Hyannis – (August 21, 2024) The Kennedy Legacy Trail, now under the stewardship of the JFK Hyannis Museum, has received major renovation thanks to several grants. The self-guided trail in downtown Hyannis features newly designed plaques with updated information at ten local sites related to President Kennedy and his family.
Created in 2012 by the Town of Barnstable, the 1.6-mile Kennedy Legacy Trail guides curious users from the JFK Hyannis Museum at 397 Main Street, to St. Francis Xavier Parish, to Aselton Park, Veterans Memorial Park and the Kennedy Memorial on Ocean Street. At each site, a sign provides a short story and a QR code to the companion website offering additional insights on the Kennedys and Barnstable’s history.
With grant funding from CARE for the Cape and Islands, a Town of Barnstable tourism mini-grant, and a Destination Development Capital grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Office of Travel & Tourism, the museum installed new plaques, wayfinding sidewalk decals and the refreshed website content.
Executive Director, Wendy Northcross thanked museum interns Ciaran O’Reilly who led content research and writing and Abbie Heath who assisted with web content. Additional trail partners include the Cape Cod Maritime Museum, HyArts Cultural District, and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum photo archives. The refreshed graphic design was provided by sparks+sullivan. New site signs were provided by New England Reprographics and sidewalk wayfinding decals by Signarama. Insite Media Design refreshed the website design. Distribution of maps for the self-guided walk is provided by the Greater Hyannis Chamber and the Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District.
The companion website, www.KennedyLegacyTrail.com, offers a downloadable map and a virtual trail experience. This fall, the JFK Hyannis Museum will offer narrated and guided versions of the trail.
Photo: August 21st ribbon cutting of Legacy Trail relaunch
