The town is technically Tisbury, a name no one really uses. Beetlebung is headquartered here. The Coffee House and our first Dry Goods retail store are here. This Web site is managed here. Many people pass through Vineyard Haven because it is the port at which the Steamship Authority operates ferries year round.
Vineyard Haven is quiet, convenient, and old fashioned, one of only three towns in Massachusetts that remains “dry.” The village center bustles with exciting shops and galleries and Vineyard Haven Harbor is a real working seaport. The Steamship Dock and several marinas are there along with Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway, a boatyard where they design and hand-craft classic wooden vessels from scratch.
The 1883 fire incinerated all of Main Street, taking away some of the town’s architectural history. Still the village is lovely and often feels as if it is operating in a simpler America. You can get around by walking and you’re always bumping into someone you know. There are many small inns, hotels, and B&B’s to accommodate people constantly coming and going; and Prohibition notwithstanding, there are even some terrific places to dine out—pizza and panini at Beetlebung Coffee House for fantastic and affordable fare.
The Vineyard Playhouse hosts year-round professional theater as well as outdoor summer Shakespeare in the Tisbury Amphitheater overlooking Lake Tashmoo. Indie and international films and live musical performances at the historic Katharine Cornell Memorial Theater are captivating, fresh, and fun.