Things to do nearOcean Park

Ocean Park occupies a prominent place in the story of Oak Bluffs, itself one of the most architecturally distinctive towns on Martha's Vineyard. The park was laid out in the 1870s as part of a planned residential development that sought to capitalize on the popularity of the nearby Methodist Campground, a revivalist community whose ornate wooden cottages had already made the area famous. Developers envisioned Ocean Park as a more secular complement to the Campground, a gracious public green where residents and visitors could gather with a view of the sea.

The result is a gently curved, park-like space anchored by a decorative bandstand and bordered by Queen Anne and Carpenter Gothic homes whose painted facades and intricate woodwork give the streetscape an almost storybook quality. Visitors spend time simply walking the perimeter, photographing the cottages, and sitting on the grass as boats move across the sound in the middle distance. The bandstand hosts summer concerts that reinforce the park's role as a communal gathering place, a function it has served continuously for generations.

The surrounding streets connect naturally to the rest of Oak Bluffs, including the Flying Horses Carousel, one of the oldest platform carousels in the United States, and the lively shops and restaurants of Circuit Avenue. Ocean Park rewards slow, attentive visits, and its combination of architectural heritage, open landscape, and coastal setting makes it one of the most rewarding public spaces on the island.