marblehead offers a mix of coastal spots, parks, and specific sites connected to its local history. These themes provide different ways to explore the town.
Coast, Parks, and Views
At Chandler Hovey Park, also known as Lighthouse Point, Marblehead comes into view from the harbor entrance. The 3.74-acre park is located on Marblehead Neck and offers views of the harbor entrance as well as the coasts of Beverly and Manchester-by-the-Sea. Its amenities include gazebos, picnic tables, restrooms, swimming access, and parking. The Marblehead Light Tower is also located in the park.
Fort Beach is located at the entrance to Fort Sewall and offers a wide view of the end of Marblehead Neck and Chandler Hovey Park. From Old Burial Hill Cemetery, you can see Old Marblehead, the harbor, and the sea. The viewpoints offer different perspectives: Lighthouse Point looks toward the harbor entrance and coast, Fort Beach toward the end of the Neck and the park, and the cemetery toward the old town, harbor, and sea. If you choose outings based on the landscape, these three views are clearly distinct.
Devereux Beach is a swimming beach with an access mat. A beach wheelchair is available at the parking attendant’s station. Kayak rentals are offered Friday through Sunday without a reservation; Monday through Thursday, an appointment is required in advance. As facilities, rental hours, and availability may change, check the current conditions before your visit.
History at Several Sites
The Marblehead Museum comprises a campus with four properties in Marblehead’s historic district: the J.O.J. Frost Gallery, Exhibits, and Gift Shop; the Jeremiah Lee Mansion and Gardens; the Brick Kitchen Visitor Center, Exhibits, and Research Center; and the Civil War & Grand Army of the Republic Museum.
Fort Sewall represents an earlier phase of the town’s history. It was once an armed fort owned by the United States and served to defend against British attackers. Today, Fort Sewall is a quiet park overlooking Marblehead Harbor. Here, you can distinguish the site’s historic status from its present-day park landscape.
Gas House Beach also connects the shoreline with local history: the small community beach lies on Little Harbor in one of the oldest areas of Marblehead’s waterfront. The first settlers founded the settlement known as “Marble Harbor” here in 1629. Its connection to the town’s early history is therefore tied to a specific coastal location.
Explore a Former Railroad Corridor
The abandoned Boston & Maine Railroad corridor begins near the center of Marblehead, on Pleasant Street. The approximately four-mile trails are used for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. This makes the corridor a different kind of activity destination from the individual beaches, parks, and historic sites: here, you can choose from several ways to get around along a former railroad line.
Discover more destinations: Newbury, Amesbury, Merrimac, Gloucester, Peabody, Ipswich, Methuen, Danvers.
For the broader travel overview: Essex.
