National Park Service photo.

Highlands Center at Cape Cod National Seashore

Mission Statement:
The Highlands Center fosters the unique cultural and natural heritage of Cape Cod by facilitating scientific research, the arts tradition, and educational programs atop the dramatic sea cliffs of
Cape Cod National Seashore.

The Park Setting
Dramatically situated on a high bluff overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean, the 110-acre Highlands Center at Cape Cod National Seashore occupies a point of singular beauty on the Outer Cape in Truro, Massachusetts. The converging land and sea habitats provide a fitting backdrop for the center, which is envisioned to be a place of learning, reflection and research.

Highlands Record Newsletter and Other Related Media

Highlands Fest 2008 Press Release

Highlands Fest 2008 flyer " Celebrate the Wonders of Wind!"

April 2008   July 2008

FREE Cold War Walk at Highlands Center every Thursday, July 3- August 28 at 2pm

Walking tour of the former North Truro Air Force Base. Learn about the role the area played in the Cold War past, and the exciting plans to transform it into a science, arts, and education center atop the dramatic sea cliffs of the Cape Cod National Seashore. No reservations required. Meet at the Payomet tent!

Highlands Center: Past, Present, and Future
In 1994, Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS) acquired the former North Truro Air Force Station. Since then, CCNS has made $1 million in infrastructure improvements, allowing for the potential renovation and occupation of several buildings. There are up to 45 potentially usable buildings (approximately 115,000 square feet) organized around a central quadrangle, which will require structural repair, renovation and/or modification. Included are buildings originally used for common space, housing, administrative functions, storage space, and maintenance facilities.

One of the goals for the Highlands Center is to create a community of artists, scientists and educators who will pursue their work in a national park setting. The core of the Highlands Center will be its program partners, enriching each other’s work through their distinctive activities and opportunities for interaction. These partner organizations will establish an active community of creative individuals and will help carry out the Center’s mission. Together, these various perspectives will form a dynamic mosaic that reflects and celebrates the unique character of Cape Cod. The Highlands Center will explore how the Cape can hold on to a sense of this past while establishing an authentic link to the future.

Another ongoing goal for the Highlands Center is to adopt the National Park Service’s commitment that special emphasis be placed on park efforts to incorporate environmentally sound practices. Environmental impacts in terms of resource usage and performance will be taken into consideration and assessed during a project’s initial investment phase and throughout its lifetime. The Highlands Center will demonstrate environmental stewardship through the use of environmentally sustainable practices and technologies in its design, building rehabilitation, and ongoing operations.

Public/Private Partners
Highlands Center programs will support the mission of Cape Cod National Seashore through public and private partnerships. Inquiries and proposals for cooperative ventures from non-profit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions are welcomed. The National Park Service will provide basic infrastructure rehabilitation such as water, sewer, electric systems and will oversee design approvals, utility maintenance, leasing and site management activities. The Management Partner and Program Partners from the private sector will fulfill the remaining needs of the Center, such as custom building rehabilitation, utility hookups, facility maintenance, public programming and day-to-day activities.

Current Partners:
Highlands Center, Inc. (HCI) is the non-profit Management Partner designated by NPS. HCI will gradually assume many of the overall operations and maintenance responsibilities from NPS, including identifying and coordinating program partners, raising funds, receiving grants, and serving as a conduit for financing.

Barnstable County AmeriCorps Cape Cod (ACC) offers a diverse group of trained adults a residential living opportunity serving the critical environmental and disaster preparedness needs of Barnstable County. Part of a national network, it pairs service-minded volunteers with citizens, educators, scientists, and environmental professionals to promote land and water conservation, environmental education and disaster preparedness.

A pioneering Program Partner, Payomet Performing Arts Center in Truro (PPACT) , has its seasonal tent located at the Highlands Center. PPACT produces affordable, professional theatre, art, and music. Their second year of programming at this site included drama classes, yoga, independent films, music, storytelling, period actors, magicians, political satirist and much more. PPACT is a member of the Cape Cod Theatre Coalition.

Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC) in Provincetown, where artists and writers in the early stages of their careers are nurtured in a seven-month residency program, inspired by professionals and by the Cape Cod environment. Since its inception in 1968, FAWC has provided housing and stipends for over 500 emerging artists from around the United States and abroad.

The National Park’s North Atlantic Coastal Laboratory has operated at the site for a number of years and, while not official Program Partners, is actively involved in the collaboration. Two buildings were recently renovated and in summer 2007 were made operational for use by the NPS Atlantic Research Center (ARC). The ARC promotes research and information exchange on the physical and biological systems within or affecting Cape Cod National Seashore. For more information on the ARC, e-mail us, attention Carrie Phillips. 

Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill has agreed to oversee the operational management and facilitation of a wood burning kiln, performing such services as constructing the actual kiln, and operating open pottery programs at the site. The installation of a wood burning kiln in partnership with HCI will advance the Highlands Center mission, constituting a joint effort that will foster benefits to local artists and craftspeople, attractiveness to visitors, and a unique form of artistic education in the community.

Contact Information
Your participation in the Highlands Center is welcomed. Please let us know if you want to be added to our newsletter mailing list. The site is not yet open to the public except for special tours, events and scheduled public programs. For additional information please contact:

Lauren McKean
NPS Highlands Center Project Manager

Cape Cod National Seashore, 99 Marconi Site Road, Wellfleet, MA 02667
Phone: (508) 349-3785 ext. 208
Fax: (508) 349-9052
E-mail: Highlands_Center@nps.gov