Travel advisoryStorm Warning on the ferry waters until Sun 10 AM · Steamship Authority travel advisory · High Wind Warning for Martha's Vineyard until Sun 8 AM · Coastal Flood Warning for Martha's Vineyard until Sun 8 PMThe Steamship Authority is continuing to monitor the forecast for the upcoming nor'easter that is expected to have significant effects for Cape Cod and the Islands through Sunday. We are waiving change and cancellation fees for travel scheduled for through Sunday, September 27.Steamship Authority · checked 1:00 PM ET
HomeTrip Planning GuidesGetting AroundPublic Restrooms on Martha's Vineyard, Town by Town: Where They Are, Which Are Seasonal and the Winter Fallbacks (2026)
Vineyard Haven · the Stop & Shop lotPhoto by MV Vacation
The Stop & Shop parking lot off Water Street in Vineyard Haven, across from the ferry. The town’s public restroom stands in this lot, a minute from the boat, and the terminal itself has another.
Every public restroom we know of on Martha's Vineyard, town by town: the two ferry terminals (open year-round), Kennebec Avenue in Oak Bluffs, Church Street in Edgartown, the Stop and Shop lot in Vineyard Haven, West Tisbury Town Hall, the Menemsha beach lot and the Aquinnah cliffs, which beaches have them (not State Beach), what is seasonal, and the fallbacks that work in winter.
Nobody puts public restrooms in a travel guide, and everyone on a day trip needs one by eleven. Martha’s Vineyard has them, but they are few, they are mostly where the boats and the buses are, and a good number of them lock for the winter without telling anyone. This is the list we would want in our pocket: every public restroom we know of, town by town, with what is next to it so you can find it without a map, which ones are open all year and which ones are seasonal, and the three fallbacks that work in every town when the town’s own door is locked. Hours are posted on the doors and change with the season; we say so wherever we do not know them, rather than guessing.
The Vineyard Haven terminal on Water Street and the Oak Bluffs terminal on Seaview Avenue both have restrooms inside, open whenever the boats run, which is every day of the year in Vineyard Haven. The one certainty on the island.
Oak Bluffs keeps a public restroom on Kennebec Avenue behind Circuit Avenue; Edgartown’s is at the Church Street visitor center by the bus stop, the only one in the village; Vineyard Haven’s is in the Stop & Shop lot off Water Street. All three are a short walk from where the bus drops you.
The old Agricultural Hall next to West Tisbury Town Hall, where the bus stops; the entrance to the Menemsha Town Beach lot below the fish markets; and the small building below the overlook at the Aquinnah cliffs. Seasonal, all three.
Owen Park in Vineyard Haven has permanent restrooms and showers; South Beach has them at the changing rooms at both ends; Menemsha Town Beach has them at the lot. State Beach has none at all; the nearest are at the Oak Bluffs terminal.
All six town libraries are open year-round with restrooms during their hours; the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Vineyard Haven has accessible ones; and the terminals never close. In summer, a coffee bought at a café buys the key.
Three. On Kennebec Avenue, the street behind Circuit Avenue by the post office, in the town lot; next to the Steamship Authority terminal on Seaview Avenue; and on the harbor next to Our Market, where the harbor bathhouse also sells showers for a small fee. The Kennebec one, at 21 Kennebec Avenue, is the one to remember on Circuit Avenue; map services list it as open 8 AM to 6 PM, which the town does not confirm online. Ocean Park itself has none.
VINEYARD HAVEN
Three. Inside the Steamship terminal on Water Street, year-round; in the Stop & Shop parking lot off Water Street, a minute from the boat; and in the park behind the fire station on Beach Road. Owen Park’s harbormaster building has restrooms and showers by the beach. The Mansion House sells day shower privileges.
EDGARTOWN
One in the village: the visitor center at 29 Church Street, just off Main Street beside the Old Whaling Church, where the VTA buses stop; the town lists the center and its restrooms as seasonal, the bus stop as year-round. Otherwise South Beach’s changing rooms at both ends of the beach in season, and the restaurants. Memorial Wharf has none that we know of.
WEST TISBURY
The old Agricultural Hall building next to the Town Hall on State Road, where the bus stops. The Grange Hall festivals bring their own. Lambert’s Cove Beach has no permanent restrooms; Long Point has portable toilets in summer only; Cedar Tree Neck has a portable one at the trailhead.
CHILMARK AND MENEMSHA
At the entrance to the Menemsha Town Beach parking lot, below the fish markets, in season. Lucy Vincent has porta-potties in its lot and nothing else. Chilmark center has no public restroom we know of.
