Best Things to do on Provincetown's MacMillan Pier​

Every day during the summer, hundreds of people step off ferries from Boston and onto the 1,450-foot MacMillan Pier in Provincetown Harbor. According to the Department of Public Works estimates, about 100,000 people visit Provincetown via the MacMillan Pier every year. While many visitors only see the wharf in passing, it has a rich history and a culture all of its own.

History of MacMillan Pier

One of the most well-known ships to visit Provincetown Harbor was the Mayflower, which dropped anchor in the deep harbor in 1620. After exploring the coastal pine barrens of Cape Cod, the passengers on the Mayflower decided to establish Plymouth Colony on the other side of Cape Cod Bay.

Even so, the colonists continued to value Provincetown Harbor as a key fishing ground.

Since 1873, MacMillan Pier has been the heart of Provincetown’s fishing industry. Large fishing trawlers line two smaller finger piers on the east side of the wharf, closest to the bay. Small fishing vessels bob up and down on floating docks closer to shore.

While many fishing vessels still dock at MacMillan Pier, regulations have significantly reduced the number of boats involved in commercial fishing in Provincetown over the last few decades. However, in the mid-nineteenth century, fishing and maritime trade were the town’s most profitable industries.

In those days, whaling vessels from all over the world navigated the deep waters of Provincetown Harbor. The booming industry attracted sailors from, in particular, Portugal. Today, many old Provincetown families have Portuguese ancestry.

Contemporary Use of MacMillan Pier

While commercial fishing vessels still use MacMillan Pier, the wharf is also lined with ferries and with boats (big and small) dedicated to sightseeing, whale watching, and sport fishing.

These boats help visitors get a closer look at the natural beauty and the natural abundance that made Provincetown Harbor one of New England’s most important early seaports.

There are also plenty of things to do on the wharf. MacMillan Pier is home to art shacks, a harbormaster’s office, a pump-out station, and public restrooms.

Visitors can soon learn about Cape Cod’s white sharks in the Shark Center at the end of the wharf. The Shark Center, run by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, will also offer shark tours on their own vessel to educate visitors about the region’s marine predators.

On the Fourth of July and New Year, people gather on MacMillan Pier to watch fireworks. The view is great, with the fireworks reflecting in the harbor, doubling the fun and making for great photos!

While standing on MacMillian Pier, you can look over to nearby on Fishermen’s Wharf, where visitors can spot the stunning portraits of the “They Also Faced The Sea” art installation. The project, a collaboration between Norma Holt and Ewa Nogiec, pays tribute to the contributions made by Provincetown’s Portuguese community, particularly its women.