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Historic ensemble · Edgartown, Massachusetts
Oak Bluffs Cottages
About 300 colorful wooden cottages with trim on the porches, around an 1879 iron tabernacle, in the old Methodist camp of Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Oak Bluffs Cottages
In 1835, Methodists began gathering in an island oak grove for summer religious meetings, sleeping in tents. Over time the tents were replaced by small wooden cottages built on the same narrow lots and with the same shape: steep roofs, double doors imitating the tent entrance, and porches with cutout trim—the style Americans call gingerbread.
Today there are about 300 cottages, painted in bright colors, along narrow streets and circles around the Trinity Park Tabernacle, a large iron pavilion from 1879 where services, concerts and events still take place in summer. The ensemble is a National Historic Landmark and the cottages are private homes.
Once a year in August there is the Grand Illumination, when residents hang paper lanterns on the porches and light them all at once.
Oak Bluffs, the village around it, has the ferry harbor, quiet beaches and the Flying Horses, a 1876 carousel considered one of the oldest in the United States still operating.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
One to two hours on foot.
Best time
In summer during the day, with the gardens in bloom; on the night of the Grand Illumination in August, when the lanterns are all lit at once. Check the exact date each year.
How to get there
They are in downtown Oak Bluffs, about 10 km from Edgartown by bus, bike or car. There is no charge to walk through the district.
Tip
Remember the cottages are private residences: view them from the street and do not enter the porches. The small camp museum, in one of the cottages, shows the interior when it is open.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Oak Bluffs Cottages
What are the Oak Bluffs gingerbread cottages?
About 300 colorful wooden cottages, with lace-like trim on the porches, built on the site of the tents of an old Methodist camp meeting.
When is the Grand Illumination in Oak Bluffs?
One evening a year, in August, when residents light paper lanterns on all the cottages. Check the date for the current year.
Can you go inside the Oak Bluffs cottages?
No, they are private homes. You can walk the streets and, when open, visit the small camp meeting museum.