Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs is Martha's Vineyard's entertainment hub. Gingerbread houses, shops, restaurants, and nightlife along the one street everyone ends up on.
Circuit Avenue is the main commercial street and heart of Oak Bluffs, the island's main summer nightlife strip. Family-friendly by day with ice cream shops, fudge, and the carousel; a lively bar and music scene after dark.
Filmed May 2021The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked September 2026.
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The plaque on the Flying Horses building: the carousel dates from 1876 and is kept by the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust. Circuit Avenue starts right here.
At 15 Lake Avenue, at the base of Circuit Avenue. Built in 1876 and originally at Coney Island; moved to Oak Bluffs in 1884. The oldest operating platform carousel in the United States, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Features hand-carved horses with real horse-hair manes and tails, glass eyes, and the original brass ring game. Music by a 1923 Wurlitzer Band Organ. Summer hours: 10 AM–9 PM daily, rides $5 each; after Labor Day hours shrink and the carousel closes for the season in October, so check before you go. Celebrating its 150th birthday in 2026.
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Behind the bar at the Sand Bar and Grille at the bottom of Circuit Avenue, bottles lined up for the evening.
Linda Jean's Restaurant (25 Circuit Ave), the Oak Bluffs diner that ran for 47+ years, was sold in November 2025 for $4.9 million. It reopened on April 1, 2026 as Highlands General, a year-round fast-casual breakfast, lunch and coffee spot with a small market, run by a group that includes the owners of Nancy's and Nomans. Highlands General is open year-round; see our Oak Bluffs guide for hours.
Circuit Avenue connects to Ocean Park, the large waterfront green with a Victorian bandstand, and is steps from the ferry terminal. See our Oak Bluffs Complete Guide (2026) for the full experience, or explore Inkwell Beach nearby.
Island tip of the dayTimingNo. 82 of 86New tip at midnight, island time
Edgartown Lighthouse is climbable daily in summer, roughly 10 AM–4 PM, with the shortest waits right at opening. Small admission ($5 at last check). Staff may close the door a few minutes early.
The Feast of the Holy Ghost in Oak Bluffs, held every third full weekend of July since 1928: the Queen Isabel legend behind the free soup, the Sunday parade from the ferry up Circuit Avenue, the crown blessed at Our Lady Star of the Sea, the sopas at the Portuguese-American Club, the club the rest of the year, and how a visitor should behave at the island's Portuguese feast.
East Chop Lighthouse in Oak Bluffs: the 1878 cast-iron tower on Telegraph Hill, the Sunday sunset openings run by the Martha's Vineyard Museum, the semaphore and Chocolate Lighthouse history, and the bus stop and parking below the hill.
Shearer Cottage, Dorothy West, the Inkwell and 30 marked sites across the island: how to walk or tour the African American Heritage Trail of Martha's Vineyard.
Take a guided Jaws tour of Martha's Vineyard with local guide Mike Currid. Walk the real Amity Island in Edgartown and book the "Amity" Walking Tour.
A first-hand look at the Edgartown Historic Walking Tour and "Amity" Jaws Tour with Mike Currid of the Edgartown Tour Company: what to expect, what you'll learn, and how to book.
Martha's Vineyard with kids: best beaches, Flying Horses Carousel, free VTA buses, kid-friendly restaurants, rainy day plans, and family budget tips.
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