Bourne

The Town of Bourne is made up of the communities of Buzzards Bay, Monument Beach, Pocasset, Sagamore, and Sagamore Beach.

Bourne was first settled in 1640 as a part of the town of Sandwich. It was officially incorporated in 1884 and was the last town to be incorporated in Barnstable County. It was named for Jonathan Bourne Sr., whose father, Richard Bourne, served in the Massachusetts General Court at the time of settlement, as well as helping to found the settlement in Mashpee.

The town lies at the northeast corner of Buzzards Bay, and is the site of Aptucxet Trading Post, the nation’s oldest store. Aptucxet was founded by the Pilgrims in 1627 at a site halfway between the two rivers which divided the Cape from the rest of the state. It was out of this location that the Cape Cod Canal was formed, in order to save time and lives by eliminating the need to sail around the hazardous eastern shores of Cape Cod. Because of the canal, Bourne is now considered the “first” town on the Cape, as all three bridges (the Bourne, Sagamore and the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge) are located within the town.

The Canal is world renowned for its superb sport fishing, scenic vistas, relaxing bike rides & walking routes, and for carrying vessels of all sizes flying the flags of all nations.

Bourne Scenic Park, is located beneath the Bourne Bridge along the Canal, and is a perfect location for those seeking to enjoy the Canal and its many activities.  Bourne has numerous quiet harbors and inlets for boating and swimming, and the fishing & shellfishing in the area is particularly enticing and considered some of the most diverse in Massachusetts.

Bourne is also home of the National Marine Life Center, an independent, non-profit, rehabilitation & release hospital for the treatment of stranded sea turtles and seals, with future plans to expand to treat dolphins, porpoises, and small whales.  The Center has been steadily growing since treating its first patient in the Summer of 2004, and is destined to become the primary care center and information hub on Cape Cod regarding marine animals and their environmen.

During the Summer, there are weekly  Concerts In The Park, the July 4th Parade has proven quite popular, the annual Bourne Scallop Festival is held in September each year, bringing visitors from  all across North America.

Places To Visit