Bell Tower Field (Woods Hole Playground)

Address: 112-138 Water St, Woods Hole, MA 02543

Water Street, the main thoroughfare in Woods Hole, is always bustling in the summer, but not far off across Eel Pond visitors will find a change of pace. Bell Tower Field offers a softball field, two tennis courts, a volleyball court, picnic tables and Taft’s Playground, dedicated to the memory of a Woods Hole youngster. There is also space for a small soccer field.

The park is the site of the annual Woods Hole May Festival.

The park abuts a small marsh and Mill Pond, making it a good spot for birdwatchers. There is a small loop trail near the tennis courts. The playground structure is handicapped accessible.

The park and its short access road take their name from the bell tower at St. Joseph’s Church, which is around the corner on Millfield Street. The gardens of the bell tower, behind a tall yew hedge, are open to the public. On one side is the Mary Garden, on the other is the Joseph Garden. Every plant in the Mary Garden is named for or associated with Mary. The Bell Tower gardens overlook Eel Pond and the surrounding laboratories of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Marine Biological Laboratory and National Marine Fisheries Service.

The gardens and tower were a gift to St. Joseph’s from Frances Crane Lillie, who studied at the Marine Biological Laboratory and spent her summers in Woods Hole.

Although parking at the end of Bell Tower Lane is limited, the park is an easy walking distance from the center of Woods Hole. The park closes at 8 PM.