Woods Hole is the mainland gateway to Martha's Vineyard: ferry logistics plus the science institutions, food, and history worth your layover.
Walk-on ferry tickets
Buy your Steamship Authority ticket before you reach the dock
Passengers need no reservation: buy in the SSA app or online and show the code at the gate. An adult round trip was $22 when we checked in September 2026. Bringing a car? That takes a separate vehicle reservation.
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Woods Hole is a village in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and the main ferry port for Martha's Vineyard . Most people only see it from the ferry line, but it's a real destination in its own right: over 300 years of history, two major research institutions, and a handful of good places to eat. If you have time before your boat, it's worth a walk around.
Woods Hole started as a fishing and farming community more than 300 years ago. Today it's better known for science. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) , founded in 1930, runs ocean research programs around the world, and visitors can stop into its exhibits to see what the institution actually works on.
Down the street, the Marine Biological Laboratory has been doing biological research here since the late 19th century. Between the two, this small village has an outsized place in marine science.
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For a village this size, Woods Hole eats well. Fresh seafood, baked goods, seasonal menus. You can find a solid meal within a few minutes of the terminal.
If you have not sailed from Woods Hole since spring, the terminal will surprise you. The Steamship Authority opened its new building on June 25, 2026, a one-story, $37 million project that took 21 months to build and replaced the temporary modular terminal that stood here for years. It was deliberately kept low so the harbor views stay open, and it runs on 29 geothermal wells and three solar arrays, part of a push toward net-zero operations at the Authority's busiest port. Inside you get proper waiting space, restrooms and ticket windows; outside, the same rule as always applies: there is no public parking at the terminal itself, so use the off-site lots and the free shuttles.
The Steamship ferry at the Vineyard Haven slip, 45 minutes across the Sound from Woods Hole.
The Steamship Authority sails from the dock here to Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs. Park in the satellite lots and shuttle in; the village itself has almost none.
From Boston, the Peter Pan bus runs straight through to the Woods Hole ferry terminal, stopping at the Falmouth bus depot on the way. Arrive early and you can look around before catching the ferry to Martha's Vineyard .
It's easy to treat Woods Hole as nothing more than the place the boat leaves from. Give it an hour or two instead: the science, the history, and the food all hold up on their own. Plan your visit to Woods Hole and see the village before you board.
For ferry schedules and local events, check the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's website or the Woods Hole Business Association's site .
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