Old Jail
Barnstable's Old Gaol is a historic colonial jail in Barnstable, Massachusetts.
A museum inside Barnstable Town
You can stay in Barnstable Town
Old Jail is inside Barnstable Town, which has 68 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Boston
Boston is about 57 miles northwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 1690
Old Jail dates from 1690. About ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct
May, June, July, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 62–80°. When to go ↓
An airport 2 miles away
Cape Cod Gateway (HYA) has airline service, about 2 miles from Old Jail.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Barnstable Town. Green months are the mild ones.
Old Jail
Barnstable's Old Gaol is a historic colonial jail in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Built c.1690, it is the oldest wooden jail in the United States of America.
The jail was built by order of the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colony courts. It served as the Barnstable County jail until c.1820, when a new stone jail was built. The structure, which held about six prisoners, was eventually attached to a barn. In 1968 it was rediscovered, separated from the barn, and moved 100 feet (30 m) onto the grounds of the Coast Guard Heritage Museum (located in the old Customshouse building) in Barnstable Village.
- Type
- Museum
- Established
- 1690
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1971)
- Wikipedia readers
- 2.2K a year
Where to stay near Old Jail
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Barnstable Town (68) and Yarmouth (77).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Old Jail | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town | in town | — | 68 38 hotels · 5 motels · 18 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel | 50,101 | $603K | C+ |
| Yarmouth 29% vacation homes | 4 mi southeast | 5 min | 77 43 hotels · 11 motels · 17 inns & B&Bs · 5 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 25,225 | $552K | B− |
| Dennis 52% vacation homes | 7 mi east | 10 min | 54 21 hotels · 10 motels · 12 inns & B&Bs · 9 lodges & cabins · 2 RV parks | 14,906 | $627K | B− |
| Sandwich | 10 mi west | 15 min | 25 7 hotels · 4 motels · 6 inns & B&Bs · 7 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 20,575 | $601K | A− |
| Brewster 42% vacation homes | 13 mi east | 20 min | 28 8 hotels · 12 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 10,457 | $708K | A− |
| Harwich 34% vacation homes | 12 mi east | 20 min | 23 8 hotels · 1 motel · 13 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 13,635 | $659K | A− |
| Falmouth 28% vacation homes | 17 mi southwest | 25 min | 46 26 hotels · 6 motels · 8 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 33,361 | $630K | B− |
| Provincetown 50% vacation homes | 25 mi north | 40 min | 86 31 hotels · 49 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 2 campgrounds | 3,729 | $902K | C− |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Old Jail
Other well-known places within 61 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw61 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw57 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw54 mi MuseumThe Breakers
45 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
Big draw60 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
119 mi Ancient siteSS Pendleton
55 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
224 mi MuseumPlimoth PatuxetPhoto credits
Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · SS Pendleton: United States Coast Guard, Richard C. Kelsey, Public domain · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain · Plimoth Patuxet: Tr!sie, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Visiting Old Jail
Is Old Jail in Barnstable Town?
Yes. It’s inside Barnstable Town, MA.
When is the best time to visit Old Jail?
May, June, July, August, September and October, with highs of 62–80°.
How far is Old Jail from Boston?
About 57 miles northwest of Boston, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Old Jail?
Cape Cod Gateway (HYA), about 2 miles away. The nearest big hub is Rhode Island T. F. Green (PVD), about 58 miles.
Where should I stay near Old Jail?
Barnstable Town (in town, 68 places to stay), Yarmouth (4 mi, 77 places to stay) and Dennis (7 mi, 54 places to stay).
Tips from people in Barnstable Town
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Barnstable Town’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.