Plum Island
Ranked #169 in Travel & Places, #8,232 overall
Plum Island, Massachusetts
Eat, sleep, have a great time...and go home with a souvenir.
Never heard of it? You're not the only one.
Plum Island has to be one of Massachusetts' best kept secrets. Less than an hour north of Boston you will find miles of pristine beaches where you can avoid the crowds and just relax. Great for a day of boating, fishing, bird watching or walking along the shore.
Take a look
Photos from around Plum Island
The first 9 images 'by cr9245' are mine.
Places to Eat
- Mad Martha's Island Cafe
- Just steps from the beach, it's the same old Mad Martha's you've always loved with some fresh new twists.
- Plum Island Grille
- A fabulous year round dining destination known for it's sensational food, spirited service, and spectacular views.
- Plum Island Beachcoma
- It is finally open! Check out their website for their full menu.
- Bob Lobster
- Fish market, lobster pound, and seafood eatery on the way to and from Plum Island. I love their fried scallops and clam chowder. Great lobster rolls too...and there's always room for ice cream.
Places to Stay
- blue, The Inn on the Beach
- Suites and cottages on the dunes of one of the most beautiful beaches on the east coast.
- Plum Island Beach Rentals
- If you are looking for a house to rent this is the place to go. They have places all over the island.
- Joppa House
- A beautiful one bedroom house for rent with breathtaking views of the Merrimack River and private use of two sea kayaks. Just a short drive away from both Plum Island and downtown Newburyport.
- Barre International Realty
- Thinking of buying your own vacation home? Or want to live on Plum Island year round? This is the website of Newburyport area real estate specialist Jean-Francois Barre.
Things to Do
- Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
- The refuge occupies the southern three-fourths of Plum Island and offers excellent wildlife-oriented recreational and educational opportunities with visitor facilities and programs provided to enhance your experience.
- Sandy Point State Reservation
- Sandy Point is at the very southern tip of Plum Island in Ipswich. The 77-acre park is among the state's most beautiful and popular coastal beaches. This is my favorite spot on PI. As you drive through the gate at the beginning of the refuge let them know you are going all the way to Sandy Point and you won't have to pay for parking.
- Plum Island Lighthouse
- The Newburyport Harbor Light is at the northern tip of Plum Island. You can walk around the grounds all year and they have occasional open houses from May through October. Make sure you wear sneakers if you want to climb to the top. You get a great view of the island from up there!
- Captain's Fishing Parties
- Deep Sea Fishing * Charters * Sightseeing Cruises * Whale Watching * Dinner Cruises
- Plum Island Kayak
- Located in Newburyport. Kayak rentals and guided tours along the Merrimack.
- BoatMA.com
- North shore Tide Charts including Merrimack River Entrance, Newburyport and Plum Island Sound.
- Plum Island Pages
- Plum Island's unofficial website. Or is it official? Either way, there's lots of info and a blog too.
Things to Buy
Plum Island Gifts & Souvenirs
- Plum Island Soap Company
- 100% All natural bath, body and skin care products.
- JCA designs
- JCA designs offers unique, original graphic designs & images on apparel, housewares, gifts and more!
Original * Plum Island * Newburyport * Bermuda * Custom
- Plum Island Cookie Company
- The Plum Island Cookie Company specializes in Gourmet French Butter Cookies, hand-made into delicious, delicate sand dollars.
Top 10 Reasons to live on Plum Island

Note:
#2 is just a joke. Please don't hurt the cute little, endangered, Piping Plovers.
They don't have a webpage...
but I can't leave them out.
Plum Crazy: 134 Northern Blvd, NewburyPart convenience store, part restaurant. It's wonderful! The family that owns it is great and the food is excellent. They offer breakfast lunch and dinner...and they have an ice-cream window on the side.
Update: Plum Crazy is now closed and for sale. :(
Jeanne's: 2 Northern Blvd, Newbury
Hamburgers, hotdogs, fried clams, and other good things to eat. Takeout or on the veranda. (This has been closed since the summer of 2007 and I'm not sure when or if it will open again. When I find out I'll post it.)
Mr. Moes Package Store: 14 Plum Island Blvd, Newbury
Beer, wine, video rentals, lottery tickets and more. Buy a PI magnet while you're there ;).
Dick's Variety: 29 Plum Island Blvd, Newbury
Groceries and The New York Sunday Times.
Surfland Bait and Tackle: 28 Plum Island Blvd, Newbury
Rods and reels, lures and bait.
Plum Island Airport: 24 Plum Island Turnpike, Newbury
Not exactly on Plum Island, but they offer scenic air tours over the area.
PITA Hall: Plum Island Boulevard, Newbury
The Plum Island Taxpayers Association Hall is available to rent for special events.
Phone: (978) 463-0670
Plum Island Taxpayers & Associates has a new website! plumislandtaxpayers.org
Plum Island clothing and gifts
JCA designs: Plum Island
If you live on the island or just wish you did, there is something here for you.
PI - Organic Cotton Tee
3 Depictions of Plum Island. Colorful graphic maps of Plum Island from The Basin to Sandy Point.
Plum Island and beyond
JCA designs: Newburyport
If you live in town or like to visit, there is something here for you.
Postcards of Newburyport (Package of 8)
Newburyport Massachusetts. Photographs include Market Square, The Firehouse Theater, Oldies Marketplace, Shirley's Place on Inn Street, and the Maritime Museum
What a cute little island it is
From Amazon.com
Merrimack River & Plum Island Sound, MA River Chart
Side A: Plum Island Sound and Ipswich Bay Side B: Merrimack River to Haverhill2 points
Plum Island: The Way It Was by Nancy V. Weare
I scanned my copy of this book and added it to Amazon as a customer image. If you click on the link you will be able to see the cover of this book.1 point
Sea Kayaking Coastal Massachusetts: From Newburyport to Buzzard's Bay by Lisa Gollin Evans
From the rocky shores of Newburyport, to the southern waters of Nantucket Sound, Sea Kayaking Coastal Massachusetts details more than 40 ideal sea kayaking trips.1 point
Weather in Newburyport
From one end...