AQUINNAH
The small building below the overlook at the cliffs, near the paid parking lot, in season; portable restrooms sit at the entrance to Moshup Beach. The shops at the Circle run roughly Memorial Day to Columbus Day.
CHAPPY
None that we know of on Chappaquiddick itself. Mytoi keeps year-round portable toilets at its lot, including an accessible one; Wasque and Cape Poge have the Trustees’ seasonal facilities. Go before the Chappy ferry.
Oak Bluffs · Circuit and Oak Bluffs AvenuesPhoto by MV Vacation
The corner of Circuit Avenue and Oak Bluffs Avenue at the Flying Horses. The Kennebec Avenue restroom is one street behind Circuit; the terminal one is a five-minute walk down Oak Bluffs Avenue.
Which ones are open in winter
Honestly: the terminals, the libraries and the museum. The Vineyard Haven Steamship terminal is open every day of the year because the boats are; the Oak Bluffs terminal keeps its hours only while boats land there, which in 2026 is mid-May to October 22. The beach and harbor restrooms, the Menemsha lot, the Aquinnah building and the West Tisbury hall are seasonal and close with the businesses around them, roughly Columbus Day to Memorial Day, and none of them publish a date that we have found. The Kennebec Avenue restroom in Oak Bluffs and the Stop & Shop lot one in Vineyard Haven are the town-center ones most likely to be open on a cold day, but we have found both locked out of season, so plan on the terminal. All six town libraries stay open all year on winter hours, and the what’s open year-round guide lists them; the seniors guide and the accessibility guide note which restrooms are accessible, with Owen Park and South Beach the listed ones on the beaches.
Menemsha · the beach lotPhoto by MV Vacation
A hand-painted carry-in, carry-home sign at Menemsha. The town beach restrooms are at the entrance to this lot, below the fish markets, in season; the fish markets themselves have none for the public.
The island letter
Three island guides, free on arrival
The Beach Guide, The Vineyard in the Fall and Where to Stay, plus a short letter from the island when there is something worth telling.
One-click unsubscribe, and we never share your email.
The day-trip plan
Know Before You Go
Where to stop, in order
OFF THE BOAT
Use the terminal before you leave it. In Vineyard Haven it is inside the building; in Oak Bluffs it is beside it on Seaview Avenue. Both have room for a queue.
IN TOWN
Oak Bluffs: Kennebec Avenue, behind Circuit. Edgartown: Church Street by the bus stop, and the bus itself stops there. Vineyard Haven: the Stop & Shop lot or the terminal. None of the three towns has a second village restroom, so this is the stop.
AT THE BEACH
Owen Park and South Beach have them; Menemsha has them at the lot; the Inkwell is a five-minute walk from the Oak Bluffs terminal; State Beach has nothing along its three miles, so stop in Oak Bluffs or Edgartown first. The beach guide lists facilities for all twenty.
UP-ISLAND
West Tisbury Town Hall, then nothing until Menemsha or Aquinnah. The bus tour stops at the cliffs; use the building below the overlook while the group photographs the lighthouse.
THE RULES
No changing in the lots, no rinsing wetsuits in the sinks, and carry out what you carry in; the Menemsha sign says it best. Water bottles refill free at the dark-green Take Back the Tap stations at parks, libraries and landings; the packing list has the map.
Edgartown · Church StreetPhoto by MV Vacation
Church Street in Edgartown, off Main Street by the Old Whaling Church. The visitor center with the village’s only public restroom is on this street, at the bus stop.
What we do not know
Opening hours. The towns post them on the doors, not online, and they change with the season and the staffing. We have listed every restroom we have used or seen and the Vineyard Gazette’s own public list, and we have said seasonal where we have found a door locked in the cold months. If you find one open, closed, moved or missing from this page, tell us through the contact page and we will correct it the same week; this is the kind of page that is only useful if it is right.
Three: on Kennebec Avenue behind Circuit Avenue by the post office, next to the Steamship Authority terminal on Seaview Avenue, and on the harbor next to Our Market, where the bathhouse also sells showers. Ocean Park has none.
Where are the public restrooms in Edgartown?
One in the village, at the visitor center on Church Street just off Main Street by the Old Whaling Church, where the VTA buses stop. In season South Beach has restrooms at the changing rooms at both ends. Memorial Wharf has none.
Where are the public restrooms in Vineyard Haven?
Inside the Steamship Authority terminal on Water Street, open every day of the year; in the Stop & Shop parking lot off Water Street; in the park behind the fire station on Beach Road; and at the harbormaster building at Owen Park beach, with showers.
