Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Mosaic in Beachfront Park.
Tsunami Walking Tour
Madam Yoko’s gravesite.
Madam Yoko’s Grave
Garden path.
Garden of the Presidential Mansion
Anabaptist Cages
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Aerial view of Bell Labs Holmdel
How the Bell Labs Holmdel Complex Inspired ‘Severance’
1 day ago
Omni Parker House Hotel
The Omni Parker House: Inside the History of Boston’s Most Iconic Hotel
2 days ago
The cute capybara.
Animal Takeover: Brace Yourself for Adorable Hordes
3 days ago
The Codex Gigas (the Devil’s Bible) open to the portrait of the devil.
Codex Gigas: Who Drew the Devil in This Massive Medieval Bible?
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Massachusetts Oak Bluffs Martha's Vineyard Gingerbread Houses

Martha's Vineyard Gingerbread Houses

This candy-colored storybook village originated as a 19th-century Methodist campground.

Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts

Added By
Maria Valeria Diaz
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Pink House, circa 1980   Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress
The Pink House, circa 1980   Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress
  m01229 / CC BY 2.0
Gingerbread houses of Oak Bluffs.   Maria Valeria Diaz / Atlas Obscura User
Gingerbread houses of Oak Bluffs.   Maria Valeria Diaz / Atlas Obscura User
  rickmurph / Atlas Obscura User
  rickmurph / Atlas Obscura User
Gingerbread houses of Oak Bluffs.   Maria Valeria Diaz / Atlas Obscura User
Gingerbread houses of Oak Bluffs.   Maria Valeria Diaz / Atlas Obscura User
Gingerbread houses of Oak Bluffs.   Maria Valeria Diaz / Atlas Obscura User
Gingerbread houses of Oak Bluffs.   Maria Valeria Diaz / Atlas Obscura User
Gingerbread houses of Oak Bluffs.   Maria Valeria Diaz / Atlas Obscura User
Gingerbread houses of Oak Bluffs.   Maria Valeria Diaz / Atlas Obscura User
Gingerbread houses of Oak Bluffs.   Maria Valeria Diaz / Atlas Obscura User
The Tabernacle on Illumination Night   brigittesm / Atlas Obscura User
Gingerbread houses of Oak Bluffs.   Maria Valeria Diaz / Atlas Obscura User
  brittanyjones / Atlas Obscura User
  philtuths / Atlas Obscura User
Gingerbread houses of Oak Bluffs.   Maria Valeria Diaz / Atlas Obscura User
Antique Chinese Lantern at Illumination Night   brigittesm / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The fairytale-like "gingerbread houses" of Oak Bluffs are a much-loved architectural attraction on Martha's Vineyard. These vibrant Victorian cottages are clustered together, each with a quaint and colorful design reminiscent of the house made of gingerbread and candy in "Hansel and Gretel." These adorable homes are now exclusive summer cottages, but they come from humble origins.  

In the 1800s, this corner of the island was frequented by a group of Methodists that held annual religious retreats and meetings on Martha's Vineyard. At the time, they slept in tents during these summer gatherings, but as the camp meetings became more frequent the group built permanent cottages to accommodate them year-round.

The original cluster of 500 cottages was initially known as “Cottage City,” until the name was changed to Oak Bluffs in 1880. The charming storybook design is actually an architectural style called Carpenter’s Gothic that was popular at the time. But these individually decorated cottages, painted with bright and vivid colors with candy-like pillars and ornaments, became known as the "gingerbread houses." 

Today, 300 gingerbread houses remain in the Oak Bluffs Campground, as well as the Cottage Museum at the entrance to the village, which features a prototype cottage furnished as it would have looked in the 1800s. The tabernacle sits in the center of the complex, which still functions as a religious facility.

One night in August, the cottages are decorated with paper lanterns, making them even more magical. This tradition, which is called Grand Illumination Night, began in 1869.  You can find additional information online.

Related Tags

Architecture Architectural Oddities Religion Islands Design Fairytales Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

The best time to visit is in the summertime, as the sun will make the houses look even brighter and more vivid.  There is no admission fee to walk through the campground, and photography is allowed from the sidewalk. The Cottage Museum is open from mid-May to mid-October with a $3 admission fee.

Community Contributors

Added By

Maria Valeria Diaz

Edited By

Martin, brigittesm, brittanyjones, philtuths...

  • Martin
  • brigittesm
  • brittanyjones
  • philtuths
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • rickmurph

Published

February 18, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://gomarthasvineyard.com/events-calendar/annual-grand-illumination-night
  • Information from the museum
  • http://www.mvcma.org
Martha's Vineyard Gingerbread Houses
80 Trinity Park
Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
United States
41.454855, -70.560622
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Back Door Donuts

Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts

miles away

Flying Horses Carousel

Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts

miles away

‘Jaws’ Bridge

Edgartown, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Oak Bluffs

Oak Bluffs

Massachusetts

Places 3

Nearby Places

Back Door Donuts

Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts

miles away

Flying Horses Carousel

Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts

miles away

‘Jaws’ Bridge

Edgartown, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Oak Bluffs

Oak Bluffs

Massachusetts

Places 3

Related Stories and Lists

It's Barbie's World in These Perfectly Pink Places

List

By Michelle Cassidy

12 Places That Look Like Desserts

List

By Nikki Vargas

Related Places

  • Abundant Life Building.

    Tulsa, Oklahoma

    Abundant Life Building

    This abandoned, windowless concrete block is one of the strangest buildings in Tulsa.

  • Mya Thein Tan Pagoda

    Min Kun, Myanmar (Burma)

    Mya Thein Tan Pagoda

    This magnificent white pagoda was constructed to resemble a sacred Buddhist mountain.

  • Church Entryway with Mosaic of Christ Teaching by Mahonri Young.

    Washington, D.C.

    Washington Family Church National Cathedral

    An amazing example of early-20th-century architecture, this church features marble transported from Utah.

  • Enlightened Heart Tibetan Buddhist Temple in the Kinta valley.

    Tambun, Malaysia

    Enlightened Heart Buddhist Temple

    On the outskirts of Ipoh, this sprawling temple complex is home to one of the world's tallest pagodas.

  • Drumheller, Alberta

    The Little Church

    A six-person chapel in the middle of Alberta's badlands.

  • Dawn on Charles V palace in Alhambra, Granada, Spain.

    Granada, Spain

    Muslim Gravestones of the Alhambra

    Spanish architects used seized Muslim gravestones to rebuild parts of the fortress.

  • The vaulted ceiling.

    Torrelavega, Spain

    Vaulted Ceiling of Iglesia de la Virgen Grande

    This magnificent brick dome was made with an unusual design method.

  • Sharon Temple.

    East Gwillimbury, Ontario

    Sharon Temple

    An architectural marvel built by a nearly forgotten Canadian Quaker sect, the Children of Peace.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.