Weather in Ipswich
...to the other.
Goodies from Plum Island Soap Company
Which do you enjoy most about PI?
The Latest PI News
Vintage Postcards
DayTrippers on Plum Island
I found a video podcast. :)
For all you Squid fans
Did you know that the 3rd giant squid ever seen on U.S. soil was found on Plum Island in 1980?It's true!
It was 9 ft long and weighed 440 lbs. It's still on display at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Carla Skinder, Feb. 1980)
SO...what are you waiting for?
Book your flight to Boston ;)

Clicking on image will open up a new page.
Taste of PI
Sample food from local restaurants.
Proceeds from the event support the upkeep of PITA Hall.
Restaurants at previous years' Taste of PI
From Newburyport: Alden Merrell, Black Cow, Bluwater Cafe, Buttercream Bakery, Bottega Tuscana, Domino's, Giuseppe's, Gram's Ice Cream, The Grog, Jewel in the Crown, Leary's Fine Wines, Not Your Average Joe's, Park Lunch, Purple Onion, Starboard Galley, Starbucks, Simply Sweet, and Szechuan Taste
From Plum Island: Bob Lobster, Mad Martha's Cafe, and Plum Island Grille
From Newbury: Newbury Butchery
From Salisbury: Angelina's, and Mapow Sushi
Been to PI? Live there? Come and say hi.
:)
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rochenan
May 31, 2012 @ 4:04 pm | delete
- I've always wanted to visit PI. I'm still hoping to someday.
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shermanmorrison
Jan 31, 2012 @ 7:44 am | delete
- Wow! I love places like Plum Island, so I'll have to check it out. Right now my family and I are in Brazil and writing about that here on Squidoo!
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lisadh
Jan 30, 2012 @ 12:08 pm | delete
- I've never heard of Plum Island, but it looks like a great place to visit.
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AngryBaker
Jan 29, 2012 @ 11:08 pm | delete
- Looks like a wonderful place to visit.
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GypsyPirate
Sep 2, 2011 @ 2:34 pm | delete
- I loved this lens a long time ago and am tickled to find that I still love it. Thanks for taking me to Plum Island again.
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franstan Aug 22, 2011 @ 8:19 pm | delete
- I'll add Plum Island to my Bucket List of places to visit
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Ramkitten
Aug 12, 2011 @ 2:48 pm | delete
- Hm, I grew up in New England (Rhode Island) and I hadn't heard about this place. This looks like a good resource for all things P.I. *Blessed by an angel on the Back to School Bus Tour*
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trippste
Aug 1, 2011 @ 10:56 pm | delete
- This is a great lens! I cant wait to visit Plum Island next month!
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thesuccess
Jul 7, 2011 @ 1:51 pm | delete
- Looks like a great place!
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scarlettohairy Jun 14, 2011 @ 5:06 pm | delete
- I drove to Plum Island and Newburyport from Boston just for the day. It was a nice secluded spot. And remember they mentioned Plum Island in Silence of the Lambs as a spot where Hannibal Lector could go if he gave up info. Bahhhaahhha.
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Christene
Jun 14, 2011 @ 5:14 pm | delete
- Ack, no the mention in Silence of the Lambs is not this Plum Island. The Plum Island Animal Disease Research Center is in New York.
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tssfacts
Mar 18, 2011 @ 9:49 am | delete
- What a delightful place to visit. I had not heard of it before. It is now on my list of places to visit in the USA.
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Greekgeek
Jan 23, 2011 @ 8:07 pm | delete
- Hello, Christene. I just saw your introduction in the newbie forum, and I think this has great potential as a first lens. I predict that you're going to do very well on Squidoo. :D
(Sorry to be silly, I was just poking through the Introduction Forum trying to find some newbies and/or oldies who had never received LOTD to nominate, and couldn't help clicking on your first post!)
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Christene
Jan 23, 2011 @ 9:02 pm | delete
- I read your comment in my email first and it doesn't say who posted. I was so confused until I saw it was from you. LOL
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Cathy
Sep 19, 2010 @ 7:37 am | delete
- My BF is coming up from No Carolina this upcoming weekend..we thought of PI & I found this sight. Well, we'll be heading up on Friday after leaving Logan..what a wonderful sight. Thanks very much!
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Pete Schultz
Aug 5, 2010 @ 4:33 pm | delete
- well done, I enjoy the way you laid out the information and links and it makes me want to visit Plum Island.
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Tipi
Jun 28, 2010 @ 1:25 pm | delete
- Plum Island, Massachusetts looks like a place to explore!
Would love to be able to travel to places I have never been to.
Susie
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Susan52
Jun 28, 2010 @ 11:45 am | delete
- "Every day is beach day." I could go for that!
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pkmcr Dec 11, 2009 @ 3:14 pm | delete
- Really super lens! We are hoping to come over to Massachusetts to visit Duxbury which was established by my ancestor Captain Myles Standish. Blessed by a Squid Angel :-)
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Evelyn_Saenz Aug 17, 2009 @ 5:54 am | in reply to heipet | delete
- Thank you for submitting this lens to All 50 States.
Plum Island is a wonderful place to bird watch. The park rangers offer free bird watch talks. It is one of my favorite places in the world. Peaceful, quiet and serene most of the year.
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by Christene
I'm a SquidAngel, a Giant Squid in the 100 Club, & Giant Squid Greeter alum. Not sure what those are? Find out here. more »
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