Are there restrooms at State Beach?
No, none along the whole beach. The nearest are at the Oak Bluffs Steamship terminal at the north end or in Edgartown at the south. Plan the stop before the bus.
Which restrooms are open in winter?
The Vineyard Haven Steamship terminal every day, the six town libraries during their winter hours, and the museum in Vineyard Haven. The beach, harbor and up-island restrooms are seasonal, and the Oak Bluffs terminal closes when the boats stop landing there in late October.
How we checked this
Locations are from our own use of them over the seasons and from the Vineyard Gazette’s published list of public restrooms, cross-checked in September 2026 against the town beach pages, the Edgartown visitor center listing and the Trustees’ property notes; the Steamship terminal facilities are from the Authority’s terminal descriptions. Hours are not published by the towns and we do not invent them; seasonal notes are from what we have found open and locked. Corrections are welcome and go live the same week.
Island tip of the dayTransportNo. 11 of 86New tip at midnight, island time
Uber and Lyft operate on MV but surge hard in peak season. Local taxis are often steadier: a typical cross-town ride runs about $28, van-pool style, and airport pickups add a small rideshare surcharge.
Useful?
More on
Four free downloads · 2026 editions
Four island guides, in your inbox
The Beach Guide (all 20 beaches decoded), The Vineyard in the Fall, the season date by date, Where to Stay, every town and price band, and What It Really Costs, the 2026 budget line by line. All four PDFs free, plus a short island letter when there is something worth telling. No schedule, no spam.
No spam, unsubscribe in one click. Want a look first? See what you get.
First email ever from us? Give it a minute, and peek in spam once.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for general guidance only and was accurate at the time of writing. Beach conditions, hours, prices, lifeguard schedules, ferry fares, and business operations change frequently and without notice. Ocean swimming carries inherent risks including rip currents, undertow, and cold water shock. Always verify current conditions with official local sources before your visit. MV Vacation assumes no responsibility for any loss, injury, or inconvenience resulting from the use of this information. Swim only where lifeguards are on duty, supervise children at all times near water, and follow all posted safety signs.
Your insider guide to Martha's Vineyard: beaches, dining, events, and island living. We write down what we know about the island so your trip goes the way you hoped.
EV charging on Martha's Vineyard: about 34 public stations, nearly all Level 2, listed town by town with ports and prices (Cronig's by the ferry, the Edgartown Park and Ride, town halls, libraries, the airport, the Aquinnah cliffs), the one fast-charging site in Chilmark and what we could not verify, no Supercharger, the ferry's EV rules, and how to run an electric week on a 20-mile island.
Parking for the Woods Hole ferry: there is none at the terminal, so here are the three Steamship Authority lots (Palmer Avenue, Thomas B. Landers, Cataumet), the 2026 rates ($25 a day April to October, $20 otherwise), the free shuttle timed to every sailing, when to arrive, the annual and off-season permits, the drop-off rule and the cheaper Island Queen lot in Falmouth Harbor.
How to get a Steamship Authority car reservation to Martha's Vineyard: the February opening and its virtual waiting room, the residents' head start, the five-reservation limit, the wait list that works, the 2026 fares ($127 midweek, $168 summer weekends), the free first change and the 14-day refund rule, no standby, and why most visitors should leave the car in Falmouth.
The Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard? A New York scene two to three hours away by Jitney or train, with ocean beaches behind a $750 season permit, against a six-town island reached by an hour's flight or a day's train and boat, where every beach is free, the bus is free and the nights are quiet. Getting there, beaches, beds, towns, nightlife, children and cost, honestly.
Newport or Martha's Vineyard? A drivable Gilded Age city with the Breakers ($32), the free 3.5-mile Cliff Walk, festival weekends at Fort Adams and a late harbor front, against a six-town island reached by an $11 ferry with twenty beaches, a free bus and quiet nights. Getting there, sights, beds, nights, children, weddings, and doing both from Rhode Island.
Block Island vs Martha's Vineyard, honestly: a 9.7-square-mile island with one village and a $12 year-round ferry from Point Judith against 96 square miles, six towns and an $11 boat from Woods Hole. Size, ferries (the car fare gap is huge), beds, beaches, the week versus the weekend, and which one fits your trip from Rhode Island.
Subscribe
The free island library · 2026
One short island letter, and all three guides to start
Beach reports, events worth a day, ferry heads-ups. Sent when there is something worth telling. The Beach Guide, The Vineyard in the Fall and Where to Stay arrive with your welcome email.
