Town and County of Nantucket - What is Visitor Services?

Nantucket Visitor Services, located at 25 Federal Street in the heart of Nantucket Town, provides visitors and residents with information about current events, museums, tours, restaurants, lodging, etc.

“Home of the 1 Night List”

We maintain a daily list of available lodging accomodations as well as room cancellations for holiday weekends and special events. In the Summer, NVS also maintains the One Night list. If a hotel, inn or b&b has a single night opening, they will let us know and we will fill it. So, please call 508-228-0925 to inquire about room availability.

Nantucket Visitor Services produces the 2008 Travel and Lodging brochure (pdf). Inside you will find ferry schedules, airline numbers, car and bike rentals, taxi numbers, real estate agent numbers, sightseeing tour information as well as information on where to stay on Nantucket. Please call 508-228-0925 or e-mail us at visitorinfo@nantucket-ma.gov to order a Travel and Lodging brochure. Please allow 3-5 business days for mailing.

“A quality experience for both visitor and residents alike…”

NVS also sponsors the Fourth of July fireworks at Jetties Beach, maintains the color-coded bike path signage systems, provides funding to clean Town owned beaches in season and operates the public restrooms at 25 Federal Street and at Folger Court in Sconset.

* Created in 1924 as the Information Bureau

* Operated out of several real estate offices from 1924 -1929

* In 1929, the Town also created a Publicity Committee to help advertise Nantucket to the outside world

* In 1930, a permanent office was opened in the Hoosier House on Federal Street

* Relocated to the SE corner of Broad and South Water streets in the 1940s

* In 1964, moved to its present location at 25 Federal Street

* In 1991 the Information Bureau was renamed Nantucket Visitor Services and Information Bureau

* Became a department of the Town of Nantucket thereby reporting to the Town Administrator and the Board of Selectmen

* 7 member advisory committee created and appointed by the Board of Selectmen

Advisory Committee Mission Statement:

“The Committee monitors services for visitors and residents, looks for areas needing improvement, and recommends to the Town Administrator, through the Director of the Visitor Services & Information Bureau, suggested budget allocations and needs.”

· * Open year round

Summer – 7 days a week: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Winter – 6 days a week: 9:00am – 5:00pm Closed Sundays

* Centrally located at 25 Federal Street

* Short walk from both ferry docks, post office, library and Whaling Museum

* Public Restrooms located here.

Kiosk at Straight Wharf

Memorial Day – Columbus Day

* Maintain year-round daily lodging vacancy lists

* Maintain special event/ holiday vacancy lists

* Free lodging placement for walk ins

* Maintain lists and menus of all open restaurants

* Hand out maps, flyers, self guided walking tours among other items

* Maintain current event listings

* Offer free advice…:-)

* Director – Kate Hamilton Pardee

* Office Administrator – David Sharpe

* Assistant Administrator – Kevin Dugan

* 7 Information Aides

5 at Federal Street – main office

Visitor Services Department Manages…

Fourth of July Fireworks

* Held At Jetties Beach

* Originally shot from beach

Now shot from a barge located a mile offshore due to the endangered piping plover nesting on beach

Travel and Lodging brochure

* Produced annually by the staff

* Printed in conjunction with Chamber of Commerce and Nantucket Lodging Association

* Print run of 40,000

* Sent out free by request

* Available as a PDF download from website

Comfort Stations

25 Federal Street – Behind main office

‘Sconset – 1 Folger’s Court at New Street

25 Federal Street

Summer (May – December)

Winter (December –April)

8am – 6pm Closed Sundays

Saturday of Daffodil Weekend

Mid-May – Mid October

Both maintained and supplied by NVS budget

Both completely renovated since 2001

* All Town owned beaches

* At least twice a week

* Environmentally safe

* Designed to direct bikers to the proper bike path and avoid the heaviest auto traffic

* All current signs to be replaced with reflective material to see at night

Examples of Some NVS Public Service Campaigns

Do the Ride Thing

* 10 year old program in partnership with NRTA

* Encourages people to leave their cars at home and use alternate

modes of transportation

* Ride the Shuttle

* At end of week, raffle prizes are awarded

* 2007 grand prize was a bicycle

Town Employee Appreciation Day

* Co-organized with Town Administration

* Held at Children’s Beach

* Length of Service award pins awarded

* Raffle prizes and ice cream are donated by island businesses

Look Who’s Cleaning…

* Co-produced with the Inquirer and Mirror

* Ran weekly during the summer of 2005

* Nine different people featured helping to keep Nantucket clean

Christmas Light Contest

* Co-sponsored by Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce

* Winners announced at Chamber’s Red Ticket Drawing

* Given “Light” themed prizes

Nantucket Visitor Services…

“Come in with a question .Walk out with a smile…”