West Tisbury's Grange Hall, built in 1859 and trimmed in scallops, is where the Vineyard Artisans Festival sets up.
Plate 01
West Tisbury is the rural middle of Martha's Vineyard: forests, farmland, conservation trails and one of the island's favorite beaches. It's quieter than the down-island towns, with more galleries, trails and history than its size suggests. The English settlement of Middletown began here, on land the Wampanoag had farmed and fished for thousands of years; it became the Town of Tisbury in 1671, West Tisbury split off as its own town in 1892, and it is where the island's agricultural traditions remain strongest.
History
West Tisbury grew up around farms and mills. For more than three centuries farming set the look of the place, from sheep farms and cranberry bogs to today's conservation land. The town still looks like the older Vineyard: winding roads, stone walls, and old houses across its hills and woods.
The farmers market
The West Tisbury Farmers Market, held at the Agricultural Hall, is the island's largest and oldest market, running Saturdays from June through October, with Wednesday markets added mid-June through late August. Local vegetables, flowers, honey, baked goods, and prepared foods come from island farms and kitchens.
Lambert's Cove Beach
Lambert's Cove Beach is the beach most people come to West Tisbury for: soft white sand, warm water and one of the prettiest sunset spots on the Vineyard. In peak season you need a resident pass, and many rentals include one.
Trails
West Tisbury has some of the island's best trail systems, managed by the Sheriff's Meadow Foundation, the MV Land Bank, and the Trustees of Reservations.
The essentials
Trails in West Tisbury
03 TRAILSPonds, meadows, and quiet coastal views.
Quiet walks around the ponds.
A cobble beach below a grassy dune, the water in front and no one else on it.
A dock on a lily-pad pond in West Tisbury, with still water and oaks along the far shore.
Polly Hill Arboretum
The arboretum has rare plants and winding paths and is open to the public year-round. Summer tours and seasonal events draw gardeners from well beyond the island.
Alley's General Store
Founded in 1858, Alley's General Store is the oldest retail business on the island. Owned by the Vineyard Preservation Trust, it is the town's general store and a gathering point for locals.
A 
B 
C A: the porch of Alley's General Store, in business since 1858; B: an old coin scale that gives your weight and your horoscope; C: the white dancers on the Field Gallery lawn.
Art and craft
Several of the island's best-known art venues are in West Tisbury:
The essentials
Art venues in West Tisbury
04 VENUESHeld at the historic Grange Hall.
Classic Vineyard photography and fine art.
Tom Maley's white dancing figures on the lawn.
Glassblowing you can watch as it happens.
Inside the Agricultural Hall during the Fair, with quilts hung from the beams and flower and photography entries on display below.
The Agricultural Fair
The MV Agricultural Fair is four days of farming, rides, competitions and food. It is the town's biggest week of the year and draws thousands every August.
The Pirate's Revenge swinging after dark at the Agricultural Fair, with families watching from the rail.
Where to stay in West Tisbury
Lambert's Cove Inn is the town's best-known inn, on a quiet wooded road. Otherwise West Tisbury is mostly home rentals, which suit longer stays and families.
Know Before You Go
Know before you go
A car makes it easier, though the VTA bus system connects the town well.
Many rural roads have no bike path, so an easy pace is the way to ride them.
The West Tisbury Farmers Market runs Saturdays June through October (plus Wednesdays in high summer) at the Agricultural Hall.
Finding West Tisbury
Why visit West Tisbury
If you want the quiet part of Martha's Vineyard, with woods to walk, a calm beach and a town built around farms and studios, West Tisbury is the place.
Questions
Questions about West Tisbury
What's the best time to visit?
Summer has the most events; spring and fall are cooler for hiking.
Which landmarks are worth a stop?
Polly Hill Arboretum, Lambert's Cove Beach, Alley's General Store.
What can I do here?
Hiking, beach days, farmers markets, art festivals, and nature exploration.
Music Street on an October afternoon, big old trees leaning over the lawns and the road.
Glacial boulders and flat water at sunset on a West Tisbury north-shore beach.
The Record
West Tisbury in brief
At the end of the boardwalk: north-shore water with almost no surf, and the evening light low over the Sound.
West Tisbury on film
From Our Lens Farm town, market town, art town. 105 photographs · View the West Tisbury gallery
+101 More photos: our West Tisbury gallery.
For the full 2026 guide with restaurants, events, and practical tips, read our West Tisbury Complete Town Guide (2026).
Keep Reading
Keep reading
Four free downloads · 2026 The Beach Guide, the Fall Guide, Where to Stay and What It Really Costs Every beach, the fall season date by date, every town and price band for a stay, and the budget guide: four PDFs, free with the island letter. No spam, one click to leave. See a sample first More of West Tisbury on film
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