Gloucester and Rockport in Winter: A Cape Ann Day Trip
Motif No. 1, Bearskin Neck, Halibut Point and the Cape Ann Museum, with weekend train times from North Station and a car-free plan.
- Gloucester
- Rockport
Cape Ann works as a train day trip if you go on a weekend, because the Rockport Line runs every two hours and both towns are walkable from their stations. The one stop you cannot do on foot from the train is Halibut Point, which is a car stop.
The train
The MBTA’s Newburyport/Rockport Line leaves North Station for Gloucester and Rockport. On the weekend schedule for December 5 and 6 (and November 14 and 15), trains run every two hours:
- Outbound from North Station: 6:30, 8:30 and 10:30 am, 12:30 and 2:30 pm, then 4:30, 6:30, 8:50 and 11:20 pm. The 8:30 reaches Gloucester at 9:34 and Rockport at 9:47. The 10:30 reaches Gloucester at 11:34 and Rockport at 11:47.
- Back from Rockport: 6:00, 8:00 and 10:00 am, then noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00 and 10:20 pm (the last train back). Each stops in Gloucester nine minutes later and reaches North Station an hour and 15 minutes after leaving Rockport.
That is about an hour and four minutes to Gloucester and an hour and 17 minutes to Rockport. Check the timetable on the day for changes and holiday schedules.
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A car-free day
- 8:30 am: train from North Station to Rockport, arriving 9:47.
- 10:00 am to noon: Bearskin Neck, the short street of shops and restaurants at the harbor. The red fishing shack known as Motif No. 1 is the centerpiece of Rockport’s annual Motif No. 1 Day, and the Greater Cape Ann Chamber calls it a long-time favorite subject for painters and photographers.
- 12:00: train from Rockport to Gloucester, arriving 12:09.
- 12:30 pm: lunch in Gloucester. Pick one that is open the day you go, since many seaside places cut their winter hours.
- 1:30 to 4:00 pm: the Cape Ann Museum at 27 Pleasant Street. The Downtown Campus is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm, unless otherwise indicated, and closed Mondays. The CAM Green Campus is closed for the season.
- 4:09 pm: train from Gloucester, arriving at North Station at 5:15.
The museum lists its tours and family programs on its homepage.
If you have a car
Drive to Halibut Point Reservation at 4 Gott Avenue in Pigeon Cove, Rockport, before you go into town. The Trustees list 2.5 miles of moderate trails, open daily from sunrise to sunset, and ask you to allow at least an hour, or two with the state park’s visitor center and museum. Parking is free from November to April, and dogs must be on a leash. The former Babson Farm Quarry is filled by springs, and swimming or entering it is prohibited.
Getting around Cape Ann without a car
The Cape Ann Transportation Authority runs fixed bus routes in Gloucester, Rockport and Essex. Route 1 (Eastern Avenue) and Route 4 (East Gloucester and Thatcher Road) both run between downtown Gloucester and Rockport, and Route 8 also stops at both train stations. CATA runs Monday through Saturday year-round, with select Sundays and holidays, so do not count on a bus on a Sunday. Buses are fare-free, and the Rockport Shuttle is a summer service. CATA dispatch is (978) 283‑7916.
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Sources
- MBTA: Newburyport/Rockport Line schedulembta.com
- Cape Ann Museum: Visitcapeannmuseum.org
- The Trustees: Halibut Point Reservationthetrustees.org
- Cape Ann Transportation Authority: Bus routescanntran.com
- Rockport USA: Motif No. 1 Dayrockportusa.com
Details such as dates, hours and prices come from the sources above and can change. Check with the organizer before you go.
How we report: every date, price and address comes from a linked source.
