John F. Kennedy Memorial

John F. Kennedy Memorial stands in Veterans Memorial Park overlooking Lewis Bay, where Kennedy frequently sailed during the years he spent at Hyannis Port. Its waterfront setting connects his public legacy with the Cape Cod landscape that remained an important part of his private and family life.

Commissioned by the citizens of Barnstable, the memorial was dedicated on July 8, 1966, less than three years after Kennedy’s assassination. Its central stone wall contains a bronze profile of the president facing the bay, while the Great Seal of the United States appears on the opposite side. Much of the stone used in its construction came from Cape Cod.

A reflecting pool and fountain stand before the memorial. Surrounding the pool are words adapted from Kennedy’s 1962 address on the national economy: “I believe it is important that this country sail and not lie still in the harbor.” The setting and quotation recall both his love of sailing and his belief that the country must continue moving forward.

Set beside the waters Kennedy knew so well, the memorial offers a quiet place to consider both his presidency and his lasting connection to Cape Cod. Its location in Hyannis brings his national legacy into the community where he sailed, gathered with his family and found refuge from public life.