Our Location
For reservations please call
(978) 546-3111 or e-mail
info@mooringstone.com
We are located at 12 Norwood Avenue which is a quiet street, just two blocks from the Atlantic Ocean and The Headlands and three blocks to the town’s center and its famous historical sites, art galleries, shops, restaurants, movie theatre, Shalin Liu Performance Center, library, post office, beaches, and outdoor activities (including: island and sunset cruise/tours, lobstering trips, deep-sea fishing, sailing, sea kayaking, bike rentals, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving). The commuter rail to/from Boston via Salem as well as other outdoor activities (golf, tennis, hiking, bird watching) are within a one mile radius. Scenic photography spots are everywhere!
Local Websites
- Calendar of Events/Activities
- Good Morning Gloucester
- Rockport Music-Shalin Liu Performance Center
- Rockport Art Association
- North Shore Arts Association
- Rocky Neck Art Colony
- Cape Ann Museum
- Halibut Point State Park/Atlantic Path
- Thacher Island Association
- Sandy Bay Yacht Club
- Horse-Drawn Rockport Tour
- New England Whale Watching
- Rockport Golf Club
- Professional Theatre on Cape Ann
- Fun Emporium ‘R Three Sons’
Notable Attractions
Old Garden Beach, Pebble Beach, Cape Hedge Beach
Most tourists stay downtown and visit Front and Back Beaches. Our guests prefer the seclusion, peace and quiet found at Old Garden Beach, Pebble Beach and Cape Hedge Beach.
*Guest Parking stickers are provided for these beaches.
Old First Parish Burying Ground
The Old First Parish Burying Ground dates back to 1630 when the original plot was given to the town by Richard Tarr, the first settler. He was buried here in 1732. This old New England cemetery is full of historical information which can be gleaned while meandering through (adjacent to Mill Brook Pond Garden which has playground equipment and an open grassy area for children to rollick in with both sunny and shaded areas for picnicking).
Paper House
This unique summer home was constructed mostly from newspapers, glue, and varnish in 1922 and is still standing today for the curious thrifty visitor to glean ideas.
Rockport Fun Fact
In 1614, John Smith named Cape Ann, including what would become Rockport, “Tragabigzanda,” the name of a Greek maiden who had been kind to him while the Turks held him captive. The three islands off the coast he dubbed “Turk’s Heads,” in memory of his triumph over three Turkish gladiators during his imprisonment.
Prince Charles of England would rename the cape after his mother, Anne of Denmark. The three “Turk’s Heads” would come to be known by their individual names: Straitsmouth, Thacher, and Milk Islands.