Though it’s located on the eastbound side of Interstate 195 in Wareham, the Cranberry Region Visitor Center is actually inaccessible by motor vehicle directly from Wareham.

The Visitor Center's six employees all live in Wareham. But to get to work, they must first drive to Marion and then come back toward Wareham on I-195.

It may not be easily accessed from Wareham, but according to Bruce Hutchins, who has managed the facility for eight years, it continues to make an impact on the economy of Wareham, and the people who work there spend most of their days acting as cheerleaders for the town and the region.

“If you were to sit here for a little while, you’d see that they promote Onset, Cranberry Highway, and Wareham Village,” said Hutchins, a retired school principal who lives in Onset year-round.

“This year, they say they’ve directed 548 people to the Cranberry Region (Wareham, Onset, Carver and Plymouth),” said Hutchins, who estimates that an average of $80 to $100 is spent per person per day visiting the region.

Hutchins said that as of August 11, approximately 12,000 families had stopped in this summer for information. That's an increase of 2,500 families compared to last year and the second highest total since he took over.

“This summer is probably the best I’ve seen,” said Hutchins.

Hutchins said the Visitor Center itself, which sits inside an approximately 30 x 10 foot trailer on the state-owned plaza, originally belonged to the Cranberry Highway Association. That group consisted of businesses along Cranberry Highway who were concerned that the construction of Route 25 in the late '70s and '80s would take away from their revenue.

Eventually, the Association ceased to exist, and ownership of the building went to the Town of Wareham. After two years of the center being closed, the Wareham Community and Economic Development Authority asked Hutchins to take over managing the facility, and it’s been under CEDA's and Hutchins’ control ever since.

Inside the center, one can find flyers on hundreds of local and Cape Cod businesses from hotels to water parks to restaurants to campgrounds. Visitors can also use the three port-a-potties located on the premises, as well as several vending machines and picnic tables.

“They get that one-on-one with the ambassadors that work there, who are all from Wareham,” said Jean Connaughton, chairperson for the Community and Economic Development Authority. “They encourage people to stop here, and they hope that they’ll come back.”

Employees at the Center ask those who visit to sign a guestbook. Most of the visitors are from the Northeast, but this year alone, they’ve had visitors from 42 countries and 48 states. Hutchins said the numbers also show economic trends.

“This year, the foreign visitors are down,” said Hutchins. “It has to be a reflection that the United States economy is getting stronger and that Europe is still recovering.”

“I love it,” said Priscilla Alden, who has worked at the Visitor Center for about five years. “I enjoy talking to people. It’s actually fun to meet people from all around the world. It’s really neat.”

Alden said some of the most common questions come from visitors looking for directions, often involving the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges, as many out-of-towners get the two confused.

“It’s the only place that I know that I can get paid to tell people where to go,” said Alden.

The Cranberry Region Visitor Center is open seven days a week from mid-May to mid-October. From Patriot’s Day to mid-May, it is open Friday, Saturday, and Monday. From mid-October to Veterans Day, it’s open Friday, Saturday, and Monday. It is closed for the winter.

Visiting hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.